Snack Bar, Vol. 4: I Scream, You Scream…

Welcome to The Snack Bar, TQE's very own concession stand stocked with the latest sweet and savory treats on the market. Our editors gather for unbiased taste tests and share their honest thoughts every time, so we can help you navigate which buzzy snacks are worth the purchase.

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Welcome back to Snack Bar, where us snack-loving summer girls are craving an ice-cold treat. As such, we’re turning to a topic that couldn’t be nearer to my heart: which pints of ice cream are (and aren’t) worth the splurge. Whether or not it’s advisable, I’ve always got a pint or four in the freezer at a moment’s notice, but that’s just made me all the more picky about flavor and texture.

So, having shouted out my love for Jeni’s in April’s In Good Taste column, here I turned to seven brands that were entirely brand new to me. They represent a range of flavors and price points, as well as allergy-minded options for our vegan and gluten-free readers. The highs were sublime, the lows were icy, and you can read all my unvarnished thoughts just below.

Alec’s Ice Cream

Alec’s Ice Cream Pints

$11.99/pint, 6 pint minimum for online orders
$11.99/pint, 6 pint minimum for online orders
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First up: a Hail Mary for our friends with sensitive stomachs. Alec’s Ice Cream is made from the world’s only certified organic regenerative A2 milk, which avoids the A1 protein that gives many people an issue with milk. While it’s not a workaround for those with diagnosed lactose intolerance,  it’s a lifesaver for many who assumed that’s what their issue was, then found out it was those pesky A1s. Just as luckily for the rest of us, Alec’s Ice Cream is absolutely delicious no matter the milk type they use. While I loved the chunks of honeycomb in their Honey Blueberry Lavender flavor, the unparalleled champion was their Peanut Butter Fudge Honeycomb. It was perfectly creamy, without a hint of ice crystals, and deeply flavored without being overwhelming.

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Coolhaus

Coolhaus Pints

$6.99/pint, $50 minimum for online order
$6.99/pint, $50 minimum for online order
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Next up is Coolhaus, who are widely synonymous with their ice cream “sammies”. I tried those years ago and was a big fan – don’t sleep on the Salted Caramel sandwiched between snickerdoodle cookies – but was eager to sample their pints for this round. Sadly, I was less than impressed. The Campfire S’mores was overly sweet and a little grainy, and tasted so much of graham crackers that I missed the expected marshmallow notes. It’s possible I hadn’t noticed their ice cream’s flaws when it was sandwiched between two great cookies, but either way the pints are an inferior part of their line.

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Jolly Llama

Jolly Llama Vanilla Fudge Cone

$21.96/4-pack
$21.96/4-pack
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As promised, a vegan and gluten-free brand does exist – and they’re making ice cream cones, no less. I won’t pretend that Jolly Llama’s cones are a dead ringer for the real deal (they taste a little like rice flour tbh), but a GF pal of mine was so ecstatic to be eating a cone that she had very few complaints. Luckily the ice cream is on-point, with a rich coconut milk flavor, though I found it to be much more delicious in this form than in their bland Vanilla Sandwiches. Those were shockingly unsweetened, while the cones got the sweetness level right.

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Marco's Sweets and Spices

Marco's Sweets and Spices Pints

$12/pint, $50 minimum for online orders
$12/pint, $50 minimum for online orders
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When I got a look at Marco’s flavor lineup, it was love at first sight. Moroccan Honey Nut and Vanilla Chai are two of the combinations inspired by global spices, with fragrant, floral undertones that always complement the base flavor. Turkish Mocha was a huge hit in my house – I couldn’t get enough of the cardamom, coffee, and chocolate – but I tried almost all of their offerings and didn’t find one misfire. As this brand was totally off my radar ‘til now, I’m even more excited to shout them out. Fellow ice cream aficionados should definitely take note.

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MiLa

MiLa Pints

$12/pint
$12/pint
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Formerly known as Xio Chi Je, MiLa is Chinese-American owned brand killing it with everything from soup dumplings to Asian-inspired ice cream. As a diehard stan for green tea-flavored pints, I knew I had to try their rendition – and folks, it’s pretty fantastic. The perfectly creamy texture married beautifully with the delicate tea flavor, one of my favorites during warm-weather months. I was less excited about the Rose Lychee pint (a favorite of Shang-Chi himself, actor Simu Liu), but truthfully have just never been a fan of those flavors to begin with. Rose and/or lychee fans should consider giving it a try considering how enamored I was with their other products.

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Oatly

Oatly Frozen Desserts

$23.96/4-pack
$23.96/4-pack
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Anyone who’s had an oat milk latté knows it’s a damn good dairy substitute – so it comes as no surprise that oat milk ice creams are suddenly everywhere. As the most recognizable beverage brand in that field, I was curious to see what Oatly could do with frozen desserts. The results were mixed. I enjoyed the Strawberry and Mint Chip flavors, since their flavors were able to override the jarringly pronounced taste of oats that lingered in the Vanilla pint. I haven’t had that issue with other non-dairy vanillas, and I think vanilla is an important barometer for an ice cream brand’s success. So this gets only a tepid endorsement from me for all you dairy-free Mint Chip lovers.

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Sweety Ice Cream

Sweety Mochi Ice Cream

$4.66/6-count
$4.66/6-count
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My first bite of Trader Joe’s mochi ice cream bites is a formative food memory for me. That said, I hadn’t tried many other varieties aside from trips to dedicated mochi shops, so I was intrigued by Sweety’s origin story as a mom-and-pop ice cream parlor in Monterey Park. There’s a lot to like about their product, though they were by far the most difficult to source online. You’ll have better luck finding them in supermarkets like Vons, Pavilions or Albertsons, where there Ube Purple Yam and Azuki Red Bean flavors are definitely worth the purchase. I just didn’t happen to enjoy their Alphonse Mango flavor very much, which is always my go-to and thus was a slight letdown.

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Alec’s Ice Cream
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Coolhaus
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Jolly Llama
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Marco's Sweets and Spices
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MiLa
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Oatly
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Sweety Ice Cream
Alec’s Ice Cream
$11.99/pint, 6 pint minimum for online orders
$11.99/pint, 6 pint minimum for online orders
Code:
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Coolhaus
$6.99/pint, $50 minimum for online order
$6.99/pint, $50 minimum for online order
Code:
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Jolly Llama
$21.96/4-pack
$21.96/4-pack
Code:
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Marco's Sweets and Spices
$12/pint, $50 minimum for online orders
$12/pint, $50 minimum for online orders
Code:
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MiLa
$12/pint
$12/pint
Code:
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Oatly
$23.96/4-pack
$23.96/4-pack
Code:
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Sweety Ice Cream
$4.66/6-count
$4.66/6-count
Code:
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THIS MONTH’S WINNER…

Alec’s Ice Cream. From flavor options to textural creaminess, there was truly nothing to fault here, and the use of allergen-friendly A2 milk gives them even more of an edge. Alec’s Peanut Butter Fudge Honeycomb was the single best pint I tried, and the one most quickly added to cart when it came time to re-order my favorites.

And that, my fellow snack lovers, is the latest/greatest on our end. Hope this helps you keep your freezers stocked til we see you here in July – for a roundup of some delicious DTC chocolate brands, no less.

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Alec’s Ice Cream
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Coolhaus
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Jolly Llama
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Marco's Sweets and Spices
Coupon:
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MiLa
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Oatly
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Sweety Ice Cream

Additional Reading

Snack Bar, Vol. 17: Candy Gets a Glow-Up

Snack Bar, Vol. 16: Fall Flavors

Snack Bar, Vol. 15: Popsicles for All