“We haven’t been this excited about a product launch since we introduced our vegan line eight years ago—ice cream bars have long been a dream for us at Van Leeuwen.”

This week, New York-based Ice cream brand Van Leeuwen launched its first line of vegan ice cream bars.

The new line of plant-based treats is inspired by classic favorites and is a nostalgic addition to the brand’s product line as ‘Van Leeuwen’s co-founders Pete and Ben Van Leeuwen grew up driving an ice cream truck in the summer and selling ice cream on sticks’.

The cult-favourite ice cream brand known for its made-from-scratch ice cream bars has added three oat milk-based flavours to its vegan lineup.

 The newest flavours include:

•  Vanilla Wildberry Swirl – a classic vegan vanilla ice cream with an added Wildberry swirl dipped in a thick layer of rich, dark chocolate.

• Brown Sugar Honeycomb – a mouth full of sweet brown sugar ice cream with gooey pieces of honeycomb, covered in a thick layer of rich, dark chocolate.

• Triple Chocolate Swirl flavors – a chocolate fudge swirl covered in a thick layer of rich, dark chocolate, topped with chocolate cookie pieces.

The bars are non-GMO and each ice cream costs $12.

‘An entirely new Van Leeuwen experience’

“We haven’t been this excited about a product launch since we introduced our vegan line eight years ago—ice cream bars have long been a dream for us at Van Leeuwen,” Ben Van Leeuwen, co-founder, and CEO of Van Leeuwen, said in a statement.

“We’ve spent the past 12 months perfecting every element and we are blown away by what we have been able to create.

“Our vegan ice cream bar creations feature the vegan ice cream our customers know and love, enrobed with thick, custom-blended, high-quality fair trade chocolate and crunchy coatings that create an entirely new Van Leeuwen experience.

“They aren’t keto, low-fat, or sugar-free. But they taste good and will make you happy!”

The Vegan Ice Cream Bars are now available through the brand’s online store for nationwide shipping and will hit select grocery stores including  Whole Foods, Giant, Central Market, Big Y, and Heinen’s by March 2021.

Vegan Ice cream market growth

Van Leeuwen isn’t the only ice cream brand launching vegan flavours.

Countless dessert chains are upping their vegan sweet treat game up, too as demand for non-dairy ice cream continues to soar.

Researchers predict the market will cross $805 million by 2027.

Market research company Data Bridge reports that the industry is expected to grow at a rate of 10.30 % in the forecast period 2020-2027.

The study states that rising plant milk production as well as increased cases of lactose intolerance and milk-related allergies are the main drivers for the growth. 

• Read: Oatly’s viral Super Bowl advert has everyone talking about vegan oat milk

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