I've been on this Italian Ice kick lately. For those who haven't tried this tasty treat, Italian Ice is like an Otter-Pop for grown ups, only 10x better. It's dairy-free and I love the slightly tart taste. It's softer than a popsicle too, being as it's mixed while made, so it's slushy, but still solid. How's that for a bunch of adjectives?! It's hard to describe, but just trust me when I say- you'll love it!
Several weeks ago I decided to try out different brands to see who had the Best store-bought Italian Ice.
Up first is Luigi's. At .45 per serving it was the most expensive brand I tried. It also had the most sugar at a whopping 20 grams each cup! Wowza. So yeah, don't eat them all in one day or you won't be able to sleep for a week. There were 6 cups total, three Lemon and three Strawberry. I tried the Lemon and just about stopped this little unscientific experiment there and declared them the winners. It was so delicious. Slightly sweet, slightly tart, perfect consistency. Yum.
However then I tried the Strawberry and well, it was pretty bland. I forgot what kind of berry it was half-way through as it just tasted like a slightly fruity cup of Italian-Ice-esque dessert. The consistency was spot on, but still- where'd the flavor go? Slightly disappointing.
Next I tried Philly Swirl, Swirl Stix Italian Ice Pops. These came 6 to a box and were only $1, which made them pretty inexpensive at .17 per serving. There was only 1 flavor in the box, Orange Creme. They had only 9 grams of sugar in each serving, which is the lowest amount of all three brands I tried. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from these. They just looked really basic and my first thought was "These are going to taste like an orange popsicle."
I'm happy to report that I was wrong...mostly. The consistency wasn't exactly Italian Ice. It was more like a cross between a popsicle and Italian ice. However what they lacked in consistency they made up for in flavor. They are dairy free yet taste very reminiscent of an Orangsicle, which is something I really miss! I really enjoyed these!
Lastly I stopped by Walgreen's and purchased a box of Wyler's Italian Ices. For $2.50 I got a box of 16 with 4 different flavors- Orange Cream, Kiwi Watermelon, Lemon and Raspberry. At just .16 per serving, these were the least expensive brand I tried. This was also the only brand that came unfrozen. You lay them out flat in the freezer and within a few hours, your frozen treat is ready. Their sugar content was 12 grams per serving and these too were all dairy-free.
I was skeptical as to how the consistency would be being as I had to freeze them myself, but it's perfect! How'd they do that? Oh right, corn syrup. {Which is a common ingredient among all 3 brands!} I loved being able to choose between different flavors and the fact that there are 16 to a box is super nice! The Lemon and Raspberry flavors were my favorites, but really, I liked them all!
So who is the winner? I'd say Luigi's lost me on price and lack of flavor. Philly Swirl was really good, but I wish I had more options. So I'd say the clear winner is Wyler's Italian Ices! Stop by Walgreen's and pick up a box to enjoy on one of these super hot summer days!
Have you tried Italian Ice before? What's your favorite brand or cafe that offers it?
