KLIMON: No dairy, no difference? That’s what they claim, but did it hold up during our taste test? Let’s find out if we’ll all be screaming for ice cream.
The people at KLIMON wanted to fuse the old school ice cream flavors you grew up loving with the new school, animal-free food landscape.
They’ve released five flavors of their almond-based frozen dessert: Caramel Brulee, Cherry Bomb, Mint Condition, Morning Brew and Sunrise Bang.
Whether you avoid eating animal products due to allergies or lifestyle, KLIMON is aiming to become your go-to. Using a proprietary blend of almond milk, coconut oil and stabilizers, they’ve created a sweet, creamy dessert.
For someone like me, who developed a dairy allergy after 20+ years of life, adding a new sweet treat to the rotation is always a good thing. Dairy-free foods aren’t quite as mainstream as gluten-free foods are (at least not yet)
They were kind enough to send me samples to taste test. So let’s get into it.
Caramel Brulee
Description: Salted caramel flavored frozen dessert with chocolate cookie crumbs and caramelized sugar swirl.
Taste Test: This one was a hit. The chocolate cookie crumbs were very small (I was expecting more rustic chunks), but the overall flavor didn’t disappoint. There was no mistaking what the flavor was from the moment you open it up. Doing caramel dairy free isn’t easy – but this one delivers.
Verdict: Would definitely recommend this one. Taste is a bit strong, but the caramel flavor is a good one. Plus it is very creamy. Solid 4/5.
Morning Brew
Description: Coffee flavored frozen dessert with real almonds and fudge swirl.
Taste Test: I love a good coffee ice cream, so I went into this one with a bias. I really enjoyed this one. The real almond pieces provide a great crunch to contrast the creamy coffee base and the fudge swirl played nicely with the slight bitterness of the coffee flavor.
Verdict: Look, if you like coffee ice cream, then you’re going to like this. If you don’t, then you won’t. The almond pieces in this might have been my favorite part – there’s just something to adding in a little texture. 4/5.
Cherry Bomb
Description: Cherry flavored frozen dessert with real Bordeaux cherry chunks and a cherry swirl.
Taste Test: Remember how I went into the coffee taste test with a bias? Well, the same is true here. Only, everything flips. I am not a cherry fan… at all. So you can imagine that a cherry ice cream with cherry chunks and cherry swirl isn’t exactly made for me. But I’m a trooper. I eat this ice cream for you… please, hold your applause until the end. (I’m kidding). This was super creamy, so that was a huge plus and the cherry flavor is certainly a real cherry flavor (the only thing worse than real cherry flavor is fake, medicine-y cherry flavor). If I was nitpicking, I might say a vanilla flavored base would compliment the cherry flavor better, but this isn’t a cherry swirl ice cream… this is Cherry BOMB. It certainly lives up to the name.
Verdict: Okay, if you love cherry, then this is for you. I still think a vanilla base would be better than a full-on cherry overload, but that’s just me. Overall, 2/5 here. (But try it if you love cherry).
Mint Condition
Description: Mint flavored frozen dessert with mini chocolate chips and fudge swirl.
Taste Test: Well, I was needing a bit of a pick-me-up following Cherry Bomb and boy did I get it. The chocolate chips here didn’t get too hard when frozen, the fudge swirl was plentiful and the mint base was refreshing.
Verdict: When it comes to mint ice cream, it’s all about the balance between the chocolate and the mint, and KLIMON nails it with this one. Smooth, creamy, sweet and refreshing, Mint Condition is a must-try. 5/5.
Sunrise Bang
Description: Creamy orange flavored frozen dessert with cream flavored swirls.
Taste Test: This hit all sorts of nostalgic notes for me. There was a time when I didn’t have a dairy allergy/intolerance. And back when I was a kid, Creamsicles were a staple in our freezer during the summertime. So I had high hopes for this, because I haven’t had one in years. It delivered. This was smooth and creamy, with the perfect balance of cream and orange. It tastes exactly how you’d expect it to.
Verdict: Absolute BANGer here (see what I did there?). This is one that will absolute stay stocked in my freezer from here on out. I haven’t run into any other brands trying to replicate the Creamsicle, so bonus points to KLIMON for not only trying it – but knocking it out of the park. 5/5.
KLIMON claims no dairy makes no difference when it comes to their frozen desserts, and I can’t really argue with them. Each was smooth and creamy – and with texture being such a huge part of the ice cream experience, that’s huge.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for these in stores near me.
If you want to check out KLIMON frozen desserts, check out their website to find out where you can buy it in your area.