Is Italian Ice Vegan Friendly? (Hint: the Answer is YES)


Is Italian Ice Vegan

Italian Ice is a frozen dessert, similar to ice cream or sorbet, made with fruits and other sweet flavors. Interestingly enough, Italian Ice does not find its origins in Italy, but rather New Jersey! A Sicilian woman, about 100 years ago, wanted to enjoy a treat from her childhood, granita. This is a slightly frozen dessert, which comes from Sicily, and is made from sugar, water, and other flavorings. This woman created something similar to the granita, and Italian Ice was born. Colorful and sweet, are these frozen treats vegan?

Italian Ice is vegan, as a stand-alone treat. Since it is made from water, sugar, fruits and fruit juices, there are no ingredients in a homemade Italian Ice which are not vegan friendly. However, some brands do contain non-vegan ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and carrageenan so be sure to read the ingredients label.

In this article, we’ll discuss the nutritional value of Italian ice, as well as offer some additional vegan alternatives. Let’s dig in!

How is Italian Ice different from ice cream?

The main difference between Italian Ice and ice cream is the lack of dairy products in Italian Ice. The base of the product is literally ice. Another distinguishing factor is that Italian Ice tends to be creamier than ice cream, or sorbet, because of the time-consuming process it takes to make quality Italian Ice. 

Italian Ice is somewhat healthier than ice cream because it is typically lower in calories. However, commercial Italian Ice products are still processed with a lot of ingredients like corn syrup, and most have about 25-30 grams of sugar per serving. 

Due to the heavy amount of fat in ice cream, some brands have upwards of 21 grams of fat per serving, Italian Ice is usually fat free. There can also be a lot of saturated fat in ice creams, as much as 13 grams per serving. Ice cream is very calorie dense, and while Italian Ice also has a fair amount of empty calories, it is still a more healthy alternative when compared to ice cream. 

If you can invest the time to make your own Italian Ice, you can control the ingredients you use to make it healthier. There are also nearly limitless possibilities in flavor combinations, so start getting creative!

Popular brands of Italian Ice

Luigi’s Real Italian Ice, Lemon

Luigi’s seems to be the favorite brand of Italian Ice you can buy in a store, according to consumers. The ingredients of sugar and cane syrup make this product a little iffy on the list of vegan-friendly treats. The sugar is processed and refined, and usually this process occurs by using bone char, which is an animal-derived ingredient. 

Ingredients:

  • Micron Filtered Water
  • Sugar
  • Corn Syrup
  • Citric Acid
  • Lemon Juice Concentrate
  • Natural Flavor
  • Guar And Xanthan Gums

Nutritional information (per 6 oz serving): 

  • Calories: 100 grams
  • Total fat: 0 grams
  • Total carbohydrates: 26 grams
  • Sugars: 20 grams
  • Protein: 0 
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 10 mg

Lindy’s Homemade Italian Ice – Lemon

Two ingredients in the Lindy’s Homemade Italian Ice, Lemon flavor make it a non-vegan friendly product: high fructose corn syrup and carrageenan. 

The high fructose corn syrup is a sweetening agent made from corn starch. It can cause tooth decay, obesity and diabetes when consumed in large quantities. Aside from it being unhealthy, the high-scale manufacturing of the syrup is environmentally harmful. The high amounts of HFCS the food industry requires causes an enormous amount of corn crops to be grown. This  depletes nutrients from the soil, which then makes corn growers have to apply more pesticides and fertilizers in order to strengthen the topsoil. 

The carrageenan is a food additive as a stabilizing and emulsifying ingredient. It is derived from seaweed, so it is plant based, but there is a lot of controversy surrounding it. It has been found to cause inflammation and lead to certain digestive issues. 

