Customers Are Sleeping On The Cherry Ice Cream Brand That Nearly Won Our Taste Test

While a classic vanilla ice cream is a staple for dessert pairings, you can make a bowl of ice cream the main event with a unique flavor like cherry, with its fruity, summery decadence. We sampled and ranked 9 store bought cherry ice creams according to flavor, texture, and color. And you'll be surprised to know that one of our favorite cherry ice creams of the tasting test is lactose-free.

Coming in a close second behind Tillamook Oregon Dark Cherry Ice Cream, Lactaid's Lactose-Free Cherry Fudge Chip can easily contend with any dairy ice cream we put it up against. Lactose-free ice cream is, in fact, made with real dairy milk that has had the lactose removed. So, the consistency and dairy richness of the base was as creamy and delicious as you'd expect ice cream to be, with no iciness or watered-down texture or flavor. Not only did the cherry flavor shine through the creaminess of the ice cream, but we also got an extra burst of cherry from the jammy cherry ribbons that ran throughout each scoop. The chocolate fudge chunks were an added indulgence that didn't take away from the intense cherry flavor. The fudge chips were a bittersweet complement to the sweet, fruity cherry and provided a slightly crunchy element to contrast the creamy ice cream and jammy cherry swirls. Whether you're lactose intolerant or not, this cherry ice cream is worthy of a place in your freezer.

Customer reviews on Lactaid's website praise this ice cream flavor as "hands down, one of the best ice cream flavors ever." The creamy consistency of the ice cream and richness of flavor is, as one Lactaid customer put it, "as good or better than regular [ice cream]." It's as irresistible as any high-quality ice cream, and will satisfy the lactose-intolerant community as much as dairy eaters. "I love this ice cream," says one Lactaid customer. "Only good conscience keeps me from eating the whole container at once. I love to dig and get the chunky morsels," of which this ice cream has many in equal measures of fudge and juicy dark cherries. The only complaint from customers was that they want this cherry fudge ice cream to be a permanent flavor in the Lactaid repertoire, as it's around for a limited time and flies off the shelves too quickly.

With dark cherries and fudge chunks, this ice cream has all it needs to satisfy your sweet tooth without further embellishment. But you can always upgrade it with even more toppings and garnishes. One Facebook review serves a few scoops over a fudgy brownie to complement the fudge chunks. If you want to bring a more intense cherry flavor, add cherry compote or even a few maraschino cherries for good measure. Slivered toasted almonds or chopped pistachios would also work well with chocolate and cherry while bringing a crunchy element.