For a budget-friendly shop, choose a box with enough ice lollies for your household rather than automatically reaching for the largest pack. Packs of 4, 6, 8 or 12 suit different needs. Before choosing, also compare portion sizes, recipes and allergen information.
If several people enjoy ice lollies, the number in the pack helps you plan desserts for your household. Check the total weight or volume too: two boxes may contain the same number of lollies but not necessarily the same-sized portions.
If you only have them occasionally, think about how many ice lollies you’re likely to eat and whether the portion size suits you. A larger pack isn’t necessarily the right choice for a small household.
Depending on the recipe, the ingredients list and allergen information may matter more than the pack size. Nutritional information also lets you compare sugars and fats per 100 g or 100 ml.
To choose between a large box, standard ice lollies and mini lollies, start by thinking about the portions you plan to serve. Then check their size and the recipe.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| How many you’ll use from the box | Count the ice lollies and compare the net weight or volume of the boxes you’re considering. | I’m planning desserts for several people and want to make sure the whole box fits our usual routine. This would be the main consideration for around 45 % of consumers. |
| Portion size | Check whether they’re standard or mini ice lollies and, if stated, the amount per lolly. | For an occasional treat, I prefer a portion that’s the right size every time. Portion size would be the priority for around 33 % of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients, any ‘may contain’ information and the nutritional values per 100 g or 100 ml for the product you’ve chosen. | If I need to avoid an ingredient or compare recipes, the label matters more than the number of ice lollies. Around 22 % of consumers would put suitability first. |
Boxes of 4 to 12 may contain different total quantities and portion sizes. The number of items alone doesn’t tell you how much dessert each lolly contains.
Consider the number of lollies alongside the net weight or volume and the size of each portion.
A mini ice lolly is a smaller portion, but a box of mini lollies won’t necessarily suit the same occasions as a box of standard-sized ones.
Check the amount per lolly and choose a pack that suits the portions you want to serve.
The recipes checked include milk and, in some almond versions, almonds. Other allergens may also appear in ‘may contain’ information, depending on the product.
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the pack you buy. The DGCCRF reminds shoppers that allergens must be clearly highlighted in the ingredients list of prepacked foods.
The DGCCRF says that a rise in temperature speeds up the growth of microbes. Transport and storage are therefore important precautions to take with frozen products.
Pick them up at the end of your shop, use an insulated bag and put them away promptly, following the storage instructions on the packaging.
Carrefour offers, among other products, an assortment of 12 vanilla and chocolate ice lollies, weighing 450 g in total.
The range includes, among other products, four vanilla, chocolate and almond ice lollies weighing 314 g, as well as a box of six mini lollies.
Carrefour offers Magnum ice lollies in boxes of 4 or 8, with 100 ml per lolly, as well as mini assortments of 6, with 55 ml per lolly.
Auchan’s range includes ice lollies, mini lollies and frozen bars from a variety of brands.
This ALDI ice cream and sorbet brand offers, among other products, mini lollies and boxes of ice lollies in different sizes.
These individually portioned products include ice cream lollies, ice lollies and sorbet on a stick. Their recipes and quantities vary, so first choose the type of dessert you want, then compare the number and size of the portions.
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This pack is a good choice if you’re planning eight melon-flavoured frozen treats. The box contains 560 ml in total, and the recipe includes milk. Check the packaging for ingredient and storage information too.
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The twelve 37 g lollies make it easy to plan several smaller portions in orange and cherry flavours. Product information mentions possible traces of gluten, peanuts, soya, milk and nuts. Check the packaging if any of these allergens are a concern for you.
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This box is for households looking for eight vanilla and almond ice cream lollies rather than an assortment of flavours. The recipe contains milk and almonds; traces of other nuts are also mentioned.
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These four coconut sorbet sticks weigh 280 g in total and are a good option if you’re after sorbet rather than a chocolate-coated ice cream. Check the packaging for allergen information; product details advise against giving these to children under 36 months.
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The twelve ice lollies make it easy to share several flavours across the portions. If you have an allergy, be sure to check the packaging: the allergen information available for this product isn’t entirely consistent.
Compare the type of dessert, number of lollies and net weight or volume, then check the size of each portion if it’s listed. This helps you avoid treating two boxes as equivalent when the lollies are different sizes.
No, the term alone doesn’t tell you how each item is packaged. If individual wrapping is important to you, check the box or product listing for the exact product you’re considering.
Check the ingredients and ‘may contain’ information for the product you buy. The recipes reviewed include milk and, in almond versions, almonds. The DGCCRF reminds shoppers that allergens must be clearly highlighted in the ingredients list of prepacked foods.
Pick up frozen products last, preferably carry them in an insulated bag and put them in the freezer promptly. Follow the storage instructions on the packaging and don’t refreeze a product once it has thawed.
No. If it appears on the packaging, Nutri-Score doesn’t replace the ingredients list, allergen information or nutritional values. To compare recipes, read the nutritional information per 100 g or 100 ml, then consider the size of the portion you’ll serve.