Flavors Tried: Vanilla Bean, Triple Strawberry, Espresso & Chocolate, Mint Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter & Chocolate
Price: $9.99 per pint
Nutrition (for 2/3 cup of vanilla bean): 220 Calories, 11g Fat, 23g Carbs (16g Sugar, 6g Sugar Alcohol), 11g Protein
When I first heard about Whoa Momma! Protein Gelato, I was intrigued by the idea of a protein-packed gelato. Gelato is one of my favorite treats on the planet, so a high-protein version is right up my alley.
After sampling their flavors at the Arnold Expo in March, I was incredibly impressed, and the company graciously sent me some pints to review.
Before we dive in, it’s important to set expectations, because this one is a bit unique. While this gelato does have more protein than regular gelato, it’s not your typical “macro-friendly” treat like Halo Top.
The vanilla flavor, for example, has 220 calories and 11g of protein per 2/3 cup serving, compared to 260 calories and 5g of protein in a regular gelato like Talenti. So, while it does offer double the protein, it’s not a significant protein source or a low-calorie option.
That being said, if Whoa Momma! can deliver the same indulgence as regular gelato, you might not feel the need to eat an entire pint in one sitting as you do with Halo Top.
One thing to note is that all of the pints were quite hard right out of the freezer, unlike traditional gelato, which is usually creamy from the start. I recommend letting these sit out for about 30 minutes before digging in to allow them to soften up.
Now, let’s dive into the individual flavor reviews!
Flavor Review: Vanilla
The vanilla flavor tastes like a rich vanilla ice cream, but it lacks the creaminess I was hoping for.
Even after letting it sit out for nearly 40 minutes, it never quite reached the desired creamy texture and reminded me more of traditional protein ice creams like Halo Top.
While the flavor is good, considering it still has over 200 calories per serving, it wouldn’t be my go-to choice. The 11 grams of protein is a nice bonus, but I would stick with regular gelato in this case for the creamy factor.
Flavor Review: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
If you’re a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavor is an absolute winner. It’s filled with peanut butter swirls and chocolate chips, and the base itself has a delicious peanut butter flavor.
The overall taste reminds me of a peanut butter cup blizzard, and it’s much creamier than the vanilla option.
Being peanut butter-based, this one is higher in calories (280 calories per serving), so keep that in mind.
Flavor Review: Espresso Chocolate
The Espresso Chocolate flavor is simply insane – just take a look at the photos of the chocolate syrup dripping out of the pint and off the spoon.
The espresso flavor is prominent in the gelato itself, and every bite is loaded with that gooey chocolate sauce. I love coffee/espresso flavored ice cream, and this one really delivers.
While the top layer was a bit icy (likely due to shipping), once mixed up, it became super creamy and indulgent, just like real-deal gelato. You’d be hard-pressed to tell it apart from regular gelato, and nobody would ever know that this one was higher in protein.
I added one serving of this flavor to a waffle cone, and it was an incredible dessert.
Flavor Review: Triple Strawberry
In my opinion, the Triple Strawberry flavor was the most gelato-like of them all. The strawberry flavor is authentic and rich, and the overall texture is creamy, light, and fluffy, just like real gelato.
The addition of strawberry pieces is a great touch as well, and it amps up the strawberry flavor even more.
This is also the lowest calorie option at 200 calories per serving, though still not what I would consider low-calorie. Still, if you want a true gelato-like experience, this is definitely the flavor to choose.
Flavor Review: Mint Cookies & Cream
I’ll be honest – I’m not a fan of mint-flavored desserts, so it’s hard for me to review the Mint Cookies & Cream flavor fairly. However, I decided to give it a try anyway.
The mint flavor isn’t overpowering, which is nice, and it reminds me of vanilla ice cream mixed with chocolate chips and a hint of mint. Based on my limited experience with mint-flavored sweets, it seems similar to Andes mints.
While it’s not my personal favorite, I can see the appeal for mint chocolate lovers, and it had a nice creamy texture to it as well.
Whoa Momma! Protein Gelato: Final Thoughts
Overall, Whoa Momma! Protein Gelato offers delicious flavors, but the creaminess wasn’t quite what I was hoping for across all the pints. This seems to be largely due to shipping, as the top layer of most of the pints ended up almost icy.
Unfortunately, that’s one of the downsides of purchasing ice cream online. The pints improved as they sat out and thawed, especially if they were mixed up, but you’d hope for gelato to be creamy right out of the freezer.
That being said, I think Whoa Momma! nailed the flavors they were going for. Whether or not this protein gelato is right for you will depend on your specific goals and preferences.
If you’re looking for a macro-friendly option, this is not the best choice. This is simply not a low-calorie or macro-friendly alternative to ice cream. It’s gelato with reduced sugar and more protein, but many will find it difficult to fit this higher-calorie treat into their macros.
However, if you love gelato and want a substitute with nearly half the sugar and double the protein of traditional gelato, Whoa Momma! is worth considering.
Keep in mind that while it’s not a major protein source, it can be a delicious way to sneak some extra protein into your diet if gelato or full-fat ice cream is a staple for you. Just be prepared for the $10 per pint price tag when ordering online, as shipping frozen goods can be expensive.
Whether or not you should give these pints a try depends entirely on which side of the fence you find yourself on: do you want a low-calorie treat, or do you want a lower-sugar and higher-protein indulgent treat? That’s up to you!
