HELLO, AND WELCOME TO ICE CREAM PLANT!! 

We make creamy, delicious, allergy-friendly, vegan ice cream in Eastern Market in Detroit! We’re growing! The goal is to be in our own PLANTS ONLY, ALLERGY-FREE facility by winter of 2019! Thanks to all who have helped make it possible!

Ice Cream Plant was born from a quest to make exceptional vegan ice cream for our son and daughter. Everything we make is creamy, delicious, and allergy-friendly– free of dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, eggs, sesame, and corn*. Naturally vegan and hand-packed in the city of Detroit, we source the finest and most sustainable and ethical ingredients. We’re sure you will love our carefully crafted single batch ice cream! It’s Ice Cream For Everyone™!

* Allergy-friendly: naturally vegan products are all made from coconut milk, with ingredients free of tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, dairy, gluten, soy, corn and sesame, but PLEASE NOTE that at this time we do make our product in a facility that DOES handle these allergens, so customers with severe allergies should abstain or proceed at their own risk. We are working on moving into our own dedicated facility where the 8 most common food allergens will not be allowed!

All our flavors are vegan, allergy-friendly* and full of awesomeness!

Flavors will vary by location. 

By the pint/mini: (If they’re sold out of your favorite flavor, please let us know ASAP!)

–Achatz Homemade Pie Co (Beverly Hills/Southfield)

–Achatz Homemade Pie Co  (Shelby Twp)

–Achatz Homemade Pie Co (Troy) 

–Bridge Street Market (Grand Rapids)

–Colasanti’s Market (Highland) 

–Conscious Cafe (Shelby) 

–Cookies & Cream at Social Cafe/20 Front St (Lake Orion) 

-Fairfax Quality Market (Grosse Pointe Park) 

–Foods for Living (East Lansing) 

–GreenSpace & Go (Royal Oak) 

–Harbortown Market  (Detroit, Jefferson near Belle Isle)

–Holiday Market (Royal Oak)

-Hollywood Markets (Madison Heights)

-Hollywood Markets (Rochester Hills)

-Hollywood Markets (Royal Oak)

–Lucky’s Market (Traverse City) 

-Nourish Northern Michigan Farm Fresh Market  (Cheboygan, MI)

–Nutri-Foods   (Royal Oak)

-Papa Joe’s   (Birmingham)

-Papa Joe’s  (Rochester Hills)

–Plum Market (Ann Arbor North Campus)

–Plum Market (Ann Arbor West)

–Plum Market (Bloomfield)

–Plum Market (West Bloomfield)

–Plum Market (Downtown Detroit)

–Pure Pastures (Dearborn)

-Pure Pastures (Plymouth)

–Sawall Health Food  (Kalamazoo)

–Village Quality Market  (Grosse Pointe)

–Western Market (Ferndale)

–Zerbo’s Health Foods (Livonia)

By the scoop/on the menu:

• Chive Kitchen (Farmington)
• Commonwealth Cafe (Birmingham) *soft serve
• Nosh Pit Detroit (Hamtramck)
  
• Pie Sci (Detroit) 
• Roma Cafe (Amore da Roma) (Detroit) 
• Seva- Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor)
• Seva- Detroit (Detroit)

Robb and Sarah Zimmerman

robb@icecreamplant.com / sarah@icecreamplant.com

#313-473-9846

TRY SOME and BUY SOME!!

