Plant-based, vegan, dairy-free ice creams are all alternative dairy products but are very different from animal-free dairy. Dairy-free, vegan, and plant-based ice creams are made without milk, milk protein, lactose, or any other component derived from cows' milk. These ice cream options tend to be made with coconut cream, coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. Because they don’t contain products from animals, they are lactose-free and considered vegan. However, since they don’t use a dairy base, they can’t achieve the creaminess and flavor of traditional dairy ice cream. There are good vegan, dairy-free, and lactose-free ice cream options on the market, but they vary in both tastiness and protein quality.