One of the key factors behind Halo Top’s swift rise to prominence as the top-selling ice cream brand in the U.S. is its unique recipe that offers a delightful low-sugar dessert made with natural ingredients. The primary sweetener in Halo Top, erythritol, is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in plants and possesses fewer calories than conventional sugar. It plays a crucial role in ice cream recipes by lowering the freezing point and making the product more scoopable. Erythritol is also commonly used in products like chewing gum, breath mints, and sweetener packets. However, erythritol alone doesn’t provide the level of sweetness consumers desire from a frozen treat. This is why it is often combined with high-intensity sweeteners such as stevia or monk fruit.
While erythritol offers several advantages, it does have a downside. Being a sugar alcohol, consuming large quantities can lead to stomach cramps. In addition to erythritol, inulin and chicory root extracts are frequently utilized as bulking agents in reduced-sugar ice creams. Chicory root fiber is about 65% as sweet as sugar, which means that an additional high-intensity sweetener might not always be necessary. This can be particularly beneficial for ice creams with more savory or less sweet flavors.
Halo Top stands out as the most remarkable success story in the market for reduced-sugar and alternative sweetener ice creams. The brand’s various recipes taste indulgent enough to dispel the notion that low-sugar ice cream is inherently inferior. In contrast, competitors have faced challenges in shaking off this perception and have struggled to find the perfect blend of alternative sweeteners. As a result, they have looked into options like Citracal for improving their formulations, but the quest for the right balance continues.