For those seeking a healthier alternative to traditional ice cream, Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream has emerged as a popular contender. With a focus on reduced fat, sugar, and calories, Nick’s aims to deliver a satisfying ice cream experience without the guilt. This review delves into various aspects of Nick’s, from its flavor profiles to its nutritional value and overall appeal.
What is Nick's Ice Cream?
Nick’s manufactures light ice cream using sugar alcohols and a variety of plant-based sweeteners and fat. The brand emphasizes a "Swedish-style" approach, although research suggests this primarily refers to the founder's heritage rather than a distinct ice cream preparation method.
Availability and Ordering
Nick’s ships via UPS 2-Day Ground on dry ice to all 48 continental US states. For those who prefer to purchase in person, Nick’s may be found in stores such as ACME, Fresh Grocer, Jewel, Shnucks, Harris Teeter, Randalls, Pricerite, Shoprite, Stop & Shop, Hannaford, Giant, Albertsons, Safeway, Market Basket, Dave’s Shaw’s, Big Y, Wakefern, Roche Bros, Tom Thumb, or Rouses.
A Flavorful Exploration
This review is based on sampling six different Nick’s ice cream flavors, along with a Choklad Peanot Snack Bar. The flavors were: Cherry Choka-Fläka, Cookies and Kräm, Sälta Karamell, Birthdäg Cake, Strawbär Swirl, and Butter Pekan.
Cherry Choka-Fläka
This flavor features a base that tastes more like cherry ice cream than vanilla, as the cherry pieces have imparted their flavor upon the whole pint. The abundant dark chocolate flakes add a touch of richness and a satisfying snap in each spoonful. The best parts are the chewy cherry chunks, bringing a pleasant texture and a realistic tartness to the mix. The reviewer noted that a bite with both components is reminiscent of a cherry cordial.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Cookies and Kräm
This flavor boasts a vanilla base, swirled with chocolate and pieces of sugar cookie dough. The reviewer found it to be as smooth as the other flavors, with a hint of cinnamon throughout, giving the pint a borderline snickerdoodle vibe. The cookie dough pieces add a welcome and familiar grit, while the chocolate swirl is mild and complements the dough well.
Sälta Karamell
The Sälta Karamell was a standout, featuring a swirl of salted caramel throughout the caramel ice cream. The reviewer praised its creaminess and the use of caramel ice cream instead of vanilla as the base.
Birthdäg Cake
This flavor evoked a sense of nostalgia, reminding the reviewer of yellow box cake mix. The festive sprinkles added to the overall enjoyment.
Strawbär Swirl
This classic strawberry ice cream features a mellow and creamy vanilla base that allows the strawberry to shine. The strawberry ribbons are bright and fresh with abundant natural sweetness, reminding the reviewer of homemade ice cream prepared with family.
Butter Pekan
The Butter Pekan flavor features a creamy, maple ice cream base and chunks of pecans. It delivers the expected richness of Butter Pecan, but without the guilt.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Choklad Peanot Snack Bar
Texture and Creaminess
One of the most significant challenges for light ice creams has been achieving a texture comparable to their full-fat counterparts. Nick’s addresses this concern admirably. The reviewer noted that Nick’s was not exaggerating the creaminess of its ice cream at all. While they may not measure up to the most premium, velvety, full-fat ice creams, one would be hard-pressed to identify these as light flavors in a blind taste test. Nick’s Swedish-Style Light Ice Cream is not just “good for light ice cream,” it is good, period, and stacks up well against many standard ice cream varieties.
A Unique and Innovative Flavor: Lemon Chäs Cake
Another flavor that was tasted was Lemon Chäs Cake. This ice cream is a little airier than the others but still feels just as creamy. Nick’s says that it is a cheesecake ice cream with ribbons of lemon. The reviewer got a little bit of cheesecake flavor in the base, but it ultimately reminds them of a lemon bar. The lemon ribbon here is the star of the show. It is bright, fresh, tart, and amazing. There are small, chewy lemon rind pieces incorporated throughout, and overall, it reminds the reviewer of candied lemon rind. This refreshing flavor is the most innovative of the bunch, and the reviewer had never had anything quite like it.
The Disappointment: Choklad Brownie
As a chocolate ice cream with brownie bits and a fudge swirl, this one seemed like it would be the most decadent. The chocolate base appears to be of the dark variety. The fudge swirl tends to be overpowered by the base and does not make much of an impact. The brownie bits are chewy and enjoyable. It is a decent flavor, but much more subdued than the reviewer was expecting. As a fan of all things chocolate, the reviewer expected to like this one the most, but it’s actually their least favorite of the six.
Cost Considerations
While the taste of Nick’s low-calorie ice cream is appealing, buying online can be more expensive than buying in-store and more expensive than most other “healthy” ice cream alternatives. Shipping is also extra when you buy fewer than 12 pints online. Nick’s Snack Bars come in boxes of 12 and are currently $34.95.
Nutritional Perspective
Rebecca Housh, a registered dietitian, emphasizes the increasing availability of healthier ice cream options that allow for consuming an entire pint with a fraction of the fat, sugar, and calories found in traditional ice cream.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto