Oatly Adds New Vegan Ice Cream Bars to Dairy-Free Offerings

Oatly is gearing up to bring the world another rich oat milk-based product, but this vegan treat won't be served in a pint. The Swedish oat milk giant announced that it will introduce its first vegan ice cream bar line featuring four flavors: Strawberry Swirl, Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, and Salted Caramel which will land at more than 3,000 retailers in the United States.

The oat milk-based sweet, called Oatly on a Stick, is the company’s first signature ice cream bar. The company’s research and development team worked to create a classic ice cream bar that holds the shape and taste of the traditional frozen treat. The new ice cream bar line is set to launch at select Target, Wegmans, Harris Teeter, Giant, Stop & Shop, Fresh Direct, and Schnucks locations nationwide. The brand will offer three packs for $5.99 for its initial launch.

“Our new non-dairy frozen dessert bars are fantastic, and I can’t wait for people to try them,” President of Oatly North America Mike Messersmith said in a statement. “We’re proving that oat milk is not just for coffee, cereal, or cooking, but can also be the foundation for great-tasting treats to be enjoyed during celebration moments or when a pick-me-up reward is needed. We are so proud of this product and are very excited to bring it to many frozen aisles across the country soon.”

Oatly continues to pave the way for the plant-based dairy industry, expanding its products across several dairy-dominated food categories. The company introduced its brand new soft serve earlier this year. Working with several companies, the oat milk giant aims to make its dairy-free soft serve as accessible as possible across the United States. Currently, Oatly partners with both Northeast-based frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles and San Francisco-based Gott’s Roadside restaurant.

The company’s innovative soft serve can also be found at two Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums: Chicago’s Wrigley Field (Home of the Cubs) and Arlington, Texas’ Globe Life Field (Home of the Rangers). The two stadiums feature Oatly soft serve in three flavors including chocolate, vanilla, and a blended chocolate-vanilla swirl.

“From bringing in the new Oatly Soft Serve for fans to enjoy on game day to collaborating with us on their sustainability initiative at Globe Life Field to putting up a massive oat milk carton in the outfield skyline, the Rangers are leading the sustainability movement within the gameday experience,” Oatly North American President Mike Messersmith said at the time. “More and more people are choosing to eat more plant-based, even at the ballpark. Globe Life Field is a great place to make that choice, and we’re excited for Rangers fans to try Oatly in a whole new way with our soft serve.”

While the oat milk pioneer launched nearly 25 years ago in Europe, the oat milk brand only gained notoriety within the United States in 2017. Several New York City coffee shops started featuring the classic oat milk product, which quickly gained traction with the rest of the country. The company’s oat milk empire rapidly spread across the national market, especially following its partnership with Starbucks.

The company initiated its first foray into the frozen dessert category in 2019 when the brand debut its Oatly Frozen selection. The ice cream line featured seven innovative flavors including Oat, Vanilla, Chocolate, Chocolate Chio, Strawberry, Mint Chip, and Coffee.

Oatly’s ice cream bar joins a growing list of vegan alternatives for this iconic frozen treat. Earlier this year, Unilever revealed its Vegan Sea Salt Caramel Magnum bar – winning PETA’s Best Vegan Ice Cream Award for 2021. Unilever’s victory and Oatly induction into the dairy-free ice cream market signify the industry’s overall growth. A report from Data Bridge concluded that the plant-based ice cream market is projected to reach $805 million in the next six years, growing at a 10.3 percent rate each year until 2027.

Oatly’s dominance in the dairy-free milk industry is inspiring its expansion into other food categories. The company hit the stock market this May at $10 billion, offering almost 84.4 million shares at approximately $17 dollars a share. Oatly’s presence in the North American market is key to the companies expansion. A study from GQ Research found that the North American market dominated dairy-free ice cream sales, contributing to approximately 39 percent of the total global market. Oatly’s increased presence signifies the companies potential growth in the coming years.