Halo Top ice cream offers a delightful range of over two dozen flavors, both traditional and whimsical. From Birthday Cake to Peanut Butter Cup, each flavor carries a unique charm while sharing the same core ingredients.

The Ingredients

Generally, Halo Top ice cream includes a combination of skim milk, erythritol, eggs, prebiotic fiber, cream, organic cane sugar, vegetable glycerin, and organic stevia leaf extract. It’s worth noting that the specific ingredients may vary slightly depending on the flavor.

For instance, the Vanilla flavor, in addition to the aforementioned ingredients, incorporates milk protein concentrate, natural flavors, sea salt, vanilla beans, organic carob gum, and organic guar gum.

While the dairy-based pints and pops share most ingredients, the pops are made without soluble corn fiber.

In their vegan versions, the milk and eggs are substituted with a coconut cream base mixed with water, essentially creating reduced-fat coconut milk.

Fruit pops by Halo Top are crafted with real fruit and include additional ingredients such as soluble corn fiber, sugar, stevia, natural flavors, citric acid, and lemon juice concentrate.

Meanwhile, the items in the keto series feature similar ingredients to their dairy-based counterparts, with more cream and without cane sugar.

Key Ingredients Explored

Let’s take a closer look at some of the core ingredients in Halo Top ice cream:

Sugar Substitutes

Aside from cane sugar, Halo Top incorporates two natural sugar substitutes: stevia leaf extract and erythritol.

Stevia leaf extract, derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, is a calorie-free sweetener.

Erythritol, used in low amounts and virtually calorie-free, is sourced from yeast fermentation of corn starch. Unlike other sugar alcohols, erythritol is unlikely to cause gastrointestinal discomfort unless consumed in excess. A pint of Halo Top ice cream contains 20 grams of erythritol.

Fiber and Gums

While ice cream isn’t typically a source of fiber, Halo Top adds prebiotic fiber to its recipe. This fiber promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the large intestine.

Two types of gums, carob and guar, are employed in Halo Top ice cream. These soluble fibers, derived from carob seeds and guar beans, respectively, contribute to stabilizing the product and replacing fat. They also reduce ice crystal formation, resulting in a smoother texture. However, it’s important to note that Halo Top may not possess the same creamy texture as regular ice cream and might feel somewhat dry in the mouth.

Protein Concentrate

Dairy-based Halo Top products derive protein from skim milk, eggs, and milk protein concentrate. Milk protein concentrate is obtained through filtering milk to isolate proteins.

On the other hand, protein in the vegan versions originates from rice and peas. However, the vegan varieties contain only 3 grams of protein per 1/2-cup serving, compared to 5 grams in the dairy-based options.

Other Additives

Halo Top products also incorporate vegetable glycerin, natural flavors, and natural colors.

Vegetable glycerin, derived from vegetable oil, helps retain moisture and enhances texture while providing a subtle sweetness.

The natural flavors in Halo Top ice cream are trade secrets, but they are derived from plants, animals, or the action of microbes.

Natural colors are derived from fruit and vegetable juices, as well as turmeric, which lends a golden hue, and annatto, a red plant extract.

For more information about Ice Cream, visit the Ice Cream website.