New trends in vegan and low-sugar ice cream
How can you offer your customers ‘healthy’ choices without compromising on ice cream quality?
Introduction to the vegan market in the ice cream industry
The vegan market has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by consumer preferences that are increasingly opting for more sustainable, healthier and environmentally friendly options. This trend has had a major impact on the ice cream industry, where demand for vegan alternatives - free of animal products - is steadily increasing.
Vegan consumers and others looking for plant-based options value products made with natural ingredients, free of dairy and gluten, without compromising on taste or texture. This has driven the ice cream industry to innovate and develop basic recipes that meet - or even exceed - customer expectations.
In addition, the vegan market offers an excellent opportunity to diversify product offerings, attract new consumer segments and stand out from the competition. Offering vegan options in an ice cream parlour is not only a growing trend, but also a demonstration of commitment to sustainability and nutritional inclusion.
This is the perfect time to invest in innovative solutions, such as specialised ice cream bases and customised techniques, to appeal to an ever-growing customer base.
Comparative nutritional information
Below, we compare the classic ice cream preparations with the vegan and stevia alternatives.
Key ingredients in vegan/stevia bases
• Plant proteins: A blend of soy and rice proteins provides a neutral flavour. These bases only require the addition of water, avoiding the need for plant-based milk, which can affect the final flavour.
• Coconut fat: Used in powder form to improve creaminess and provide healthy fats.
• Stevia sweetener: Much sweeter than sugar, requiring precise dosing to maintain an authentic flavour.
• Polyols: Used to improve the texture of ice cream.
Recipe adjustments
The alternative bases are a complete product to which you only need to add water. For best results, dissolve the powders in water. The recommended water temperature is 90°C. To achieve optimal creaminess, reduce the amount of liquid when adding high-fat pastes such as hazelnut or pistachio. With the Vega&Stevia variant, do not add extra sugar.
Fructital products for vegan ice cream and low-sugar vegan ice cream
Fructital offers a wide range of ingredients specially developed for both vegan ice cream and low-sugar vegan ice cream with stevia. With these carefully selected products, you can create delicious, creamy ice cream variants without animal ingredients and, if desired, without added sugars. The Fructital catalogue clearly indicates which products are suitable for both applications and combine perfectly with the BiancaVega and BiancaVega&Stevia bases.
Marketing and commercialisation: reaching the right target group
The market for vegan and low-sugar ice cream is growing rapidly and offers opportunities to appeal to various consumer segments. Vegan and vegetarian consumers are an important target group, as they consciously choose plant-based products. There is also a large group of people with lactose intolerance looking for tasty non-dairy alternatives. Health-conscious consumers are also showing increasing interest in ice cream with natural and responsible ingredients. This is especially true for diabetics and those looking to control their blood sugar levels, for whom low-sugar options such as vegan ice cream with stevia are an attractive and safe alternative. By addressing the needs of these target groups, an ice cream parlour or manufacturer can differentiate itself and respond to the growing demand for sustainable and healthy ice cream options.
Effective promotional strategies
Clear labelling and transparent communication are essential to the success of vegan and low-sugar ice cream. Clear labelling helps customers make the right choice quickly, while well-trained staff and strong product descriptions, both online and in-store, increase trust. Through clear labelling and strategic communication, these products can stand out and attract a growing group of health-conscious consumers.
Recipes to expand your vegan offering
Ice cream flavours display case
Cookies Vegan
Caramel Crock
(90 °C)
49911 200 g Pasta Biscotto Vega (Vegan Biscuits)
49839 400 g Variegato Biscotto Vega (Vegan Cookies)
Recipe
1 Add the ice base to the warm water and mix well.
2 Add the paste and mix well with the hand blender.
3 Let rest and cool for a minimum of 15 minutes before turning off in the ice cream turbine.
4 Spatula the variegato in layers under the ice cream when turning out.
5 Place in the shock freezer for 10 minutes and finish with the rest of the variegato.
Recipe
49622 1500 g Ice cream base neutralvegan Biancavega
2500 g Hot water (90 °C)
49129 320 g Pasta Caramel Beurre Salé (salted butter caramel)
49773 400 g Variegato Gran Nocciola (chocolate-roasted hazelnut pieces) 49622 1500 g
(90 °C)
49192 200 g Pasta vaniglia Francese CB (vanilla)
49303 200 g Pasta Limone (lemon)
