On Not Eating Chalk: "Almond Dream" Makes Ice Cream

Benefits of eating non-dairy ice cream? Nobody wants to share it with you, and therefore nobody complains if you eat it right out of the container.

Of all the food groups I've had to say farewell to in recent years, the one I miss the most (and cheat for the most frequently) is dairy. Mind you, I couldn't care less about milk. But ice cream? Oh. I miss ice cream.

This is apparently a sentiment shared by a lot of dairy-challenged people, as "fake" ice creams abound... in some stores, almost out-numbering the real ice cream options these days. Many of these dairy-substitute ice creams are flat out terrible. OK, most of them are flat out terrible. And yet new brand after new brand, I still get suckered into trying them. Fake ice cream buying is a compulsive behavior I should probably seek treatment for. But, in the mean time...

I'm not sure why the Dream brand is still making ice creams. I don't have a single acquaintance who likes Soy Dream ice cream. And the Rice Dream version just tastes like chalk. Still, seeing Almond Dream on sale at the Greenwood Market last week, I rationalized the purchase because almond milk is alright, and a pint of it was cheaper than the hemp milk ice cream it was next to.

I purchased the Almond Dream "Praline Crunch" (which, you'll be pleased to know, is "made with real almonds"... to make up for being made with fake milk, I suppose). Oh happy day! Not only is it not terrible, but it is actually really good. No gritty texture. No weird aftertaste. Excessively sweet. All the things ice cream ought to be! Not to mention, lower in calories than any of the coconut milk ice creams. The only downside is that this experience encourages me to go back and try the other flavors.

Obviously, Almond Dream contains tree nuts, so if you're allergic, this one's not for you. It also contains soy lecithin, and a couple of ingredients that are less common allergens (like potato), but no dairy or gluten.