Ben & Jerry’s Newest Non-Dairy Flavors Are Made With a Creative Ingredient
On an abstract/conceptual level, it’s fairly reasonable to assume that everyone loves ice cream. The only problem with such a statement is that fewer and fewer people, whether for ethical or dietary reasons, love dairy. That’s led companies in the ice cream biz to come up with some pretty creative workarounds in recent times, but none of them have prepared us for the possibility of ice cream made from … sunflower butter?!
Yet that’s the exact ingredient that forms the basis of Ben & Jerry’s latest line of non-dairy flavors. The duo of pint slingers from Bernie Sanders’ backyard are the first national chain to use the food paste from ground-up sunflower seeds in their ice “cream”. According to a company press release, sunflower butter “deliver[s] on the full Ben & Jerry’s experience with loads of chunks and swirls, while providing a delicious alternative to the existing almond based lineup.”
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To kick off the inevitable sunflower butter ice cream craze, Ben & Jerry’s is introducing three cookie-themed flavors, each sold in a pint “with a bright yellow lid and packaging adorned with the bold summer flowers” so there’s no mistaking what you’re about to bite into. They include Mint Chocolate Cookie, Creme Brûlée Cookie, and “Milk” & Cookies. In addition to a sunflower butter ice cream base, each flavor includes taste-enhancing cookie pieces, flavor swirls, or both.
The idea of sunflower butter might seem crazy, but it already exists as a useful peanut butter alternative for those who want the taste of a nutty spread without suffering an intense allergic reaction. Given that almond milk isn’t exactly the most sustainably sourced dairy alternative, Ben & Jerry’s also earns cred for exploring what could (hopefully) become a more viable source for dairy-free ice cream.
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Between these new flavors and the non-dairy version of recently-launched Netflix & Chill’d, Ben & Jerry’s now sells a total of 17 non-dairy flavors, which represents more than 25 percent of its total product lineup. That suggests these efforts are no mere gimmick, but an effort to adapt with the times and live out the values of this self-described “aspiring social justice company”.
So if you’re wondering what the heck sunflower butter is or you’re looking for an alternative to almond milk ice cream, you’ll find these yellow pints in the freezer section soon. Do it for the bees.
