As regular consumers of dairy products, dairy-free ice cream seems like a bit of a tough sell for us. We tend to see those sorts of products as things made for our lactose-avoiding friends and not for us. The food wizards at Trader Joe’s, however, are attempting to change our minds with the Trader Joe’s Strawberry Non-Dairy Oat Frozen Dessert (which TJ’s insists is not ice cream due to the fact that it doesn’t have any cream or milk in it).
The word on the street these days is that this diary-free dessert is just as good as the real stuff. We decided to put this to the test and fetch ourselves our own carton. Is the Trader Joe’s Strawberry Non-Dairy Oat Frozen Dessert a suitable substitute for the creamiest of frozen treats, or it is a mere ice-cream wannabe? That’s what we’re going to find out today, folks. Let’s dig in!
So, right off the bat we have to say we’re impressed. If we didn’t already know this was a dairy-free ice cream (well, it’s not technically ice cream but the temptation to call it that is strong), we wouldn’t have guessed. It’s maybe less creamy than a strawberry ice cream, but that’s really only if you’re really focusing hard on comparing this to actual ice cream.
The flavor is great. It’s very sweet, with a flavor that initially seems artificial, though undertones of real strawberry start to emerge as it melts in your mouth. Part of this is due to the fact that there are chunks of candied strawberry mixed in, though they’re pretty sparse.
As a crunchy finisher, you’ll also find almond brittle. This complements the sweetness of the ice cream wonderfully, and it gives the whole thing a lovely bit of texture.
One thing we think is worth mentioning is that this re-freezes better than real ice cream. You know how — when you pull a batch of ice cream out of the freezer, scoop some out, and put it back in — it tends to come out with a weird layer on top that you’ll scrape off to get to the good stuff? This dairy-free treat doesn’t do that. This stuff maintains its consistency pretty well during that process.
The Trader Joe’s Strawberry Non-Dairy Oat Frozen Dessert is very good, even for those who regularly eat dairy. It has a lovely sweet flavor and a great consistency, making it a craveable little treat.
To learn more about the nutrition content or ingredients in this Trader Joe’s oat-milk dessert, check out our carton photograph below.
