Many top ice cream brands like Ben and Jerry's are now launching healthier, low-calorie alternatives with less fat and sugar. Still creamy and packed with delicious flavour, whether you're shopping for an ice cream bar or a pint, this article will introduce you to the 10 best low cal freezer additions in time for dessert!
Whether you're sticking to a reduced calorie diet, trying to loose weight or are on the lookout for lighter snacks, we've ranked our favourites on Tesco, Waitrose, Asda and Amazon Fresh. With low calorie vegan ice creams, and tasty offerings from Halo Top, grab a spoon and read on!
Quick List - Top Low Calorie Ice Creams
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Selecting a tasty low-calorie ice cream shouldn't be tough. First, we'll determine what makes an ice cream low-calorie, before discussing the other factors you'll need to consider when shopping for a lighter frozen dessert!
The NHS recommends that the average person should consume between 2,000 and 2,500 calories per day day. However, your average ice cream can contain anywhere from 240 to 300 calories per 100 ml, which is about a quarter of a tub.
Whilst this isn't a problem in moderation, for those of us who would like to enjoy a scoop or two daily, it can soon add up. When choosing a low-calorie ice cream, look for one with 150 - 170 calories per 100 ml. This will allow you to tuck into a generous portion, without over-indulging.
If you have a sweet tooth and are keen to reduce your calories, frozen yoghurt makes a superb alternative to the classic family pud. As well as being exceptionally tangy, creamy and tart, adding yoghurt to your diet can help to increase your daily protein intake.
You may also want to try a dairy-free ice cream. Not only are they suitable for vegans and those with allergies and intolerances, but frozen desserts made with almond, soy or coconut milk are lower in both calories and saturated fat on average.
One possible drawback of a vegan ice cream is that low-calorie and low-fat recipes often contain extra sugar and sweeteners to provide flavour. However, the best vegan ice creams will still have a fairly low sugar content, some containing less than 10 g per 100 ml.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Halo Top Gooey Brownie Ice Cream | ![]() | Dreamy and Creamy in a Range of Decadent Flavours | |
2 | Oppo Double Salted Caramel Ice Cream | ![]() | Double Salted Caramel With Only 356 Calories per Tub | |
3 | Jude's Vanilla Clotted Cream Ice Cream | ![]() | Utterly Irresistible and Lighter Than You’d Expect | |
4 | Halo Top Peanut Butter Swirl Sticks|Pack of 3 | ![]() | 100 Calorie Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars | |
5 | Roar Hazelnut Chocolate Cookie Plant Based Ice Cream | ![]() | Low-Cal Plant-Based Ice Cream With Hazelnut Pieces | |
6 | Häagen-Dazs Mini Caramel Swirl Gelato Tubs | ![]() | Individual 150 Calorie Tubs of Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream | |
7 | Waitrose LoveLife Belgian Chocolate Frozen Yogurt | ![]() | Ice Cream Alternative With a Real Tang | |
8 | Ben and Jerry's Moo-Phoria Chocolate Cookie Dough Ice Cream | ![]() | Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Without the Cals | |
9 | Swedish Glace Delightful Raspberry | ![]() | Vegan Soy Ice Cream With Authentic Taste | |
10 | Asda Birthday Cake Ice Cream | ![]() | Slimline Celebratory Snacking at a Snip |
Halo Top is a relative new kid on the block, but we can easily list its perks like we've been eating it all our lives. Low in calories, very low in saturated fats, and even comparatively light on sugars, this delectable range of ice creams loses no points when it comes to taste.
Best of all, Halo Top is available in fun flavours like cookie dough, birthday cake and vegan peanut butter chocolate. Yep, that's right, if this brand wasn't cool enough, they've even catered to dairy-free snackers with a plant-based pint!
Another frozen dessert brand making the most of that addictive sweet-and-salty combination is Oppo, who have won a Great Taste award for their pints of scoop-able caramel ice cream. With just 178 kcal per half tub you get all the flavour sensation with none of the stress.
Oppo also have one of the best flavour selections available, including Vanilla Pecan Praline Crunch, Chocolate Brownie and Cookies and Cream!
One of the best-loved low-calorie ice creams in the UK, Jude's has become a word-of-mouth hit regularly featuring on popular food blogs! Each flavour has a different calorie count, but they all average under 170 kcal per 100 ml.