Ingredients:

  • Water
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Corn syrup
  • Sugar
  • Natural lemon flavor
  • Lecithin (soy)
  • Guar gum
  • Dextrose
  • Xantham gum
  • Carrageenan
  • Citric acid

Nutritional information (per 6 oz. serving):

  • Calories: 120 grams
  • Total fat: 0 grams
  • Total carbohydrates: 31 grams
  • Sugars: 31 grams
  • Protein: 0 
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 20 mg

Wyler’s Authentic Italian Ices

The Wyler’s brand of Italian Ice contains natural and artificial flavors. Natural flavors can be considered an “umbrella” term, including both plant and animal-derived flavors, so it is hard to determine just what type is included in this product. Artificial flavors are chemically-derived additives, and many of these are tested on animals before they are deemed safe to use in human-grade foods. This animal testing goes against the vegan belief that we should “do no harm” with the foods we consume. 

Yellow 6 is another ingredient which makes this brand of Italian Ice be considered non-vegan. The dye is synthetically made from petroleum, so not an animal-derived product, it is also tested on animals to determine if it is safe to use in foods. All of the color dyes in this brand of Italian Ice are considered non-vegan, but Red 40 is the most disqualifying. Made from crushed-up beetles, it is both an animal-based product, and tested on animals.  

Ingredients: 

  • Water
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Maltodextrin
  • Contains 2% or less of the following: apple and pear juice from concentrate
  • Natural and artificial flavors
  • Citric acid
  • Pectin
  • Sodium citrate
  • Sodium bezoate
  • Potassium sorbate (preservatives)
  • Red 40
  • Blue 1
  • Yellow 5
  • Yellow 6

Nutritional information (per 170 g bar serving):

  • Calories: 170 grams
  • Total fat: 0 grams
  • Total carbohydrates: 43 grams
  • Sugars: 35 grams
  • Protein: 0 
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 35 mg

Alternatives to traditional Italian 

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Sorbet Dairy Free Lemon Bar

Made with lemon curd and shortbread crust inside a coconut cream, Jeni’s Dairy Free Lemon Bar flavor of sorbet sounds to die for. Jeni’s Ice Cream is a must have whenever you can get it, and this flavor is no exception. It’s vegan-friendly, but not gluten-free, as it contains wheat flour.

Ingredients:

  • Coconut Cream
  • Lemon Curd [Sugar, Water, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Coconut Oil, Coconut Cream, Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Flavors, Turmeric (Color)]
  • Water
  • Sugar
  • Tapioca Syrup
  • Pastry Piece [Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Palm Oil, Water, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor]
  • Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
  • Sea Salt
  • Carob Bean Gum
  • Sunflower Lecithin

Nutritional information (1 serving = ⅔ cup/106 grams):

  • Calories: 260 grams
  • Total fat: 15 grams
  • Saturated fat: 13 grams
  • Total carbohydrates: 29 grams
  • Sugars: 24 grams
  • Includes added sugars: 22 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 150 mg
  • Calcium: 9 mg
  • Iron: 1 mg
  • Potassium: 96 mg

Jeni’s Frosé Sorbet

For a lighter, tasty treat, try Jeni’s Frosé Sorbet. It has a lower calorie content as well as zero fat. With all natural fruit extracts for coloring, and a base completely from fruit, this will be a great vegan-friendly alternative.

Ingredients

  • Fruit Base (Pear Puree, Strawberry Puree, Watermelon Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavors, Lemon Juice Concentrate)
  • Water
  • Cane Sugar
  • Tapioca Syrup
  • Rosé Wine
  • Beetroot Extract (color)
  • Whole Apple Extract (color)
  • Whole Pumpkin Extract (color)

Nutritional information (1 serving = ⅔ cup/129 grams):

  • Calories: 180 grams
  • Total fat: 0 grams
  • Saturated fat: 0 grams
  • Total carbohydrates: 44 grams
  • Sugars: 33 grams
  • Includes added sugars: 27 grams
  • Protein: 0 gram
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 10 mg
  • Calcium: 8 mg
  • Iron: 0 mg
  • Potassium: 48 mg

Talenti Alphonso Mango Sorbetto

Mango and lemon together? What a delicious combination of flavors! The Talenti Alphonso Mango Sorbetto is creamy, rich and decadent enough you will feel like you are sitting on the streets of Florence, Italy enjoying this treat. Dairy, gluten, and fat free, it’s also vegan friendly, verified by the Non-GMO project, and kosher.

