Vegetarians, vegans, lactose-intolerant, and gluten-free rejoice. There is finally an ice cream in Downtown LA that truly captures the rich, creamy, goodness of the popular treat without all the things you canāt or just won’t have.
Divine Dips Sets up Shop in DTLA
Nestled on the corner of 6th and South Los Angeles, Divine Dips delivers a welcome addition to the DTLA food scene; a vegan ice cream that tastes just like the real thing. The owner is the alchemist herself, Diane R. Jacobs. Diane has made desserts for most of her professional life, opening and running The Cakeworks… a gallery of edible art, a Los Angeles bakery known for their artistic, custom cakes, for twelve years prior to creating Divine Dips in 2011.
The Path to Delicious, Lactose-Free Ice Cream
Diane spent years perfecting her recipes for vegan, artisanal ice creams. Her journey to Opening Divine Dips first started after becoming lactose and gluten-free, a change that left her craving a substitute for her favorite treat, Ice Cream. Los Angelesā commercially available selections for vegan ice cream were unsatisfactory for Diane, so she endeavored to create her own to satisfy her sweet-tooth.
After careful research, experimentation, and trial and error, she felt she had succeeded in achieving the correct balance necessary to replicate dairy. She sent a pint to her sister as a birthday present in 2009 and then to close friends. The feedback was unanimous. Her vegan Ice Cream was a hit.
The Art of Making Ice Cream
Divine Dips’ secret is what many vegan ice cream makers get wrong: understanding that they need to replicate the structure of ice cream. Getting the correct balance of fat to solid and liquid means using not just one milk substitute, but a precise blend of coconut and nut milks.
Infinite Mint was the first creation; a fresh flavor that elevates the classic mint-chocolate chip to a new level. Like everything at Divine Dips, itās carefully thought out, down to the handmade chocolate chunks that melt on your tongue. By 2011 Diane was selling her vegan Ice Cream wholesale in DTLA and the greater Los Angeles area. Better-than-just-good vegan Ice cream like Divine Dips generated a buzz in the DTLA Ice Cream scene and they grew fast; first to a mobile truck in 2014; and just a few months ago to the new location on 6th street to keep up with demand.
An artist first and foremost, Dianeās passion for creation is evident in every aspect of Divine Dips DTLA location. From the hand-drawn scoop that adorns the shop wall, to the carefully crafted flavors and punny names, Dianeās playful artistry leaves its fingerprint on everything she touches. The witty thoughtfulness of flavors such as Dulce Sans Leche and Caffe No~Lait merely hints at the intricacy of the ingredients she incorporates into each distinct flavor. Eating Divine Dips is a rounded experience that presents itself in stages, an initial shock of flavor which manages to still build on the palate as it dissolves into a creamy liquid, showing the true mastery of the maker’s art.
Divine Dips Offers Old Favorites and Imaginative New Creations
Dianeās passion for her creations can be felt as she speaks about her art. When asked what her favorite flavor she chuckled. āCan a mother pick a favorite child?ā, she retorted. Instead, she offered the crowd favorite, New York Cheesecake, an understandable pleaser in its replication of the classic cream cheese based classic. How she managed such a perfect imitation without dairy is truly a culinary wonder.
Aside from spins on classic flavors, Divine Dips has created notable additions such as Bombay Gold, a spicy mix of turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger bits, and Pink Dragon, a soft yet tart strawberry and dragon fruit blend. In total, she has twenty-four flavors, eighteen of which fill the metallic vats in her glass display. While her entire shop is vegan, she has gone an extra mile by also creating gluten-free cookies, brownies, toppings, and sauces which allow her to offer some truly delectable options such as ice-cream sandwiches, Sundaes, and Milkshakes for customers to choose from. In the future, Divine Dips plans to launch a new addition to the menu, a cinnamon baked donut named Churronut. Experience the culinary masterpiece of Divine Dips vegan ice cream for a quick lactose-free and gluten-free dessert option in DTLA. www.divinedipsicecream.com
