Purina Frosty Paws vs. Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Dessert: Which Dog Ice Cream Is Better?

By

Anna Mejorada

Published on 08/12/23

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Commerce Photo Composite — The Spruce Pets / Amelia Manley

Dogs cool their body temperature through their paws—where they have sweat glands—and by panting through their mouth. While you spend time outdoors with your dog, you should always have fresh water on-hand for them to slurp up as they need—but you can also indulge your dog with a conveniently packaged cup of dog ice cream for a summery cooldown treat.

Ice cream for dogs is a cooling canine treat made with ingredients that are safe for dogs. They're formulated for doggy digestive systems and are free of ingredients that are toxic for dogs, likexylitol, a sweetener often used in yogurt and peanut butter. Purina’s Frosty Paws and Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Desserts are two widely available dog ice creams. The foundation of most pre-packaged ice cream made for dogs—including Purina’s Frosty Paws and Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Desserts—is coconut oil or plain yogurt, with flavoring provided by blueberries, bacon, and peanuts.

We wanted to find out which of these two popular frozen treats is better, so we compared Purina's Frosty Paws and Ben & Jerry's Doggie Desserts in the head-to-head versus match of the summer. First we compared the ingredient quality and nutritional profile of each doggy ice cream, but ultimately it came down to taste. This is where a treat-loving Pomeranian named Gidget provided invaluable feedback.

Gidget pomeranian dog ice cream taste test — Gidget taste testing doggy ice creams in the park.
Anna Mejorada

Our Winner

Ben & Jerry's Doggie Dessert

Every four ounce cup of Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Dessert is made with certified non-GMO and certified Fairtrade ingredients. There are two flavors to choose from, Pontch's Mix Peanut Butter & Pretzel Swirl and Rosie's Batch Pumpkin & Mini Cookies, and all packaging is made with sustainably sourced materials as part ofBen & Jerry’s commitment to eliminate their use of petroleum-based plastic by 2025.

Versus Highlights

Purina’s Frosty Paws	Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Desserts
First five ingredients: water, whey, soy flour, coconut oil, and polydextrose	First five ingredients: water, sugar, coconut oil, corn syrup, and wheat flour
No sugar added	Made with Fairtrade Certified and Non-GMO Project certified sugar and vanilla
Free from artificial flavors and colors	Two flavors: Pontch's Mix Peanut Butter & Pretzel Swirl and Rosie's Batch Pumpkin & Mini Cookies
Fortified with vitamins and minerals	Four-ounce cups sold as four pack or individually
Two flavors: Original and Peanut Butter	不适合养狗with allergies or sensitives to wheat, milk, soy, and peanuts
Four-ounce cups sold as four pack or individually
不适合养狗with allergies or sensitives to wheat, milk, soy, and peanuts

01 of 02

Who It’s For:For humans in search of an affordable frozen treat that’s safe for their dog to consume on a hot day or to celebrate a birthday.

Price at time of publish:$6(four treats)

_{Serving Size:4 ounce cup |Calories:110 per cup |Nutrition:6% crude protein, 6.5% crude fat, 5.5% crude fiber, 68% moisture}
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Who It’s For:Canine companions who wish to serve their dog a frozen treat conveniently packaged in a portable cup that is made with sustainably sourced ingredients and practices.

Price at time of publish:$15(four treats)

_{Serving Size:4 ounce cup |Calories:225 per cup |Nutrition:3.5% crude protein, 10.5% crude fat, 0.3% crude fiber, 56% moisture}

Purina Frosty Paws vs. Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Dessert Results

Calories

Winner:Purina’s Frosty Paws

Consuming a four ounce cup of Purina’s Frosty Paws will add 110 kcals a dog’s daily diet which is significantly less than Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Dessert, which has 225 kcals per four ounce serving. Similar to ice cream made for human, both of these dog ice cream products are intended to be given sporadically as a treat. A maximum serving of one cup a day, or less frequently depending on your dog’s dietary needs, is recommended and neither product should be used in place of a well-balanced meal—especially if your veterianrian has recently recommend that your dog loose a few pounds.

Ingredients

Winner:Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Dessert

Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Dessert is made with non-GMO certified and Fairtrade certified ingredients which is why it wins this category. But it also contains corn syrup and sugar (it is a dessert afterall) which isn’t toxic likexylitol, but added sugar (even from natural sources like fruit) can lead to weight gain. Purina’s Frosty Paws has no added sugar, but there are still sources of naturally occurring sugar, like corn oil, in each cup. If your dog is allergic or sensitive to wheat, milk, soy, or peanuts, then we recommend staying away from both products.

Flavors

Winner:Tie

Both dog ice cream products are available in two flavors, and while we enjoy the embellishment of Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Dessert names (Pontch's Mix Peanut Butter & Pretzel Swirl and Rosie's Batch Pumpkin & Mini Cookies), your dog is more likely to judge with their sense of taste. Purina’s Frosty Paws in Original and Peanut Butter each have a smooth consistency while Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Desserts have crunchy pieces of pretzels or chompable chunks of cookies inside.

Taste Test

Winner:Ben & Jerry’s Doggie Dessert

No contest: our doggy tester definitely preferred the Ben & Jerry's Doggie Dessert to its Frosty Paws competitor. When it comes to occasional treats, it's gratifying to see your dog take as much enjoyment in something as you might have hoped—we were looking for an ecstatic reaction, and Ben & Jerry's delivered.

There was no taking the cup away once Gidget got her snout in there, and it has been especially fun serving Gidget in the park, where we eat ice cream together. While Gidget gets more excited for the Pontch's Mix Peanut Butter & Pretzel flavor, she also liked the Pumpkin & Mini Cookies flavor, just not as much. Our Pomeranian tester now recognizes the cup when it comes out of the freezer, and gets impatient waiting for her treat to thaw.

Gidget Pomerian taste test for ben and jerry's dog ice cream — Anna Mejorada

Why Trust The Spruce Pets

This story was written byAnna Mejorada, a writer for The Spruce Pets, who shares her home with a happy Pomeranian named Gidget. By graciously taking on the role of lead taste tester, Gidget played an instrumental role in Anna’s assessment of dog ice creams. Before researching and writing about pet products for a living, Anna embarked on a self-mandated, ongoing quest to find the optimal items for her dog. She is now delightfully devoted to helping humans discover and select the most favorable products for their pets.

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