I need heat wave relief! Today, it feels like 112˚ and it’s not yet officially summer. Planes need a longer takeoff roll, outdoor workers struggle to stay hydrated, and I need something cool and refreshing to enjoy!
Perhaps I’ll steal a play from my grandkid’s playbook and have an ice cream sandwich! But I can’t have dairy or gluten. And while I have an ice cream maker, I won’t have a chance to make my own today.
Hmmm, what are my options?
Coconut Bliss Madagascan Vanilla Cosmic Bliss Frozen Dessert Sandwiches are plant-based, dairy-free and certified gluten-free. That sounds promising. They are available at my local Natural Grocers and feature coconut milk ice cream speckled with vanilla beans sandwiched between two oat choc-chip cookies.
Reading the label, I have some hesitation about these because they contain sprouted oat flour that is not specifically identified as gluten-free. The fact that the oats are sprouted does not ensure that they have not been contaminated in transit. The GF certification should take care of this, but I won’t feel comfortable without additional research.
I hate it when reading a label leads to the need for more research, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
goodpop® is sold at my local Whole Foods as well as Natural Grocers. Their ice cream sandwiches are round with a generous ratio of GF oatmilk frozen filling to chocolate cookie. The website offers online orders. I’m assuming the product is shipped in dry ice.
Jolly Llama has two flavors of gluten-free, dairy-free ice cream sandwiches available: Premium Vanilla and Cool Mint Chocolate Chip. The non-dairy ice cream is sandwiched between two chocolate cookies. It appears these would be good choices, but they’re not sold in my area. The website has a tool to see if they’re stocked where you live.
Nana Crème offers Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches. As the name suggests, the frozen dessert part is banana-based. All Nana Crème products are free of the top eight allergens. This might make these a good choice for a party if you can find them in stock. They’re currently sold out on the website.
If gluten weren’t a problem, I’d opt for the So Delicious® Vanilla Bean Coconutmilk Sandwiches. While I haven’t eaten those, I have had the filling and it’s delicious. The cookie looks like a traditional ice cream sandwich cookie. And the size is small which appeals to me.
With such a short list of local choices, I may opt for a dairy-free ice cream bar instead. Or I could dummy up my own sandwich using a tub of gluten-free, dairy-free ice cream and cookies from a box. Now that I think about it, gluten-free Oreos would make really cute mini sandwiches. Maybe that’s what I’ll go with.
The key is to find something C-O-L-D that adheres to my diet and gives me heat wave relief!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
