Is Gelato Vegan or Vegetarian?

 When frozen dessert lovers are looking for vegetarian options, they often turn to the safer gelato. While this is mostly vegetarian-friendly, there are other options without animal products for vegan-lovers.

A frozen treat is a welcome indulgence any day or time of the year. It is a sinful delight that charms the taste buds and infuses the soul with indescribable pleasure. But does the choice of dessert fit in with your diet or lifestyle plan is another question altogether?

Indeed, many people look for vegan and veggie ice cream options to suit their specific nutrition regime or food preferences. However, the problem with regular ice cream is that it not only contains milk, sugar and egg yolks, but also animal products, especially in the bits of chocolate, brownie, cake or marshmallow that is added to the ice cream. Therefore, it will interfere with both vegan and vegetarian meal plans.

On the other hand, gelato is the Italian version of ice cream that also contains milk (or cream), sugar and air, but is made in a different process. In fact, gelato has considerably lesser air which makes it more dense and creamy. This is because it is churned quite slowly, thus incorporating almost 70% lesser air which gives it a more intense flavor.

The good news is that most gelato ice creams are made without eggs. They do not contain animal fats like gelatin, which happens to be a staple of many commercial ice creams. Therefore, it is primarily vegetarian in nature. However, a few flavors and recipes do require egg. So, it is best to check before ordering.

As gelato contains milk or cream, it cannot be considered vegan. In fact, it is impossible to make vegan gelato, unless you consider coconut milk or other plant-based milk substitutes. These fail to match the flavor and consistency of the original dairy-based gelatos.

Animal lovers and lactose-intolerant people need not despair as they have the vegan option of sorbet. This is a completely dairy-free option; all it contains is fruit (puree or juice), water and sweetener sans any type of animal product per se. This makes it gluten-free as well. The texture is light and the calorie content is low as well.

OMGelato is one of the most popular ice cream shops near me in Plano, Texas that can cater to both vegetarian and vegan diets as it opens up a tempting array of gelatos and sorbets. The USP of this place is that it offers customization right down to the core.

You first choose one or two base flavors for building your gelato or sorbet. Apart from the traditional gelato flavors of vanilla, chocolate, cream, hazelnut, pistachio, there are many other new base flavors as well. For sorbets, there are special dairy-free flavors. Then choose the appropriate mix-in options that will be blended along with the base itself. Add toppings and sauce of choice, and your delectable frozen dessert will be ready, that too completely in keeping with your specific diet preferences!