We cannot get enough of Jude's vanilla clotted cream ice cream for pairing with everything from hot apple crumble to chocolate cake. The fat count is a little high, as are the sugar levels, but the sophistication of flavour more than makes up for that.
Low calorie swaps don't have to be depressing! We recommend these nutty desserts-on-a-stick from Halo Top as a light and lovely alternative to a Magnum. These peanut wonders contain just 100 kcal each, making them a smashing option if you're sticking to a low calorie menu.
These lollies have some of the lowest fat and sugar levels in our ranking, so if you're a sucker for a blend of white chocolate and peanut butter, you might just develop a habit. Sadly, there's no vegan version yet, but here's hoping!
Roar ice creams are certainly Pudding Jungle royalty. In fact, they've clawed their way right up our tanking by teaming low-calorie frozen fabulousness with a tempting texture, all completely dairy-free of course! The price point edges towards the higher end, but it's totally worth it for a 500 ml tub of joy!
The flavour range is indulgent, without being sickly or too sweet. We adore this hazelnut chocolate cookie combo, but you'll also find coconut, mango and passionfruit, hemp seed chocolate and salted caramel with macadamia. Do your bit for animal rights by tucking into this roar-some vegan delight!
Who would have thought Haagen-Dazs would appear on a list of low-calorie ice creams? You may have noticed that at 193 calories per 100 ml, it's a little higher than what the NHS would consider a calorie-light dessert. Never fear, this mouthwatering iced delight is divided into mini single-serving tubs which contain a more reasonable 150 calories each.
The saturated fat count is not negligible and the sugars are fairly high too, but this is one of the tastiest ice creams on our list with a scrummy caramel flavour rarely achieved by other brands.
OK, this is actually a frozen yoghurt, but you'll forgive us when you see that one serving contains just 70 calories. We can't get enough of the slightly sour tang you get from frozen yogurt, especially this offering with real Belgian chocolate for a luxurious mouthful of loveliness!
While the calories are low and the saturated fat count is only 1.4 grams, the kicker here is the sugar content, which is a rather concerning 19.3 g. Therefore you may need to be strict on portion size if you're watching your sugar intake.
If you have a real sweet tooth, you'll be pleased to hear that good old Ben and Jerry's have launched a low-calorie verision of their famous cookie dough pint. The saturated fat count is certainly slim, but the absolute best thing about this yummy chocolatey ice cream has to be the barely-there calorie count at just 136 per 100 ml.
Just be aware that the sugar level is very high and there are more than a few taste-testers who've noted the unfathomably saccharine taste. So it may not be to everyone's liking.
This superb vegan ice cream alternative tastes just like the real thing! Unlike some dairy-free ice cream, it's not overly sweet, and while the vanilla version is a creamy classic, it's the raspberry flavour that stands out from the confectionery crowd.
Unfortunately, the sugar content is a bit high, but if you're intent on sticking to a cruelty-free diet, this is a star product in flavour and price. Plus, the calorie count per 100 ml is one of the lowest on our whole list!
Cheap, cheerful and super low in calories, this is a good choice if you are on a budget and want to indulge in something supremely sweet. Containing only 77 calories per 100 ml, this cotton-candy flavoured ice cream comes with sugary sprinkles for a kid's party inspired treat.
Although this ice cream contains the fewest calories per 100 ml, it didn't quite make the top of our list. The birthday cake branding may conjure mouthwatering ideas, but there are no real cake pieces here and the flavour may leave some disappointed.
Below we've ranked the yummiest yoghurts, most scrumptious snacks and the top vegan ice cream alternatives, so you can feast knowing you're doing right by your body, the planet or both!
Phew. Finally we can all enjoy a big old bowl of ice cream without feeling like we need to run a mini marathon the next day to burn it off! We hope you've found a new favourite ice cream among our selections to help you enjoy a lower calorie dessert.
Written and researched by Annie Hopkins
No. 1: Halo Top|Gooey Brownie Ice Cream
No. 2: Oppo|Double Salted Caramel Ice Cream
No. 3: Jude's|Vanilla Clotted Cream Ice Cream
No. 4: Halo Top|Peanut Butter Swirl Sticks|Pack of 3
No. 5: Roar|Hazelnut Chocolate Cookie Plant Based Ice Cream
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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