While ice cream rises to the top of the consumer list for decadent treats at winter time, luxury brands are tapping into new flavors and textures in the dessert arena. 

Latvian ice cream brand Ekselence, and member of Food unio, has unveiled a gourmet range of winter flavored ice creams.

Pumpkin spice latté, peanut butter crunch, vanilla and chocolate with cookie dough, milk souffle, banana and chocolate and vanilla and chocolate cookies. 

“The latest consumer market data shows significant changes in consumer preferences; ice cream has become not only one of the top choice desserts to eat at home, but also serves as home entertainment,” Alexander Mayorov, head of R&D, Food unio Ice Cream Competence Centre, producer of the Ekselence brand, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

With other out-of-home entertainments such as cinema, cafés and restaurants, as well as attraction parks for children closed down or with limited access, ice cream has become “a vehicle of popular entertainment to be enjoyed in the comfort of consumer’s homes.”

Latvian ice cream brand Ekselence has unveiled a gourmet range of winter flavored ice creams.Spiced up for the season
In Denmark and Norway, consumers have been indulging in ice cream all year round. However, the trend is only now beginning to take shape in other parts of Europe such as the Baltic region, according to Food unio.

“We expect that with recent lifestyle changes more and more people will be opting for ice cream in winter months,” says Mayorov.

Brands were challenged this year in creating new products due to disruptions in supply chains due to the COVID-19. Consumers have also become health conscious as a result of the pandemic and the ice cream sector has seen rising demand for formulations with functional ingredients. 

Food unio got creative by developing warm and creamy flavors suitable for winter such as chai latté. Meanwhile, sauces, chunks and crisps have been applied to elevate ice cream. 

“The different levels of restrictions on people’s mobility have led to changes in lifestyles and, consequently, in food consumption,” Mayorov explains. 

The challenge was threefold – coming up with entertaining flavors influenced by global trends, using convenient packaging solutions in an environment of considerably disrupted supply chains and stepping-up consumer-centric innovations.

“Consumers went back to ice creams that offered comfort and delight. Interestingly, one of the hero products was the vanilla and chocolate with cookie dough,” adds Mayorov. 

Indulgence trending
Premia, a member of Food unio, saw an opportunity to focus on the premiumization of its ice cream range and grow a new series of high-end products using real cream that creates an ultra-creamy sensation. This renaissance brings the industry full circle from a time when nearly all ice creams used real cream. 

Today producers are seeing the importance of getting back to basics and looking at the foundational ingredient that has been trusted to deliver on a rich, creamy feel; while consumers are seeking to find in the premium ice cream category the use of wholesome ingredients which are a signature of quality, the company notes.

The Estonian ice cream producer has taken the the opportunity to develop its product line Premia Cream de le Cream and engage the consumers with “a more luxurious, indulgent and ‘cream focused’ offering.” It is characterized by saturated flavors of chocolate chip cookies and peanut cream or cookie dough and salted caramel sauce.

For this fall season, Premia has unveiled The Cream de la Cream line which comes in three flavors all infused by rich real cream and rich additives packaged in a Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)-certified carboard tub offering the crème de la crème of decadent flavors: 

• Premia Cream de la Cream Vanilla ice cream with cookie dough and salted caramel sauce: A rich taste experience, wher pieces of cookie dough and delicious salted caramel sauce are twisted into real vanilla ice cream. 
• Premia Cream de la Cream Banana ice cream with peanut cream and chocolate cookies: A fusion of hedonistic flavors, wher a creamy peanut filling and crunchy pieces of chocolate cookie are added to the exotic banana ice cream made from real cream. 
• Premia Cream de la Cream Chocolate ice cream with chocolate chip cookies and peanut cream: A decadent chocolate taste experience, wher crunchy pieces of chocolate chip cookie and soft peanut cream are added to the real chocolate ice cream. 

Feasting on plant-based dairyNadaMoo! Has unveiled its limited edition “peppermint bark” flavor for this winter. 
Meanwhile, Eclipse Foods has launched their new range of ice cream flavors; “cookie butter,” “mint chip” and “vintage vanilla.” The range is available in Whole Foods Market locations in northern California, US.

The company’s signature ice cream is made with a proprietary dairy platform that replicates micelles from plants that mimics the taste, texture and function of dairy.

According to Aylon Steinhart, co-founder and CEO of Eclipse Foods, says plant-based products are a key driver of sales growth at grocery retailers in the US, growing twice as fast as overall food sales.

NadaMoo!, a dairy-free and coconut milk-based ice cream, launched its limited edition “peppermint bark” flavor sweetened with agave nectar in time for this holiday season. 

“Whether it taps into that feeling of the holidays or just satisfies the craving for chocolate and peppermint, our limited-edition Peppermint Bark is back by popular demand,” says Daniel Nicholson, CEO and president of NadaMoo!

Notably, grocery sales of plant-based foods that directly replac animal products have grown 27% in the past year to US$7 billion, according to the Good Food Institute.

Flavor is the single most important choice factor and purchase driver for ice cream consumers, says Innova Market Insights. The market researcher recently flagged that there are other trends in ice cream NPD that are building a further competitive edge, including non-dairy, low sugar and ethically sourced ingredients. 

Plant-based, non-dairy and reduced-sugar reformulation is reshaping the ice cream segment.