Vegan ice creams are no different despite being made without dairy or eggs.
Chloe Loo Ching Hsin tried her hand at making vegan ice cream after learning that her son is allergic to both dairy and eggs.
“He had very bad eczema on his face when he was four months old. I had to eliminate dairy and eggs from my diet as I was breastfeeding him then, so, I started reading up more and tried making vegan food,” said the 44-year-old.
With a love for baking, she decided to get an ice cream maker and fell in love with the process almost immediately. Encouraged by the feedback from those who tried her ice creams, she eventually put some up for sale at a vegan grocery store in Kota Damansara.
Although she has been a pharmacist for over 15 years, she decided to take the plunge and open her own ice cream kiosk, -12 Degrees in Bangsar Village 1 in December 2020.
“I was in a dilemma at the time, wondering if I should give up a stable job that I’ve had for so long, especially since I had no experience in the food and beverage industry.
“But I thought, what the heck, we only live once; I decided to give it a try and see how it goes,” she told FMT.
-12 Degrees offers 20 flavours, of which, the salted butter pecan, Musang King, Biscoff, Earl Grey and hojicha flavours are among their bestsellers.
Loo uses unsweetened soy and oat milk, as well as coconut cream to make the ice creams. Being health conscious herself, she also offers a range of flavours with no added sugar.
“As a pharmacist, I’ve seen many people who are diabetic and have various health issues, so, our no-added sugar range is perfect for them as it won’t spike one’s sugar level,” she said, adding that she uses erythritol and xylitol as sugar substitutes.
Besides those from the vegan community, many of her customers are either lactose intolerant or have an egg allergy.
In addition to ice cream, the vegan gluten-free “Bubble Bubble” waffles are also popular, and are served with ice cream, alongside various toppings and drizzles.
Loo is particular about not using artificial flavouring, opting for fresh lemon juice, Musang King paste and pistachios instead of imitation extracts and essences.
The same goes for food colouring. The ‘Dreamy Blue Vanilla” ice cream for instance gets its colour from the butterfly pea flowers.
“I started making ice creams because of my son’s allergy. Hence, I want to make sure they’re not harmful to his health,” she said.
All her ice cream flavours contain Inulin – a gut-friendly prebiotic which also enhances the ice cream’s texture.
Health benefits aside, her ice cream is rich, creamy and decadent, and is a great treat at any time of the day.
Loo finds much joy in experimenting with different flavours and she gets her inspiration through conversations with people and from articles she reads. “It’s extremely satisfying to see someone’s face light up upon taking the first bite,” she said.
She also fondly recalls her sister’s friend’s reaction upon tasting her ice cream.
“He hates coconut, and was quite reluctant to try, but I told him to just give it a go. He ended up loving it, and was surprised that it didn’t taste ‘coconutty’,” she said, smiling.
In Nov 2021, Loo opened another kiosk in Melawati Mall, and has plans to open another outlet in Jalan Ampang.
“I’m also hoping to introduce more flavours as well as different desserts,” she said.
Looking back, Loo is glad she made the decision to start her ice cream business although she admits there have been challenging times, especially given the pandemic.
“Despite the ups and downs, I’ve no regrets. I never expected things would turn out this way when I bought my first ice cream maker back in 2018.”
So, for those of you looking for a healthier but decadent ice cream to indulge in, -12 Degrees will be a good pick.
Check out -12 Degrees on Instagram and Facebook.
-12 Degrees
Bangsar Village 1
Jalan Telawi 1
Bangsar 59100
Kuala Lumpur
Business Hours:
12.00pm- 9.00pm (Monday-Friday)
10.00am-9.00pm (Saturday and Sunday)