Kerry has released a report highlighting opportunities to enhance and drive US consumer interest for plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts, with a focus on understanding consumer preferences. The taste and nutrition company has hailed nostalgic and alcohol-inspired flavors as key themes over the coming months, as well as a piqued demand in oat bases, moving away from once-popular soy and coconut formats.

“In our 2020 Taste Charts, one taste trend is a return to nostalgic favorites. American classics are getting a makeover with a twist on toppings, inclusions and flavors, such as cookie dough, birthday cake and red velvet. Alcohol-flavored frozen dessert launches grew by 91 percent from 2017 to 2019,” Amy Peterkes, RD&A Manager – Beverage and Taste Library, Senior Scientist, tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

Meanwhile, flavors such as Irish cream, bourbon and stout have all made their way into sweet applications, she adds. 

In the report – “Reinventing Indulgence – Winning with Plant-based Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts – Kerry uncovers growth indicators for plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts, key consumer groups and their main purchase motivations, and taste, health and nutrition expectations from plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts. 

“In our research, taste was rated the most important attribute of plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts. In plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts, consumers are looking for indulgent experiences, which can be achieved by layering in swirls and inclusions like dessert chunks, candy pieces and sprinkle toppings,” continues Peterkes. Nostalgic and indulgent flavors like salted caramel, brown butter, cotton candy and breakfast cereal all resonate well with consumers. 

“Some of the newer brands are specifically positioning themselves with newer flavors like snickerdoodle, cookie dough and peanut butter. Plant-based ice cream is catching up with traditional, mainstream flavors of dairy-based ice cream,” she highlights. 

Peterkes also flags combinations of salty and sweet flavors with indulgent inclusions, noting a growing trend of spicy and sweet combinations with flavors such as juniper, smoke, chile pepper and cardamom. 

Botanical combinations are also trending, with flavors like turmeric, lavender and hibiscus. “Non-alcohol ‘mixer’ flavors are being requested at times – grenadine, pina colada, as well as mojito-fresh, which are tasty and great for summer,” she adds. 

Moreover, different formats are coming to the plant-based ice cream space, such as novelties on sticks. bases have also moved from only soy milk and coconut milk to a growing focus on oat milk. “In the oat-based spectrum, brands are producing very indulgent vanillas and chocolates,” notes Peterkes. 

The so-called “I want it all” group from Kerry’s research is looking to get more out of their food – and that means more innovative, adventurous flavors, she adds. “They want their ice cream to be plant-based, they want new and interesting flavors that differ from traditional flavors such as chocolate and vanilla,” Peterkes details. 

“As health and wellness stays top of mind for most US consumers today, the plant-based ice cream and frozen dessert category under the halo of ‘better-for-you’ is positioned well for growth,” says Jenny Palan, Strategic Market Research Manager for Kerry North America. 

“Plant-based consumers seek more from food and are drawn to products that are healthy and nutritious. Plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts carry not just the halo of health but are also positioned as indulgent ice cream – reinventing the definition of what indulgence can mean. Plant-based consumer expectations continue to evolve, redefining the plant-based ice cream and frozen dessert category standards. Understanding plant-based consumers and opportunities within plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts can propel future innovation and success.”

This research is part of a more extensive study, Winning with Plant-based, which focused on consumer associations and expectations of plant-based food and beverages in the US.

Earlier this week, Coralie Garcia-Perrin, Global Senior Strategic Marketing Manager for Kerry, noted a rise in “geo-based taste desires.” Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, she underscored how the unexpected events of 2020 have led to an “interesting phenomenon in the world of flavors.”