If you thought being a vegan meant giving up some of your favorite creamy treats, Trader Joe's is proving — once again — that doesn't have to be the case. According to PopSugar, Trader Joe's has recently started selling a vegan version of the beloved dessert, mochi ice cream.
The vegan mochi ice cream brand that has been spotted at Trader Joe's is called Buono. Buono's packages are labeled as "Mochi Ice Dessert" since they are not technically ice cream. An Instagram account known as hashtagmaybe shared a photo of the Matcha Green Tea and Strawberry Mochi Ice Desserts sitting in a Trader Joe's freezer bin among some other cold sweets. The packaging clearly show that the dessert is vegan. Plus, since it's made with coconut milk and rice, it's dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
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We did a bit more digging, and it turns out that Buono Mochi Ice Desserts first became available at Trader Joe's in mid-November 2017 — though it seems like most shoppers have only recently started spotting them. The brand announced its new retailer through an Instagram post that said, "The wait is over!" Although Buono's official website lists seven different flavors including black sesame, vanilla, mango, coconut, and chocolate, it appears that, so far, the only ones to come to TJ's are strawberry and green tea. However, that doesn't mean more flavors won't start showing up, especially if these initial offerings sell well.
Though Buono's Mochi Ice Dessert is the most exciting vegan announcement we've gotten from Trader Joe's in a minute (except maybe this frozen Jackfruit Meal), we shouldn't be too surprised the chain began stocking these sweet little treats. We already knew that Trader Joe's can be a treasure trove for vegan shoppers. Now we just need to decide which flavor to try first.