What is Arctic Zero?
Arctic Zero non-dairy frozen desserts are a low calorie and non-dairy treat that you can feel good about eating! They have nine different flavors from cookie shake to cake batter. With 160 to 320 calories in the entire pint and only 40 to 80 calories per serving, Arctic Zero has made frozen desserts go from a special treat on a special occasion to a staple in one’s diet. And of course there's also the fact of no more feelings of guilt when you, you know, accidentally eat the entire pint in one sitting while binging your favorite show on Netflix. I know you’re wondering, what’s the catch? Since Arctic Zero non-dairy frozen desserts are nearly fat free, that results in them being less creamy than milk-based ice cream. This is due to the fact that dairy and fat are what gives ice cream that extra creamy consistency. Arctic Zero instead gets their creaminess from Faba Bean Protein. What also makes them a fantastic choice is that Arctic Zero doesn’t use any sneaky sugar additives like Erythritol, which can cause some unwanted stomach aches. Arctic Zero's non-dairy pints are also have a low glycemic index which is linked to better health. Although, these frozen desserts are not as creamy as ice cream they still pack a flavorful punch! Each 1/2 cup serving of Arctic Zero’s non-dairy pints contains 40 calories, 5 net carbs, 5 grams of sugar, 0 grams of fat and 1 gram of protein. If you choose one of their chunky non-dairy pints, they contain 80 calories for 1/2 cup, 11 net carbs, 9 grams of sugar, 1 1/2 grams of fat and 1 gram of protein. And if you're not sold yet, they also have the cutest packaging!
I was given the opportunity to try some of Arctic Zero’s non-dairy frozen desserts pints and here's the verdict.
First Thoughts
When I opened the first pint, it was solid as a rock but, throwing the pint in the microwave for 30 seconds to help it thaw a little, it was very scoop-able. Arctic Zero recommends thawing the pint on the counter for 15 minutes but, I was far too impatient to wait. The frozen dessert has a mousse consistency, rather than an ice cream consistency, which is due lack of milk and fat in regular ice cream that gives it the usual ice cream feel. But, overall, I found the mousse consistency very pleasant.
My Investigation
When I researched the brands reviews, there were a lot of reviews regarding their prior line of lactose-free pints. The reviewers were complaining that it lacked creaminess and had an Elsa level of iciness. I decided I wanted to see what the fan base was complaining about with the lactose-free pints, so I headed to my local grocery store and was able to score one on clearance (since retailers are stocking the new non-dairy pints.) Upon trying the prior formula, I immediately noticed its iciness and lack of flavor. Also, the ingredients contained Whey Protein, which is still a form of dairy, so these pints weren't fully dairy-free. The lactose-free pint was insanely disappointing. Arctic Zero has really stepped it up with their new non-dairy pints compared to the lactose-free ones. The new pints are 10x creamier than before and officially dairy-free. The Arctic Zero non-dairy frozen desserts are definitely a hidden gem among the grocery store aisles.
The Flavors
Salted Caramel
The first flavor I tried was Salted Caramel. As a gal who enjoys anything caramel and caramel macchiatos, I was excited to try this pint. I really enjoyed the flavor of this one and found that it tasted just like a caramel milkshake. This flavor would definitely be great drenched in Maple Grove Sugar Free syrup.
Rating: 8/10
Hint of Mint
The next flavor I tried was Hint of Mint. I have to admit, a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks during the holidays is quite literally my favorite thing in the whole wide world, so I had high expectations for this flavor. And, it didn't let me down. I found Hint of Mint to be the perfect combination of chocolate and mint. This was my favorite flavor of the ones I tried!
Rating: 10/10
Cherry Chocolate Chunk
I gotta admit, Cherry Chocolate Chunk was my least favorite flavor of the bunch. But, to be fair, I'm not a cherry fan in general. Also, when I opened this pint it seemed like it was 3/4 full. I was though impressed by the amount of chocolate inside the pint, I was expecting a few sporadic chunks but, boy was I wrong. The pint was loaded with chocolately goodness.
Rating: 4/10
Purely Chocolate
After ending on a sour note with Cherry Chocolate Chunk, I was ready to try the next flavor, which was Purely Chocolate. Purely Chocolate tasted like a chocolate protein powder or a weak chocolate cake. In the future, I will definitely throw a scoop of this in the blender along with some espresso powder for a java chip feel and to enhance the flavor.
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Chocolate Peanut Butter had a strong peanut butter taste. This flavor wasn't my favorite but, I bet it would be so good with some PB2 drizzled on top. I'll probably blend this with some chocolate almond milk and PB2 for a chocolate peanut butter shake in the future.
Rating: 6/10
Cookie Shake
This was my second favorite flavor. I found the consistency creamier than the others and it tasted like a cookie milkshake. I will definitely be reaching for this pint first next time I have a sweet tooth. If I were to recommend a flavor to try first, it would be this one.
Rating: 9/10
Brownie Blast
Brownie Blast was the most Dairy Queen blizzard like of the bunch. It was basically their Purely Chocolate, mixed with huge chunks of delicious brownies. This would be great for anyone who is craving chocolate but, not the calories.
Rating: 6/10
Cookie Dough Chunk
Cookie Dough Chunk reminded me of my childhood that consisted of eating more cookie dough than the actual baked cookies. I found this flavor delightful and would purchase it even if it didn't have the added cookie dough chunks. Speaking of cookie dough chunks, I felt like the pint definitely needed more of them because there were only 3 sporadic chunks. This pint, like Cherry Chocolate Chunk, was also half full after I microwaved it for 30 seconds and that was pretty disappointing.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, I found the flavors and consistency to be better than expected for such a low calorie frozen treat. What I found disappointing was that Arctic Zero doesn't carry a vanilla or fruitty (besides cherry chocolate chunk) flavor in their non-dairy frozen dessert line. They do however, have a vanilla flavor in their non-dairy frozen dessert bar line. I hope that in the future they expand their flavors to include a vanilla and strawberry. But all that aside, 40 calories for a 1/2 cup of an ice cream type treat? That's insane! Sure the consistency isn't as creamy as real ice cream but, with Arctic Zero being coconut-free, nut-free, dairy-free and macro friendly, that was to be expected. I think the pros to this frozen dessert definitely outweigh the cons. Also, along with the non-dairy frozen desserts and non-dairy bars, they actually do carry a light ice cream which, you can read about here. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Arctic Zero's non-dairy frozen desserts and will definitely be repurchasing.