Best Freeze Dried Ice Cream

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2023 @ 10:54 am.

Best Neapolitan Ice Cream: LuvyDuvy Freeze-Dried Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwiches

Freeze dried ice cream is great for camping, hiking . . . or just as a unique treat for a child’s birthday party.

We tried out several brands of freeze dried ice cream sandwiches and ice cream, judging them on overall flavor, texture and creaminess.

Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches are probably the most popular flavor when it comes to freeze dried ice cream. And after trying out several competitors, we think LuvyDuvy’s version is best. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Best overall flavor. Yes, it tasted like a Neapolitan ice cream sandwich, not a science experiment!

• Most creamy texture among brands we tried.

• Made in the USA.

• Shelf life of about two years from date of manufacture.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Allergy alert: contains milk, soy, wheat.

• Contains high fructose corn syrup.

• Artificial coloring and flavors.

Best For Kid Parties: Mountain House Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich

If you are looking for a unique party favor for a birthday party, we think this six-pack of freeze-dried ice cream is a great choice: Mountain House’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches.

What We Liked

• Kid-friendly flavor! What kid doesn’t like mint chocolate ice cream?

• No sticky fingers. Some freeze dried ice cream we tried left a sticky residue behind. This brand didn’t, which is why it’s great for kiddos.

• Packaging is recyclable.

• Two year shelf life.

• Made in USA.

• Less added sugar (5 grams) per serving than LuvyDuvy brand (10 grams) recommended above.

What Needs Work

• Allergy alert: milk, soy, wheat.

• Contains high fructose corn syrup.

• Texture is a bit more chalky than others we tried. We still liked it overall and would recommend it—but a few of our testers thought it could be less chalky.

Best Clean Ingredients: Cosmik Freeze Dried Ice Cream, Astronaut Space Food

No one would confuse freeze dried ice cream with health food—most of the brands we tried had artificial coloring, flavoring and high fructose corn syrup.

That’s why we were happy to find one brand that aimed for a cleaner, more natural approach to freeze dried ice cream: COSMIK. It’s still ice cream—and quite yummy—but aims a bit higher in the quality of ingredients. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Loved the overall taste and texture,

• Some organic ingredients: organic cream, organic sugar, organic skim milk, organic wheat flour.

• No GMO’s.

• No artificial ingredients.

• No high fructose corn syrup.

What Needs Work

• More fat (9 grams) compared to other brands. Well, that explains why it tastes so good.

• Broken chunks. This freeze dried ice cream is intentionally broken into chunks—this turned off a few of our testers, who preferred a whole bar.

• Allergy alert: dairy, soy, wheat—made in a facility that processes peanuts, milk, soy, wheat and tree nut ingredients.

• Pricey.

• Not as creamy as other brands. We still liked it overall, but the mouth feel isn’t quite as good as LuvyDuvy brand reviewed above.

Best For Long Shelf Life: Astronaut Foods Freeze-Dried Banana Split Variety Pack

Most freeze dried ice cream we tried has about a two year shelf life (that is, from the date of manufacture). If you prefer something with a longer shelf life, we’d suggest the Astronaut Foods brand. Good taste and a three year shelf life!

What We Liked

• Nice variety of flavors: you get two packages of freeze dried Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches, two packages of freeze dried bananas and two packages of freeze dried whole strawberries.

• Good crunchy texture. The ice cream then melts in your mouth! Very nice.

• Made in the USA.

• Affordable.

• Shelf life is about 50% more than other brands we tested.

What Needs Work

• Allergy alert: milk, soy, wheat. Processed in a facility that processes peanuts, milk, soy, wheat, gluten, egg, and tree nut ingredients.

• Two thirds of this pack isn’t ice cream. As we pointed out above, there are two packs of freeze dried fruit to every one packet of ice cream. We liked that, but some folks are disappointed there isn’t more ice cream!

• Artificial colors and flavors (at least in the ice cream). The freeze-dried fruit is just fruit, however.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for families and children since 1994!

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported.