Van Leeuwen launches dairy and vegan ice cream bars in US

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has released a new line of premium ice cream bars in the US, made up of three dairy and three vegan flavours.

The line was inspired by classic favourites and includes dairy-based vanilla caramel swirl, toffee brown sugar and raspberry cheesecake. Meanwhile, the non-dairy frozen desserts feature an oat milk base and include vanilla wildberry swirl, brown sugar honeycomb and triple chocolate swirl.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Bars are said to be a nostalgic addition to the brand’s product line as co-founders Pete and Ben Van Leeuwen grew up driving an ice cream truck in the summer and selling ice cream on sticks.

The new bars join the brand’s portfolio of dairy-based ice creams and non-dairy desserts such as Sicilian pistachio, pumpkin cinnamon roll and pineapple coconut cookie, made with either oat or cashew milk.

The new line comes after Van Leeuwen raised $18.7 million in a Series B funding round last year, with the aim to open new scoop shops and expand wholesale distribution.

“We haven’t been this excited about a product launch since we introduced our vegan line eight years ago – ice cream bars have long been a dream for us at Van Leeuwen,” said Ben Van Leeuwen, co-founder and CEO of Van Leeuwen.

“We’ve spent the past 12 months perfecting every element and we are blown away by what we have been able to create. Our six ice cream bar creations feature the ice cream and vegan ice cream our customers know and love, enrobed with thick, custom blended, high-quality fair trade chocolate and crunchy coatings that create an entirely new Van Leeuwen experience,” he added.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Bars are now available in packs of four online and will be available in US stores from March, including Whole Foods and Central Market.