Baskin-Robbins has done it again. Following the release of its Non-Dairy Strawberry Streusel earlier this year, the ice cream chain has launched its second vegan oat milk ice cream flavor.
The new flavor, Non-Dairy Salted Fudge Bar, features fudge pieces and chocolate fudge swirled into creamy, salted dark chocolate oat milk ice cream. We’ll take two scoops, please.
The Non-Dairy Salted Fudge Bar joins Baskin-Robbins’ growing range of vegan flavors. The chain launched its first vegan ice creams 2019. Its first-ever dairy-free flavors, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chocolate Extreme, featured a coconut oil and almond butter base. Later that year, the company released the Non-Dairy Coffee Caramel Chunk, an espresso-flavored treat with chocolate chunks and a caramel ribbon.
The 76-year-old ice cream brand’s strawberries-and-cream flavor was part of its May Flavor of the Month, and was only available for a limited time. It featured strawberry, cinnamon granola, and crumbly streusel in a creamy oat milk base. The new non-dairy dessert carried the same creamy consistency as conventional ice cream with a slightly sweet oat flavor.
“We’re a brand that’s all about creating new flavor experiences and with so many people living plant-based or flexitarian lifestyles today, we couldn’t be more excited to launch our new oatmilk-based option,” Shannon Blakely, Vice President of Marketing & Culinary, Baskin-Robbins, said at the time of its release.
The Scoop on Oat Milk Ice Cream
According to the SPINS retail data commissioned by the Good Food Institute, the popularity of plant-based milk has laid the groundwork for growth in other vegan dairy categories, such as ice cream. In the U.S., retail sales of vegan ice cream reached $435 million in 2020.
Outside of the scoop shop, the rapid growth of this category can be seen in other brands known for dairy-based ice cream launching vegan options, including Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, and Häagen-Dazs. And, oat milk-based ice cream is only just starting to occupy shelf space in the freezer aisle, led by the plant-based brands Oatly, So Delicious, and on a smaller scale, artisan brands such as Brooklyn-based company Van Leeuwen. The company My/Mochi Ice Cream, known for its mochi-coated ice cream bites, also announced its first oat milk-based flavors earlier this year.
However, apart from Baskin-Robbins, vegan oat milk ice cream has yet to make it to ice cream shops on a national scale. But, frozen dessert chain 16 Handles launched a new line of oat milk soft serve earlier this year. In June, the chain released four new Oatly soft serve flavors: Iced Latte, Vanilla, Chai Tea, and Chocolate. And Vermont’s Ben & Jerry’s offers almond milk and sunflower butter-based ice cream in its scoop shops.