49915 400 g Crumble Citron Express Limone
1 Add the ice base to the hot water and mix well.
2 Add the paste and mix well with the hand blender.
3 Let rest and cool for a minimum of 15 minutes before turning off in the ice cream turbine.
4 Spatula the variegato in layers under the ice cream when extracting.
5 Place in the shock freezer for 10 minutes and finish with the rest of devariegato.
Recipe
1 Add the ice base to the hot water and mix well.
2 Add the pasta and mix well with the hand blender.
3 Let rest and cool for at least 15 minutes before turning of in the ice cream turbine.
4 Place in the shock freezer for 10 minutes and finish with lemon crumble.
Tarte citron
Ice cream flavours display case
Nutella Vegan
Sacher
49622 1500 g Ice cream base neutralvegan Biancavega
2500 g Hot water (90 °C)
49490 400 g Pasta Gianduja Dolce Premium (chocolate-hazelnut 46%)
49870 400 g Perfettina (chocolate-hazelnut)
49875 80 g Granella di nocciole tostate (roasted hazelnut)
Key As needed QS
Recipe
1 Add the ice base to the hot water and mix well.
2 Add the paste and mix well with the hand blender.
3 Let rest and cool for at least 15 minutes before turning off in the ice cream turbine.
4 Spatula the perfettina in layers under the ice cream when extracting.
5 Place in the shock freezer for 10 minutes and finish with the hazelnut crumble.
Recipe
49622 1500 g Speedy Semprepronto Cioccolato Fondente Nero (dark Chocolate)
2500 g Hot water (90°C)
49097 400 g Variegato Albicocca (apricot)
49831 QS Chocolate Crumble Express Cacao
49871 1650 g Base à glace Coco vega & stevia (coconut)
2300 g Hot water (90 °C)
49491 800 g Piucheperfetta (chocolate-hazelnut)
1 Add the ice mix to the hot water and mix well.
2 Add the paste and mix well with the hand blender.
3 Let rest and cool for at least 15 minutes before turning off in the ice cream machine.
4 Spatula the variegato in layers under the ice cream when turning out.
5 Place in the shock freezer for 10 minutes and finish with the rest of the variegato.
6 Decorate with the chocolate crumble.
Recipe
1 Add the ice base to the hot water and mix well.
2 Let rest and cool for a minimum of 15 minutes before turning off in the ice turbine.
3 Spatula the Piucheperfetta in layers under the ice cream when turning out.
4 Place in the shock freezer for 10 minutes and finish with the rest of the Piucheperfetta
Ice cream flavours display case
Yaourt aux fruits des bois Vegan & Stevia
49492 1500 g Vegan sorbet base YoVega & Stevia (yoghurt)
g Hot water (90 °C) 49217 400 g Variegato Gran Frutto Di bosco (forest fruits)
Recipe
1 Add the sorbet base to the warm water and mix well.
2 Leave to rest and cool for at least 15 minutes before churning in the ice cream maker.
3 Spoon the variegato in layers under the ice cream as you remove it from the ice cream maker.
4 Place in the blast freezer for 10 minutes and finish with the rest of the variegato.
Ice cream flavours display case
Cremino Vegan - Passione Nocciola
49622 1500 g Ice cream base neutral-vegan Biancavega
2400 g Hot water (90 °C)
49170 400 g Pasta Nocciola T.G.T. (hazelnut)
49875 40 g Granella di nocciole tostate (roasted hazelnut)
49870 800 g Perfettina (chocolate-hazelnut)
Key As needed QS
Recipe
1 Add the ice cream base to the warm water and mix well.
2 Add the paste and mix well with a hand blender.
3 Leave to rest and cool for at least 15 minutes before churning in the ice cream maker.
4 Spoon 1600 g of vegan hazelnut ice cream into the bottom of the ice cream tub, smooth with a spatula and place in the blast freezer for 10 minutes.
5 Place a layer of 400 g Perfettina on top, then the rest of the vegan hazelnut ice cream. Finish with a layer of Perfettina (400 g).
6 Decorate the ice cream tub with the roasted hazelnut granules.
Cremino Vegan - Summer love
49622 1500 g Ice cream base neutral-vegan Biancavega
2500 g Hot water (90 °C)
49105 400 g Cocco più (coconut)
19869 500 g Variegato Gran Tropical (mango-passion fruit)
49913 400 g Chocolat moelleux Perfettina Bianca (white chocolate, vegan)
Recipe
1 Add the ice cream base to the warm water and mix well.
2 Add the paste and mix well with a hand blender.
3 Leave to rest and cool for at least 15 minutes before churning in the ice cream maker.
4 Spoon 1600 g of vegan coconut ice cream into the bottom of the ice cream tub, smooth it out with a spatula and place in the blast freezer for 10 minutes.
5 Add a layer of 500 g Variegato, then the rest of the vegan coconut ice cream. Finish with a layer of Perfettina (400 g).