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Saying good-bye to dairy nearly nine years ago was difficult, but so worth it. My health drastically improved from this change. But saying good-bye to ice cream was honestly difficult. I mean, hasn't ice cream been in you life forever? It's a part of our childhood and our memories. For me, special memories of summer, my grandpa, friends...a simpler time. It's a treat enjoyed by children and adults alike and something that weaves a bond of love and tradition between us. But going dairy free doesn't mean missing out on delicious ice cream - no ma'am. In fact, it means a world of delicious healthy alternatives is wide open.
Just in time for summer, Danielle, from Blue Mountain Organics, contacted me and asked if I would review some of their cashew based ice creams. Below you'll find our thoughts and opinions on 4 of their ice cream flavors. (Please note, we were not paid for our personal comments).
Blue Mountain Cashew Creamery makes a variety of cashew-based ice creams made with the highest quality organic ingredients available - made with organic raw superfoods!
- Rich and Creamy
- Dairy-Free, Vegan, Raw
- USDA Certified Organic
- Soy-Free, Gluten-Free, GMO-Free
- Agave Sweetened, Low Glycemic Index
- Made in a Peanut-Free and Soy-Free Facility
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#1
Strawberry was my favorite flavor
(in fact, I'm eating some as I type this review).
The first thing I noticed about their ice cream was the texture. It's like nothing else I've experienced. Velvety is what comes to mind. In looking at the ingredients I saw they add shea butter. This is new to me in food, but it makes perfect sense and yields a luscious, creamy texture. The color is darker than most strawberry ice creams (not a bright red color), but don't let this put you off. This is packed with berry flavor. My daughter also likes this one. She said it tastes like gelato.
#2
Mango was my son's favorite flavor. The first thing he said when he took a bite was, "Yummy, sooo good Mommy."
The mango has great color and a distinct mango flavor with hints of pineapple. Very refreshing with a tropical feel.
My daughter had the flu last week and wasn't interested in eating much, but she gobbled down this ice cream. I felt great giving her this healing, raw superfood. It was the perfect balance of nutrition and calories while she was healing.
#3
My husband went a little nuts for the mint cacao chip.
To quote him:
"This was one of the most delicious ice creams! I'm so impressed with the creamy texture and the mint flavor. I also love these cacao nibs (what are these?). I can NOT tell this is cashews based, WOW - this honestly tastes just like traditional ice cream." He was equally impressed with the ingredients, stating, "I can't believe something so tasty is so good for me."
#4
The final ice cream is chocolate.
In general, chocolate isn't my favorite flavor of ice cream. I don't crave chocolate like my husband, so one night I had another bowl of mango and my husband had a bowl the chocolate (and raved about it). But he's a huge chocoholic, so of course he loved it. But the next day I was craving something during afternoon snack time (something rich), and I remembered this ice cream I thought I would give it a try....
Let's just say I didn't even get a chance to put it in a bowl. I devoured it like a maniac right out of the carton. It was amazing. I've never tasted chocolate ice cream like this. Again, the texture is like none other, soft and creamy. It's not overly sweet which I appreciate, and the chocolate flavor is deep and rich (you can tell it's real chocolate). It's a superb dessert.
When my husband went for some more chocolate ice cream that night I gently told him it was gone, and he sadly walked away from the freezer (and I wasn't at all sorry I finished it off...okay, maybe a little).
I'm very particular about what products I share and what companies I promote here on The Tasty Alternative, and I can tell you this company is special with superior products. In additional to their cashew cream, they also offer other healthy, delicious foods, such as: raw desserts and snacks, raw and sprouted seeds and nut butters, & grains/ cereals/sprouted flours.
Blue Mountain Organics is offering my readers 10% of their order with the code: "BLOG"
Please take advantage of this discount!
Click here to browse their many fabulous products, and to place your order.
Note: If you're ordering the cashew cream, it will be sent to you in a Styrofoam box with dry ice. Danielle from Blue Mountain Organics informed me that you can send back the Styrofoam box (at your own expense) so it can be reused. I sent mine back!
Blue Mountain Organics
1011 Floyd HWY North
Floyd, Va 24091
1011 Floyd HWY North
Floyd, Va 24091
Thank you and happy summer!
I love love LOVE everything Blue Mountain Organics makes. I test pretty much all of my recipe with their nuts, seeds, butters, dried fruits, cacao products, etc...yet I've never tried their ice creams. All the flavors look incredible!
ReplyDeleteHello sweet Amber...
DeleteWell thank you for sending this company my way. I had no idea they even existed. I can't wait to try some of their other products. They all sound amazing!!
The BLOG code is not working :(
ReplyDeletebut would love to try this ice cream!
Hello anonymous,
DeleteMy apologies. I will contact Danielle from Blue Mountain Organics and let her know! Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Hello anonymous,
DeleteI just heard back from Danielle @ BMO and she said the code should be up and running...but please let me know if you run into any more issues. Thanks so much.
Oh my goodness, I would LOVE this ice cream! I hope it becomes available at Whole Foods and other stores soon. I make ice cream with a mix of cashews and coconut cream and it is my favorite- cashews make a great base! Maybe I'll have to try adding a bit of shea - I read somewhere that Africans use shea for cooking.
ReplyDeleteThanks Natalie,
DeleteGlad someone else has tried this ice cream and can attest to its awesomeness. The shea butter is new to me too, but I have been researching it and would like to use it as well in ice cream. It yields such a creamy, wonderful texture. Thanks for sharing.
i am right there with ya...i mourned ice cream when i went dairy free. This stuff looks delicious though! i'm a huge fan of cashews by themselves, so this sounds right up my alley! I think I'd be in the mint cocoa chip boat ...mmm! great reviews Amber! -- i bet it was a tough job ;) have a great tuesday!
ReplyDeleteThank you sweet Caralyn. :-)
DeleteAnd yes, this was some hard work here tasting these ice creams. I thought...will this never end!? What a life right. :-)
They all sound pretty amazing to me! :-) I will admit that mint chocolate chip is my favorite ice cream though, so maybe that would be my favorite of these, too. ;-) Thanks so much for the review, Amber!
ReplyDeleteShirley
Thanks Shirley. The mint is outrageous...you would love it.
DeleteI was an ice cream lover before going dairy free. I miss it so badly. This one sounds amazing! I will definitely check it out. Mango and Strawberry are on my list to get now! Thanks for the review and the discount code!
ReplyDeleteHi Serena,
DeleteMe too! It's so fun and easy to make homemade dairy free ice creams, and I love the idea of this cashew based product. I will be trying this at home for sure. I was so pleasantly surprised when I tested these. Just delicious. :-)
Wow that's awesome. I have made "whipped cream" from cashews and ice cream just seems like the perfect next step. I look forward to seeing them in stores. Shipment to Canada is probably out :(
ReplyDeleteWow, France. That's awesome. Whipped cream from cashews. So smart. I'm not sure if they ship to Canada. You might check their website though.
DeleteBonjour France,
DeleteThese ice creams are available in Canada from UpayaNaturals.com
http://www.upayanaturals.com/Ice_Cream_Available_in_various_flavours_Blue_p/blue-005.htm
- Genevieve