It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Ben & Jerry’s has released a vegan version of its much-loved Cookie Dough ice cream.
Made from a caramel, non-dairy ice cream with vegan cookie dough, chocolate chunks and a cookie swirl for good measure; it’s safe to say the office taste-test of this ‘remake’ was eagerly anticipated.
While it sounds – on the whole – extraordinary, we were intrigued to know whether the non-dairy version could a) achieve the same high flavour standards as the original and b) impress HuffPost’s resident vegan.
The stakes were high. So what did the HuffPost team and their critical tastebuds think of the newest addition to B&J’s vegan repertoire?“Thick, rich and super satisfying.”Jack Feeney, video producer (and an actual vegan)
“Lots of vegan ice creams aren’t as creamy as ones made with cow’s milk – but this is definitely an exception. It is thick, rich and super satisfying.
“I’ve been waiting for Ben & Jerry’s to release this flavour as part of its dairy-free range, and I’m not disappointed with the outcome. 10/10, would eat a whole tub in one go.”“Pretty close to the real thing.”Sophie Gallagher, life reporter
“As someone who can’t eat dairy I’m always on the look out for an ice cream I can eat on those hot summer days when everyone else is chugging the ’99 flakes and I’m left with a mango sorbet (it’s just not the same, okay).
“Should have known we could trust Ben & Jerry’s to deliver the goods. I can’t be certain – because I haven’t intentionally eaten milk in years – but I think it’s pretty close to the real thing. The texture is right, the flavour too, and those cookie dough pieces are so moorish. I would 100% eat again.”“Nothing will match the original.”Becky Barnes, audience editor
“Nothing will ever match the joy of real Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream I’m afraid. This vegan version is super tasty though, but it’s just not the same.”“It’s a tad watery.”Matt Bagwell, entertainment executive editor
“Whilst it doesn’t have that luxurious, creamy texture (it’s a tad watery), I doubt I’d notice as I demolished the entire tub whilst lying in a darkened room, hungover, watching Come Dine With Me and questioning my life choices.”Related... We Got Meat Eaters To Try A Vegan Bacon Roll – Here's What They Thought “Quite a contrast to the original offering.”Natasha Hinde, lifestyle reporter
“The most noticeable difference between this version and the original is the ice cream, which provides quite a contrast to its creamy vanilla-flavoured cow’s milk ice cream. You can definitely tell it’s made from almond milk and I’m not really getting any caramel notes, it’s also slightly thinner in texture.
“That said, it’s not offensive in the slightest – the chewy cookie dough is barely any different to the original and the chocolate is delicious. I would buy.”“Slightly sweeter than the dairy version.”Sasha Belenky, news editor
“I have a huge sweet tooth and am a big fan of Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked (which features cookie dough along with brownie pieces and a mix of vanilla and chocolate ice cream). So I was already primed to like this. I found the vegan version slightly sweeter than the dairy version, but it was still creamy, and overall it was really tasty.”“Not as creamy.”John Johnston, senior video producer
“The cookie dough ice cream was almost an exact replica of the non-vegan version, with the ice cream not being as creamy and a tad blander than the original but once the cookie dough chunks takeover, who cares?”“It lacked that super creamy taste and texture.”Jessica Pitocchi, deputy audience editor
“The main bit that got me excited about this ice cream was the cookie dough and choc bits – aka, the bits that are the same as usual.
“The ice cream itself is not a bad substitute, but it lacked that super creamy taste and texture I’m used to.”