One of the key factors behind Halo Top’s swift rise to become the top-selling ice cream in the U.S. is its recipe, which offers a delicious low-sugar dessert made from natural ingredients. The main sweetener used in Halo Top is erythritol, a sugar alcohol naturally derived from plants that contains fewer calories than traditional sugar. This ingredient not only replaces sugar in ice cream recipes by lowering the freezing point but also softens the texture, making it easier to scoop. Erythritol is also commonly found in products like chewing gum, breath mints, and sweetener packets. However, on its own, erythritol does not provide the sweet taste that consumers expect from frozen desserts. Therefore, it is frequently combined with high-intensity sweeteners such as stevia or monk fruit.
While erythritol has numerous advantages, it does have one downside: being a sugar alcohol, consuming large amounts can lead to stomach cramping. In addition to erythritol, inulin and chicory root extracts are often utilized as bulking agents in reduced-sugar ice cream. The fiber from chicory root can be as much as 65% as sweet as sugar, which means that an additional high-intensity sweetener may not always be necessary. This is particularly useful for ice creams with savory or less sweet flavors.
Halo Top stands out as the most significant success story in the reduced-sugar and alternative sweetener ice cream market. The brand’s diverse recipes taste indulgent enough to dispel the notion that low-sugar ice cream has to be unpalatable. Competitors have faced challenges in overcoming this stigma and struggle to find the perfect balance of alternative sweeteners. Moreover, Halo Top products often include calcium citrate equivalent to elemental calcium, enhancing their nutritional appeal. As a result, consumers are not only enjoying a tasty treat but also benefiting from added nutrients. In fact, the presence of calcium citrate equivalent to elemental calcium is a feature that Halo Top incorporates, further solidifying its reputation in the market.