The versatile product can serve (1) as a dip for fresh strawberries, cookies, or biscotti paired with espresso; (2) a topping for cheesecake; or (3) an icing for cupcakes, chocolate chip muffins or warm Cherry Quick Bread. Operators also could use it to create individual desserts or party desserts in a trifle bowl. It also can help reinvent traditional desserts such as S’mores or a Raspberry Mousse.

Officials note Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Mascarpone has earned more than 36 awards at numerous cheese competitions. The new Chocolate Mascarpone has already received a first place award at the 2019 American Cheese Society Competition. It also was one of the two top 20 cheeses. The cheese boasts a velvety chocolate texture and the flavor of fresh sweet cream from Crave Brothers’ own dairy herd.

Crave Brothers Farm is family owned and operated. Officials say the carbon negative company—including farmstead cheese factory—practices recycling and uses 100% green power.

FIVE TO THRIVE
Looking for the latest on dairy food innovation and protein trends? Prepared Foods presents five in-depth pieces.
 
Ice Cream Market Shifts Towards Greater Pleasure, Less Guilt

Dairy Formulators Push Innovation to Embrace, Battle Plant-Based Options

Diversifying Dairy Alternatives

Bears Nutrition Wins Real California Milk Accelerator Competition

The Progress of Protein

Plant-Based Gelatos
Plant-based options are increasingly available on restaurant dessert menus. Menu callouts for “vegan” have grown 621% since 2009, and “plant-based” has grown 328% since 2018. Reasons for the rapid growth continue to focus on health and diet.

G.S. Gelato & Desserts Inc., Fort Walton, Beach, Fla., has responded to one of the fastest-growing segments of plant-based movement with plant-based gelato. Its award-winning collection includes a wide variety of classic and innovative flavors made with coconut milk, oat milk and cashew milk for foodservice (in addition to retail and grocery private label).

Flavors for foodservice include …

… Coconut milk-based Indonesian Vanilla Bean, Vegan Chocolate, Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake, and Passion Fruit Swirl;

… Cashew milk-based Cold Brew Coffee (pictured), Himalayan Salted Caramel, Crunchy Almond Chocolate, and Vanilla Strawberry Choco-Chunks; and 

… Oat milk-based Strawberry Almond Crisp, Caramel Macchiato, and Vanilla Cookie Chip.

“Our plant-based flavors have gained a lot of interest simply based on the nature of the product, but the exponential growth is due to the taste,” says GS Gelato Marketing Coordinator Stephanie Schultz. “Our customers seem shocked that a non-dairy flavor can taste so good! We’ve poured our passion, expertise, and a lot of R&D into these flavors to make sure they’re smooth, velvety, and still maintain the intense flavor you would find from our signature gelato and sorbetto. They’re available nationwide and ready-to-serve for foodservice, so there’s no guesswork—simply scoop and serve!”

G.S. Gelato’s plant-based gelatos contain less sugar than traditional ice cream, are free from artificial ingredients and are certified vegan and kosher. Most flavors also are gluten free.

New Yogurts
General Mills Foodservice, Minneapolis, offers two new yogurt offerings for K-12 foodservice operators. 

Officials say new Yoplait Smooth K-12 Yogurt is ideal for older students. The creamy yogurt comes in a 4oz cup and comes in three flavors, Strawberry, Vanilla and Horchata, a cinnamon drink flavor popular in Mexico and now trending in the US.

Yoplait Smooth K-12 Yogurt is a versatile menu option for on-the-go secondary students whether it’s at breakfast, lunch or as an à la carte snack item. The low-fat, gluten-free yogurt has 1g less sugar than its main K-12 competitor and offers students a fresh protein punch for their day.    

Yoplait Smooth K-12 Yogurt is made with no artificial flavors and no colors from artificial sources. It’s also free of high fructose corn syrup or gelatin. 

In other news, General Mills Foodservice extended its Yoplai ParfaitPro line with a new Blueberry variety. 

The first blueberry yogurt available in a bulk bag format in foodservice, the new yogurt comes in a convenient, multi-serve, squeezable pouch that helps operations make a variety of menu items such as parfaits, overnight oats and smoothies.

Other flavors of ParfaitPro include Low Fat Vanilla, Low Fat Strawberry and Greek Low Fat Vanilla.

Yoplait ParfaitPro Blueberry is a smooth-style, particulate-free yogurt that’s low fat and gluten free with no artificial flavors or colors from artificial sources. It’s also made without gelatin and contains no high-fructose corn syrup.