10/27/19 FREE TASTING Western Market, Ferndale, 2pm-6pm

11/7/19 Wayne State University, Plant Based Nutrition Support Group, 9am-12pm

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is your ice cream made with? All of our products are 100% vegan, coconut-milk based, made with cane sugar, tapioca starch, coconut oil, and natural flavors and colors. Almost all of our ingredients are organic, and we are in the process of becoming certified organic. All of our ingredients and nutritional information can be found below on this website.
2. Where can we buy Ice Cream Plant products? We do not have a scoop shop ourselves, but you can find us at dozens of local stores and restaurants across Michigan (listed on this site).  In stores, we sell in pints and mini individual cups, and at restaurants you can find us on menus by the scoop/milkshake. Flavors will vary by location, ask their staff if there is a flavor you’d like to see!
3. What do you mean by “allergy-friendly?”  We produce in a shared facility that does handle common allergens and so we cannot guarantee there is no cross-contamination. We caution those with food allergies to consume our products at their own risk. We do not use any of the common food allergens in our products (dairy, gluten, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, sesame, corn) and we use good manufacturing practices, to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. This means that most of the equipment and wares we use are ours and not shared, however, we do use some wares that belong to the shared kitchen, and we cannot guarantee what else touches them. To prevent this we visually inspect and thoroughly wash, rinse, and sanitize everything we use before and after we use it. We understand that this isn’t an adequate countermeasure for some of our customers, and we are actively working on finding a facility free of allergens. But until then this is the best we believe we can do. If you have any suggestions on how to do it better, please share them with us.
4. Is there fat in this? What about sugar? Yes, there is both. Real fat (from coconut) and real sugar (organic cane). At this time, we have no intention of using alternatives. This is meant to be a tasty treat, enjoyed in moderation. It has similar fat/carb value to traditional ice cream. All nutritional info listed below.
5. Why is this so good? Are you sure you did not sneak cow milk in there? We are 100% sure this is 100% vegan. The recipe took a lot of time to perfect. We’re committed to vegans and people with food allergies being able to get creamy, delicious ice cream in fun flavors.
6. What flavors do you have? We always have Maple Bourbon, Darkest Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon Sugar, Volcano Salt Vanilla, Cold Brew Coffee, Blue Moon, and Summer Strawberry. We also have seasonal flavors like Peachy McPeachface and Basic AF Pumpkin Spice, and we’ve invented around 40 unique flavors! Flavors will vary by location, call ahead.
7. Why do you call it “Ice Cream Plant?” It’s a play on words. We are using a plant (coconut) to manufacture delicious ice cream/gelato/frozen dessert.
8. Wait, is it gelato or ice cream? Sometimes it says one, sometimes it says the other… Generally speaking, our product feels more like a gelato because it is dense, rich, and creamy, with a lot less air than American style ice cream. Both our recipe and our churning process helps create the smooth, creamy gelato-type texture. Both traditional gelato and ice cream contains dairy milk and cream, and traditional ice cream often also contains egg yolks. Obviously, our product contains no dairy or egg products.
9. How can I get Ice Cream Plant in my store or restaurant? We sell in pints (16oz), minis (3.5oz), and boxes (5L/1.3gal) for restaurants, catering, and really indulgent ice cream and movie weekends alone at home. Contact us today to see how we can best meet your needs. sarah@icecreamplant.com/313-473-9846
10. How did you start Ice Cream Plant? We have been vegan for many years and had a hard time finding creamy, delicious ice cream. Also, the non-dairy ice cream that did exist usually contained nuts or soy, and we knew a lot of people with food allergies who couldn’t eat them. In 2014, we made a coconut milk-based Superman ice cream for our son’s super hero themed 3rd birthday party, and people liked it! We did a lot of research and perfected the recipe, and in 2016, we started making vegan, allergy-friendly ice cream out of Eastern Market. No tummy trouble, just great Ice Cream for Everyone!
11. Why does it cost so much? Yeah, we hear that. We’re also vegans who eat high quality food and know it gets pricey. The cost is driven by the exceptional organic ingredients we use. We do not cut corners. We also care about ethically sourced ingredients and doing right by our staff. Our Maple Bourbon has real bourbon, our Darkest Dark Chocolate has the highest quality fair trade cocoa powder, and you can tell. It’s amazing. You’ll taste the care and quality in the product, and we believe it’s worth it.

Ethically Sourced Ingredients

Cocoa Powder: Agostoni has been making exceptional, ethically-sourced chocolate for over 60 years. Their family is now 3rd generation Italian chocolate makers.”After World War II, in an act of courage and optimism, we built our first factory from the rubble of a bombed block in Lecco on Lake Como. There we began the journey that continues today: to release the true potential of ancient cocoa to benefit the farmer, inspire the producer and delight the consumer.”

Ingredients that thoughtfully go into Ice Cream Plant’s delicious ice cream, to ensure each bite you take is exceptional. All servings are 2/3 cup (5.3oz).

