From Idea to Product - and the End of Our Frozen Chapter

Photo: a glimpse inside my freezer. Over the last two years of researching and developing our plant-based tahini ice cream, my freezer was filled with numerous formulations and flavor variations.

During my childhood, I loved to drizzle tahini and date syrup over my ice cream or sprinkle it with halvah crumbs, a tahini-based Middle Eastern sweet. My mom would prepare a frozen dessert at home by mixing whipped cream, sugar, and tahini. She would pour this mixture into Tupperware's Jell-Ring Mold and freeze it, creating a delightful treat for hot summer days.

Inspired by nostalgic flavor experiences and the diverse uses of tahini in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, I decided to experiment with tahini as a base for nondairy ice cream. Tahini is an excellent source of plant-based fats; it is naturally smooth and creamy, with a subtle nutty flavor that complements various tastes. Unlike most plant-based ice cream brands, which neutralize their base ingredient's flavor to create classic, nostalgic flavors without dairy milk, we emphasize tahini's rich, delicious taste. Our Middle Eastern-inspired flavors aim to offer a more inclusive and global flavor experience to grocery stores and your home freezer, with the hope of spreading light and honoring the history and cultures of this complex region.

We initially presented the tahini-based frozen dessert at a local trade show in Boston in June 2022, where it garnered significant interest from industry figures like Holly Long, a local forager for Whole Foods Market, and Vincent Petryk, the founder of JP Licks. Later that year, I started collaborating with an ice cream consultant to create a commercial-grade, store-ready product. Then, after two years of research and development, we finally launched the product in stores in February 2025.

The product was met with a mix of excitement and skepticism. Some store buyers didn’t understand it or felt it was too innovative for their clientele. But the stores that opened their freezer doors to us were surprised to see a growing audience. Many customers appreciated that our base was coconut-free and loved the unique flavor offerings overall.

We had opportunities to expand and grow, but I chose to keep things local because throughout this journey, we faced ongoing manufacturing challenges that prevented us from becoming financially sustainable. The reality is that making plant-based ice cream is incredibly difficult — you’re trying to recreate the chemistry and sensory experience of dairy using plant proteins that are structurally very different.

One major challenge was our inability to trap enough air in the formula. In traditional dairy ice cream, 30–50% of the product is actually air, and that’s where much of the economics and texture come from — in how much air can be incorporated into each pint. This challenge ultimately led to the end of the product line.

But I still hope you’ll keep enjoying tahini in frozen desserts. Try adding a spoonful of tahini paste to any vanilla or naturally flavored dairy or plant-based ice cream, then drizzle with date syrup, maple syrup, or honey. It’s simple, delicious, and still one of my favorite flavor combinations.

Photos: During a recent visit to Tel Aviv, I treated myself to frozen yogurt topped with tahini, while my daughter savored a Paleta popsicle crafted with tahini and silan (date syrup).