Standing out in a crowded frozen dessert case requires more than just great flavor — it’s about creating an experience that draws customers in and sparks curiosity. Bold, vibrant plant-based colors paired with innovative flavors can help scoop shops and retail brands differentiate their menus visually, inspire trial through flavor curiosity, and create talking points for an engaging customer experience.
When your next ice cream or frozen yogurt launch needs both a flavor twist and a visual wow factor, our Culinary Innovation Team has you covered with ice cream & frozen yogurt flavor ideas featuring vibrant plant-based colors.
Here’s a look at three of the six innovative concepts from our Frozen Dessert Concept Booklet, serving as jumping-off points for new menu creations and inspiring your next frozen dessert launch.
Why flavor & color innovation matters
The frozen dessert category is evolving rapidly, and today’s consumers want more than just sweetness:
- Flavor adventure drives purchase — global spices, sweet-heat combinations, and creative mashups are trending.
- Visual impact sells — Instagram-worthy swirls, inclusions, and vibrant colors capture attention in-store.
- Clean-label expectations are rising — plant-based colors are essential for many brands and retailers.
By integrating bold colors and innovative flavors, scoop shops and retail brands can differentiate their offerings, engage customers with memorable experiences, and use these concepts as a springboard for their own product development.
Featured concept highlights
Here are three standout concepts from the booklet to get your creativity flowing:
Pineapple Cardamom Frozen Yogurt
Caramelized pineapple with sugar, cardamom, orange zest, and a touch of sea salt is blended into a creamy frozen yogurt base, naturally colored with EXBERRY® Shade Celestial Yellow made from carrot concentrate for a bright, tropical hue.
“Blue Cheese” Frozen Yogurt
A playful twist on frozen yogurt, naturally colored in bold blue with spirulina extract and swirled with brightly colored cookie and cheesecake inclusions for maximum visual impact.
Hot Honey Ice Cream
Tapping into the sweet-heat trend, this honey-infused custard features a vibrant gochujang swirl colored with EXBERRY® Shade Rubescent Red, plus spongy honeycomb chunks for crunchy, melty pockets of flavor.
Get the full inspiration guide for ice cream & frozen yogurt flavor ideas
Explore all six flavor and color ideas in our Frozen Dessert Concept Booklet, crafted by our Culinary Innovation Team. These concepts serve as jumping-off points for new menu creations, showcasing our gold-standard approach to frozen dessert innovation. Our team can also host creative workshops to help your brand experiment with flavors, colors, and textures — and turn inspiration into actionable concepts.
Explore color guides & free samples
Bring these bold flavors and plant-based colors to life with category-specific color guides and free samples for:
- Ice Cream
- Frozen Yogurt
- Ice Pops
- Inclusions, fruit prep and more
Our guides provide practical insights on how plant-based colors behave in different bases and applications, and the samples let your R&D team see and test the colors in your formulations.
Contact us to request your color guides and samples
Our technical experts are ready to help you adapt these concepts to your production needs, troubleshoot challenges, and ensure consistent, visually stunning results in your frozen dessert offerings.