Darkest Dark Chocolate: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Organic Fair Trade Cocoa Powder, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt

Volcano Salt Vanilla: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Tahitian Vanilla Bean

Maple Bourbon: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Bourbon, Organic Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavor, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt

Cinnamon: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Korintje Cinnamon, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt

Blue Moon: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavors, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Spirulina Blue

Cold Brew Coffee: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Organic Fair Trade Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate from Great Lakes Coffee, Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt

Summer Strawberry

Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Bourbon Vanilla Extract (Water, Organic Alcohol (35%), Organic Vanilla Bean Extractives), Organic Strawberry Flavor, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Beet Powder 

Basic AF Pumpkin Spice: Organic Coconut Milk* (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Cane Sugar*, Tapioca Starch*, Molasses*, Bourbon Vanilla Extract* (Water, Organic Alcohol  [35%], Organic Vanilla Bean Extractives), Korintje Cinnamon*, Coconut Oil*, Guar Gum*, Sea Salt, Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger)* *Organic

Peppermint Stick: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Organic Peppermint Extract, Beet Powder

Peachy McPeachface

Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water), Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Bourbon Vanilla Extract (Water, Organic Alcohol (35%), Organic Vanilla Bean Extractives), Organic Peach Extract, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Beet Powder 

Happy 1 Year, Ice Cream Plant

August, 2017

We’ve been licensed for a full year, and it’s been an amazing one! In celebration, we want to share our history and hopes for the future with all our friends and fans.

In 2013, we made vegan Superman ice cream for our son’s 3rd birthday party. We had to borrow a small countertop ice cream maker to do it, but the feedback was pretty good!

We had been non-dairy for a few years and had sort of learned to live without ice cream. No local or store-bought vegan options had the fantastic flavors and creamy consistency we missed from dairy ice cream. There was always a sacrifice.

In addition most of the vegan ice creams on the market contained some kind of allergen, and we couldn’t share them with our many loved ones with food allergies.

We thought, is an allergy-friendly, creamy, delicious vegan ice cream possible?

Robb read the ice cream text books (that’s a thing) and invented a recipe that met all of our criteria. In 2014, we started making in our tiny home kitchen. 

It worked! We had delicious, vegan ice cream, free of dairy, gluten, soy, peanuts, corn, eggs, and sesame,  in flavors that excited us, like Maple Bourbon, Darkest Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Volcano Salt Vanilla.

Both vegans and dairy eaters loved it and wanted to put it in their bellies. We needed more space, and bigger equipment!

Our daughter also hatched around this time, so she’s never known a world where there wasn’t amazing vegan ice cream. She has the best life of anyone we know.

Robb decided to devote himself full-time to Ice Cream Plant, and he discovered Eastern Market Community Kitchen in Shed 5 of Eastern Market in the heart of Detroit. Not only was it a fully functional kitchen that allowed us to scale up our operations, but it came with access to experienced chefs and owners of start-up food businesses, who provided invaluable advice and support (thanks, guys!!). We were even featured on the news!

Once we were licensed in September, 2016 the vegan restaurant community — many of our favorite local eateries — welcomed us with open arms. We then expanded to local high-end grocery and even in a scoop shop in Eastern Market! See the full, up to date list at icecreamplant.com.

These partnerships have meant everything to us (THANK YOU ALL)!

What started as a dream to get great ice cream to those who usually have to live without, is now real, serving businesses we admire all over Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor. We’ve also had wonderful help from stellar employees, friends and family along the way.

We have so much more we want to do!

Our goal is to have our own allergen-free space, so that we can serve those with even the most severe allergies. Another sweet thing we’re doing this fall is moving to an organic, non-GMO cane sugar. We listened to our customers and found a carbon neutral source that meets our priorities and our customers’ needs. We also want to expand across Michigan and beyond, but we plan to stay in Detroit, because we hear it hustles harder.

This year has been amazing. We’ve learned a lot. We’ve grown and changed a lot. One thing that will not budge is our commitment to using clean, sustainable ingredients to make delicious, allergen-friendly,  vegan ice cream for everyone.

Our son is now 6 years old and takes total credit for all parts of this ice cream business, since, at age 3, it was “his idea.” 😉

Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with us, and please keep up your support! We love you! Thanks to John Azoni for any of the pretty pics on this page and our website. Thanks to Patrick Richardson, for our beautiful logo and all the artwork on our packaging, and to Alan Vultaggio at Unfolding Creative, for the printing of our packaging and signs! Thanks to MaryAnn Lapenta Stout for all her hard work and dedication in helping us grow. 

Original design idea, drawn by Robb on napkin in Japanese restaurant in 2014.