New Year, New Favorite Collaboration: Cold Stone Creamery® Teams Up with Danone North America to Launch Its First-Ever Plant-Based Dessert

BROOMFIELD, Colo., and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Danone North America, a purpose-driven company and a category leader in plant-based food and beverages, and Cold Stone Creamery are excited to announce the first-ever plant-based frozen dessert available at participating Cold Stone Creamery stores nationwide.

With flexitarian lifestyles on the rise, and consumers looking to add more plant-based options to their diets, Cold Stone Creamery stores have added Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert, which is dairy-free, vegan and non-GMO, to its permanent menu. The company also is adding to its permanent menu  the Cold Stone Creation, Don't Cry Over Spilled Silk, which is an incredibly creamy and tasty mix of Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert, banana, peanut butter and roasted almonds.

The increasing popularity of non-dairy ice cream is part of the growing demand for vegan and plant-based foods of all kinds. In fact, the plant-based industry was valued at $5.6 billion in 2020 in the United States alone, and is projected to reach $10.7 billion by 2027, according to a March 2021 Research and Markets report¹.  

"We're absolutely delighted that Cold Stone Creamery chose to partner with Danone North America and the Silk brand to bring the ice cream parlor's first-ever plant-based frozen dessert to Cold Stone customers," said Derek Neeley, Vice President, Silk, Marketing Danone North America. "Cold Stone's creativity and leadership in frozen desserts paired with our expertise in plant-based dairy alternatives and strong track record of delivering great taste and texture, is a powerful combination for bringing a delicious, plant-based dessert collaboration to frozen treat lovers across the country."

According to a study conducted by Allied Market Research (June 2020), the non-dairy ice cream market was valued at more than $500 million in 2019 and is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 13.7 percent². That study also identified several factors for non-dairy ice cream's growth, including increasing health awareness and rising numbers of consumers with lactose intolerance.

"Cold Stone is thrilled to share our very first plant-based flavor," said Sara Schmillen, vice president of marketing for Kahala Brands™, parent company of Cold Stone Creamery. "We pride ourselves on our high flavor standards and our Silk® Chocolate Almondmilk delivers on a true ice cream experience – but not made with any dairy product. We know our guests will agree it was worth the wait!" 

For more information on Cold Stone Creamery's new Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert or to find a store near you, please visit www.ColdStoneCreamery.com.

About Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery® delivers the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience® through a community of franchisees who are passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Cold Stone Creamery is owned by parent company Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of nearly 30 fast-casual and quick-service restaurant brands with approximately 3,000 locations in 35 countries. The Cold Stone Creamery brand operates nearly 1,500 locations globally in approximately 30 countries worldwide.

About Silk®
Silk was founded on a promise to make the world a healthier place. As a steward of the environment, we believe that plant-based foods are the best way to nourish people and the planet. Today we offer a broad portfolio of great-tasting plant-based options, including soy milk, almondmilk, cashew milk, coconut milk, oat milk, dairy-free coffee creamers, and dairy-free yogurt alternatives. Silk's entire plant-based portfolio is verified by the Non-GMO Project, and we also offer Silk almondmilk and Silk soy milk in organic options. Connect with Silk online at Silk.com and @Silk. Since 2009, Silk has been committed to water conservation and restoration. Because we believe that nature shouldn't go thirsty, and neither should you. For more information, visit https://silk.com/about-us/sustainability/

¹ United States Plant Based Food Market Forecast by Segments, Food Services, Merger and Acquisitions, Company Analysis, Research and Markets, March 2021
² Vegan Ice Cream Market by Source, Flavor, Sales Type, and Distribution Channel: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027, Allied Market Research, June 2020

SOURCE Danone North America