Ingredients:

  • Mangos
  • Water
  • Sugar
  • Dextrose
  • Lemon Juice
  • Carob Bean Gum

Nutritional information (1 serving = ⅔ cup/131 grams):

  • Calories: 160
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Total Fat: 0g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrate: 40g
  • Diet Fiber: 2g
  • Sugars: 35g
  • Incl. Added Sugars: 26g
  • Sodium: 0mg

How do you make Italian Ice?

Start with your ingredients: 

  • Fresh fruit or fruit juices (best if small pieces or puréed) 
  • Water
  • Sugar

Mix the ingredients together and then freeze until they are solid. And then you beat the ingredients. The reason it is time-consuming to make Italian Ice is because the process for getting to the final product can take you two to three times. So you mix, freeze, beat, repeat, until you end up with the consistency you like. 

Here is a basic Lemon Italian Ice recipe I have used before to make a sweet, but light and refreshing treat. 

Homemade Lemon Ice

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup, plus 2 more tablespoons of quality, pure sugar
  • 2 1/2-3 large lemons
  • 24 cubes of ice

Instructions:

  1. Mix the water and all the sugar in a small pot. Heat up to a boil and then simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.
  2. Take one of the lemons and cut it into quarters. Put this in a blender, all of it, peel and pulp. Blend this until it’s chopped up. 
  3. Juice the remaining lemons and then add the juice to the blender. Add in the heated sugar syrup. 
  4. Blend all the ingredients until it’s smooth and velvety. 
  5. Refrigerate, or put the blender in the freezer, until it is completely chilled. 
  6. Put in the ice cubes and blend again until it’s slushy. 

Final Thoughts

Italian Ice is a sweet treat vegans can enjoy. It is made from pure, simple ingredients like fruit and fruit juices, water and sugar. It is a healthy alternative to ice cream, even the store-bought varieties, because it contains less calories and often, less saturated fats. Eaten in moderation, Italian Ice can be a viable addition to your vegan diet, and if you make it yourself, can offer a world of tasteful flavor combinations. 

Related Questions

Is Italian Ice Dairy Free?

Italian Ice is dairy free. Unlike gelato or sorbets, Italian Ice is made from a base of ingredients like water, pureed fruits and fruit juices and sugar. Unlike ice cream desserts, it does not contain any creams, milks, or butter ingredients. 

Is Italian Ice Gluten Free?

Italian Ice is also gluten free. There are no wheat ingredients used in the manufacturing of Italian Ice and the machines used to produce the Italian Ice will more than likely never have been contaminated by any gluten ingredients. 

Is Italian Ice Paleo?

Italian Ice is not paleo. It is a processed food, which is not in its natural state. A paleo food is considered paleo when it is as close to its original “raw” state as possible, like a handful of nuts which have not had sugary syrups added to them. Italian Ice is full of sugar, and many brands add in artificial sugars, like high fructose corn syrup. 

Is Italian Ice Keto?

Italian Ice is not keto-friendly. The keto diet reduces card intake and increases fats, enabling your body to burn the fat for your needed energy instead of carbs. As a high-sugar, high-carb food, Italian Ice cannot be considered okay for a ketogenic diet. In fact, because of some of the added sugars and artificial colors and flavors, it can also be considered a “dirty keto” food. 

Is Italian Ice the same as gelato?

Gelato has a custard base, much like ice cream. It is made from eggs and whole milk, with a low sugar content. Italian Ice has a list of base ingredients which start with water, hence the “ice.” There is no dairy content in Italian Ice, making it a different frozen dessert from gelato.

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Leslie Cole

Leslie C. has always been very conscientious about her health and what goes into her body. She takes pride in her physique and commits to exercising multiple times a week to keep her mind and body strong. Nutrition and intentional health choices are not only interests to Leslie, but concentrated ways of life. Leslie is a market and creator, and she also co-owns custom clothing and homemade décor online stores with her husband, which also bring out her creative side in her spare time. Leslie is mom to a husky named Lily and a kitty named Lina, and she lives in Lansing, MI.

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