Dairy Free Freak Shakes with Valsoia and Ciao Gusto

With temperatures hitting record highs this month my thoughts are mostly on keeping cool, and one of the best ways to do that in this heat is with a nice cold ice cream. Gone are the days of being limited to sorbet or maybe vanilla if you were lucky – now the treat list is full of dairy and soya free ice cream options. Thanks to an increase in choice we don’t have to stick with plain old chocolate or vanilla, and there are an increasing number of delicious, high quality dairy free ice creams out there. A new brand I was very excited to discover recently was Valsoia, and today I am bringing you two easy dairy free freak shakes, using their really tasty dairy free ice creams.

Valsoia has been Italy’s premier health food brand since its creation in 1990 and is famous for quality, product innovation and choice. Using the finest ingredients, Valsoia’s wholly plant-based, GMO-free foods are produced with respect for Italian food tradition and balance great flavour with healthy ingredients.

Valsoia is a member of Ciao Gusto, the Italian Deli on Ocado -­ a unique family of leading Italian food and drink companies. Bringing you the finest authentic flavours from the brands Italians truly love.

There are a host of Valsoia’s plant based products currently available on Ocado, including alternative milks and savoury meals like pizza and lasagne, and checking out their website shows there is much more to come (please make those Pistachio and Stracciatella ice creams available to me ASAP!). All of the products are free from dairy and egg, and many are free from gluten also. A lot of their items are soya based, but they do have several soya free lines. Today I have two dairy free freak shakes for you, featuring the Valsoia Gran Specialità Tiramisù (contains wheat, soya lecithin and cashew) and the Valsoia Gran Specialità Caramello (only allergen is cashew).

Valsoia Gran Specialità Tiramisù gelato is an incredible beautifully tasting vegan ice cream, lightly flavoured with coffee and covered with a generous dusting of cocoa powder. I’m not actually a coffee lover but I found this had just the right amount of the espresso taste for me, and I’m 100% sure that no one in the world would suspect that it was dairy free.

Valsoia Gran Specialità Caramello gelato is so creamy that you will be triple checking the ingredients to make sure it’s dairy free (it definitely is!). I was really surprised by the creamy texture of this gelato, and it’s smooth caramel taste. The flavour is very sweet, and it has small crispy pieces of caramel mixed through it. Very nice and a little more kid friendly if you’re looking for something to share.

The Valsoia Oat Milk that we’ve used here is a pretty decent alternative choice, with 120mg of added calcium, 0.7g of protein and 1.4g of fibre. You can compare it with the others on the market using my alternative milk comparison chart.

Both of the gelato are really high quality desserts, and I genuinely don’t believe that anyone would suspect that they were vegan or free from anything. The gorgeous adult flavours make a welcome change from the standard vanilla and chocolate that is usually available in supermarkets, and the texture of these gelato far surpasses any free from ice creams I’ve tried before. I’m really impressed by these, and I’m really excited about the rest of the Valsoia range. Sometimes the free from/vegan iced desserts can have a slightly bitty or sandy texture, but these are smooth, creamy and way too tempting! If you can resist eating it all straight from the tub with a spoon then keep scrolling for my dairy free freak shakes.

What is a Freak Shake? A freak shake can best be described as a MEGA ice cream drink – something that’s a little more special than just a normal shake. You will have seen them on Instagram and Pinterest; often really impressive and over the top, piled high with sweet treats for food porn worthy shots. Usually they are full to the brim with dairy, but I’ve come up with two delicious dairy free freak shakes – and as always I bet you no one will even notice.

Dairy Free Freak Shake – Delicious Tiramisù 

Ingredients

For the milkshake:

  • 3 scoops of Valsoia Tiramisu Gelato (a little more or less depending on how thick you like your milkshake)
  • 50-100ml of Valsoia oat milk (or your usually dairy free milk preference – again more or less to your preference)
  • Optional for an adult freak shake: 50ml of Baileys Almande

To make it freaky:

Recipe

  1. Add 3 scoops of ice cream, the Baileys (if using!) and a splash of your alternative milk to your blender and whizz up for about 30 seconds, it won’t need long. Add a little more milk if required, to get your preferred milkshake consistency
  2. Meanwhile dip your glass in a little water (or you could use melted chocolate) and then dip into your sprinkles
  3. Pour the Choc Shot along the top of the glass and allow it to run down the sides
  4. Pour in your milkshake and top with squirty cream
  5. Top with your chosen toppings – it works best to add the brownie or similar first, then kind of wedge it in with your other treats. Go as wild and crazy as you want, this should be an impressive looking treat!
  6. For maximum impact (and taste) top your freak shake with one more delicious scoop of Valsoia Tiramius ice cream

Dairy Free Freak Shake – Rainbow Unicorn

Ingredients

For the milkshake:

  • 3 scoops of Valsoia Caramello Gelato (a little more or less depending on how thick you like your milkshake)
  • 100ml of Valsoia alternative milk (or your usually dairy free milk preference – again more or less to your preference)

To make it freaky:

Recipe

  1. Add 3 scoops of ice cream and a little of your alternative milk to your blender and whizz up for about 30 seconds. Add a little more milk if required, to get your preferred milkshake consistency
  2. Meanwhile pour the strawberry sauce around the edge of your glass, and leave to drip down the sides
  3. Pour in your milkshake and top with squirty cream
  4. Top with your chosen toppings and enjoy!

*This is a collaborative post*

Pin for later:

Dairy Free Rainbow Freak Shake - Find out how to make this amazing rainbow unicorn freak shake, no one will ever guess it's a dairy free treat. Made with delicious dairy free salted caramel gelato from Valsoia and Ciao Gusto. Find more dairy free recipes at dilanandme.com/dairyfreeDairy Free Tiramisu Freak Shake - Find out how to make this amazing tiramisu adult freak shake which includes Baileys Almande (vegan Baileys). Delicious, perfect for summer and totally dairy free! Made with delicious dairy free tiramisu gelato from Valsoia and Ciao Gusto. Find more dairy free treats at dilanandme.com/dairyfree

1 Comment

  1. 25th July 2018 / 10:32 am

    Oh my word these look amazing! This is a new product for me, glad to find it – as my sister is vegan x

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