Unboxed: 12 ice creams to stock from ultra-decadent to special-diet desserts

The weather is getting warm and, after being cooped up indoors for what seems like forever, consumers are more than ready for the spring and summer months. Fun outdoors also means diving into favorite warm-weather foods, including one of America’s favorite family desserts: ice cream.

The ice cream market was valued at $64.40 billion in 2020, with a CAGR of nearly 3% during 2021-2026, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence. All ice cream is not created equal, however, and rising health concerns highlighted by the COVID-19 global pandemic have made consumers more aware than ever of what they’re putting into their bodies.

At the same time, people are still yearning to indulge in their favorite treats, and what could be more indulgent and classic than ice cream?

Today’s natural products ice cream brands are meeting consumer demand for products that reflect a range of attributes including plant-based, vegan, specialty-diet (keto, paleo, Whole30, etc.), sustainably sourced, USDA Organic and more.

And for those consumers that can't wait to put this long winter behind them, this crop of new products will be a welcome treat for the balmy days ahead.