"Does your sorbet have sugar in it?"
"Why aren't you sugar free?"
We get asked these questions about the sugar in our sorbet almost every day!
There's no better time than a day dedicated to candy and treats to delve into the ice cream sugar content topic and discuss low sugar ice cream vs. our sorbet, and exactly what's behind the sweetness in our treats.
So if you're ever found yourself wondering about our ice cream sugar content, what sweeteners we chose to use and why, or if we plan to ever offer a zero sugar sorbet option, here's the scoop!
Our Original Flavors Sugar Content
When we got our start, we were known for our bold, outside the norm flavors, like white wine cucumber mint (an early top-seller!) and our luscious, scoopable texture.
The opposite of traditional sorbets, which tend to be icy and hard-frozen.
As the years went on, we continually refined and tweaked our recipes. We created new flavors and textures.
In the 2010s, the low sugar ice cream craze was at its peak. We can probably all think of a few huge, well-known diet ice creams bragging about the fact you could eat the whole pint in one sitting, thanks to its low sugar/ calorie content.
At some point, we fell victim to this low sugar ice cream hype. We changed our original creamy recipes to cut back on the pure sugar and added stevia and erythritol.
It was a fairly quick decision we made in an attempt to the meet the moment. We were officially a much lower sugar treat.
The problem?
Why Ice Cream Sugar Content Matters So Much
Low sugar ice cream might have been trendy, but less sugar also changes the dessert entirely.
When lowering an ice cream sugar content to make the label read "cleaner," you have to consider the science of frozen goodies.
Sugar not only adds deliciousness and flavor, but it's a great stabilizer. Because it has a low freezing point, it helps frozen treats stay scoopable, soft, and creamy - instead of hard and icy like a popsicle.
This is why so many commercial sorbets out there have crazy high sugar content - think 30g per serving! You gotta get that creaminess somehow. Most do it with sugar.
We have always kept our sugar far lower than typical. But when we removed almost all of the natural sugar from our sorbet, which already didn't contain dairy fat (another stabilizing ingredient lending creaminess, in traditional ice creams), things started to get icy.
A Hard Lesson Learned
The result of our low sugar ice cream experiment? A icy, crumbly, hard texture that was unpredictable and changed from the production line to the warehouses and shelves.
Consumers noticed, and despite the "cleaner" label, you missed the original texture and creamy sorbet you'd fallen in love with.
A hard lesson to learn but an important one, for us!
It was a big mistake and we saw it reflected in our sales at the store. People wanted the original SorBabes and the not-so-creamy texture just wasn't doing it.
Big Changes - Again!
Around the same time we launched our new dipped sorbet bars in a few retailers. We didn't know how people would respond, but they were a huge hit! We knew it was time to go all in and retire the pints in favor of bars.
The icy texture and low sugar experiment taught us not to mess with the creamy, smooth texture that got us our start. With our new bar line, we ditched the artificial sugar and chose to use high quality, 100% vegan cane sugar. Sweetness, like nature intended!
Our bars aren't a diet treat. They're not particularly low or zero sugar. What they are? Flavorful, creamy, dreamy treats made with real, recognizable ingredients including natural cane sugar. Treats for when you want a true dessert with all the creaminess of ice cream, minus the cream!
There are many great diet and low sugar treats out there for those who prefer or need that. In the future, it's always possible we'll create a lower sugar line (or even a limited return of the pints!)
For now, we're happy to be back and better than ever, growing into new stores and soon launching exciting new products, all with the same creamy, decadent texture that put us on the map.
Questions, comments, or requests about any of our flavors or ingredients? You can always reach us and spill your thoughts at hello@sorbabes.com.
← Older post Newer post →