My regular French Vanilla ice cream for the longest time was Dreyers/Edy's. Last year, they changed the formula so badly that it's now a "Frozen Dairy Dessert," no longer qualifying as real ice cream.
I tried every brand in Safeway and several at Nob Hill, and none of them have particularly good French Vanilla. Finally, I decided to check out Whole Foods.
Alden's French Vanilla is exactly what I've been looking for. It is rich, eggy, not overly sweet, and the texture is smooth and chewy. The ingredients list is almost as simple as it gets: Milk, cream, cane sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract, some gums for texture, and some coloring.
If I could change anything, I'd throw more yolks in there to reduce the need for gums and coloring. But as it is, I rate this a solid 8/10, and I'm happy to keep this stocked in my freezer.
Bonus tip: Malted milk makes a great topping. Also goes well with Hershey's chocolate syrup.
by TBSchemer
5 Comments
I was going to try it, but it looked like “high overrun” ice cream. Meaning more air whipped into it, and less of the other ingredients we’d taste per serving/volume.
Apparently you compare the grams per serving (mix-ins can mess with the estimate). Haagen-Daz is considered a ‘premium’ low overrun ice cream apparently. 2/3 cup = 129g for Vanilla Bean or Vanilla flavors.
But I like my ice cream super sweet and dense/rich. There is probably a tension there (more rich from fat = less sweet?).
Glad you found something you like though! And thanks for sharing your experiences with us all.
What is locust bean gum?
You should check out Costco Kirkland brand vanilla! It’s just what you’ve been searching for.
Tomorrow I think I’m going to get their Vanilla & Chocolate swirl or cookies and cream to try! I love their salted caramel ice cream sandwiches!
This is one of the two mainstream organics on the market. Aldens is the mid tier organic which does have gums and lower butterfat, while Straus is the super premium organic with no gums and high butterfat %.