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The day dairy-free dessert-lovers have been waiting for finally arrived earlier this week when Ben & Jerry’s launched their new vegan range in the UK.
Rolling out in stores from September 6, the new flavours include almond-based versions of the celebrated Chunky Monkey and Chocolate Fudge Brownie, plus a brand new concoction called Peanut Butter & Cookies, available only in the vegan range.
But how do the plant-based alternatives measure up to the real stuff? We grabbed a spoon to get the scoop.
Bronze: Chocolate Fudge Brownie
They say:
‘The fabulously fudgy brownies in the non-dairy version of this fan favourite come from New York’s Greyston Bakery, where producing great baked goods is part of their greater-good mission to provide jobs and training to low-income city residents.’
We say:
If you’re looking for a ‘just-about-acceptable’ alternative to a sorbet, or love chocolate but hate animal products, this will do. The weak chocolate flavour lacks the richness of the real deal version of this classic B&J flavour, and leaves a slight chalky taste in the mouth. One of our tasters described the mouthfeel as ‘emotionally unavailable’. A search party is still looking for the brownie chunks that were nowhere to be found. The verdict: 4/10.
Silver: Chunky Monkey
They say:
‘We monkeyed around with our classic Chunky Monkey and we’re sure you’ll go ape for this non-dairy flavour! It’s still the chocolatiest-chunkiest concoction-gone-bananas ever.'
We say:
There’s no monkeying around here: the Chunky Monkey flavour-factor makes up for the ‘meh’ of the Chocolate Fudge Brownie. The slightly artificial-tasting banana ice cream might invoke memories of childhood medicine, but it packs a pleasant punch and the crunchy, chunky, chocolatey chips and walnut pieces deliver everything you’d expect from your usual tub of B&J. The verdict: 7/10
Gold: Peanut Butter & Cookies
They say:
‘We’ve always had a love affair with peanut butter and with cookies. So how could we go wrong with this flavour that delivers it all, from the crunchy peanut butter swirl to the yummy chocolatey sandwich cookies?’
We say:
It looks like ice cream, feels like ice cream, tastes like ice cream: but it’s not ice cream. This creamy-tasting dairy-free alternative is the closest you’ll get to the real thing, and the pinch of saltiness from the peanut butter cuts through the cookie ice cream to stop it from being over-sweet. It’s almost enough to convince us to ditch the dairy for good. The verdict: 8/10.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream ruthlessly ranked according to flavour. Check out our definitive ranking of all other Ben & Jerry’s ice creams.