What are the ingredients in Klondike ice cream?

January 9, 2026 •

3 min read

With a history dating back to 1922, the classic square Klondike bar remains a popular American frozen treat, but what are the ingredients in Klondike ice cream? The core recipe relies on a blend of nonfat milk, sugar, and various fats and stabilizers, while specific ingredients differ significantly depending on the flavor and formulation.

Quick Summary

A Klondike bar's ingredients typically include a base of nonfat milk, cream, and sweeteners, surrounded by a chocolatey coating made with fats and cocoa. Different versions, such as No Sugar Added or flavored varieties like Heath, incorporate unique components like sugar substitutes or candy pieces to achieve their distinct taste and texture.

Key Points

Base Ingredients: All Klondike bars are made with a dairy base of nonfat milk, cream, and whey, with different sweeteners and flavors depending on the specific product.
Original Bar Components: The classic Original Vanilla Klondike contains a combination of sugar and corn syrup for sweetness and flavor, and a chocolatey coating made from coconut oil and cocoa.
No Sugar Added Version: The NSA Klondike bar replaces traditional sugar with a mix of artificial sweeteners, including maltitol syrup, aspartame, and sucralose.
Flavor-Specific Additions: Special flavors incorporate unique ingredients; for example, the Heath bar includes genuine Heath toffee pieces with almonds, butter, and vegetable oils.
Common Additives: Emulsifiers like mono and diglycerides, and stabilizers such as guar gum and locust bean gum, are used across many Klondike products to achieve a consistent texture.
Allergen Information: Klondike bars contain common allergens, most notably milk and soy, and some varieties also contain wheat and tree nuts (almonds in the Heath bar). Klondike does not manufacture products in an allergen-free facility.

Understanding the Core Components of Klondike

Klondike bars, while varying by flavor, are built on a consistent foundation of ingredients that create their signature texture and flavor profile. At its heart, the classic treat is a light vanilla ice cream interior encased in a chocolate-flavored shell. The ingredient list reveals a combination of dairy, sweeteners, fats, emulsifiers, and stabilizers that make up the finished product.

The Original Vanilla Klondike Bar Ingredients

The Original Klondike bar's ingredients include a light ice cream filling and a chocolatey coating. The ice cream base uses nonfat milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, and whey, along with stabilizers like guar gum and locust bean gum, and emulsifiers such as mono and diglycerides. Natural and artificial flavors are added for taste, and it includes Vitamin A Palmitate and caramel color. The chocolate-flavored coating contains sugar, coconut oil, soybean oil, chocolate liquor, cocoa, soy lecithin, and salt.

Ingredient Variations Across Different Klondike Products

Klondike offers various products, and their ingredient lists will differ. Always check the specific packaging for the most current information.

No Sugar Added Vanilla Bar

The No Sugar Added (NSA) Vanilla Bar replaces sugar and corn syrup with sweeteners like maltitol syrup, maltitol, acesulfame potassium, aspartame*, and sucralose. The coating uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate liquor.

Heath Bar Klondike

The Heath Bar variety incorporates Heath Toffee pieces, which contain ingredients like sugar, palm and sunflower oils, dairy butter, and almonds. This bar also uses fructose as a sweetener and annatto extract and caramel color.

Cookies 'n Cream Varieties

Klondike's Cookies 'n Cream cone and bar have slight differences. The cone includes wheat flour, while the bar contains enriched wheat flour and corn syrup solids. Both feature nonfat milk, sugar, and cocoa powder.

A Note on Allergens and Nutritional Considerations

Klondike bars contain common allergens, which vary by product. Most contain milk and soy. The Heath bar contains almonds, and items with cookies or cones contain wheat. Klondike states their products are not gluten-free and manufacturing sites are not allergen-free, so cross-contamination is possible.

Klondike bars are generally an indulgent treat. For instance, the Original Vanilla bar has 250 calories and 11 grams of saturated fat. The No Sugar Added bars are lower in calories and fat but contain artificial sweeteners. Consumers should consider this when choosing.

Comparison Table: Original vs. No Sugar Added


Ingredient Category	Klondike Original Vanilla Bar	Klondike No Sugar Added Vanilla Bar
Sweeteners	Sugar, Corn Syrup	Maltitol Syrup, Maltitol, Aspartame, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium
Ice Cream Base	Nonfat Milk, Cream, Whey	Nonfat Milk, Cream, Whey
Chocolatey Coating	Sugar, Coconut Oil, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa	Coconut Oil, Cocoa Powder, Soybean Oil
Fats	Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil	Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil
Emulsifiers	Mono and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin	Mono and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin
Stabilizers	Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Tara Gum	Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Tara Gum

Conclusion

Klondike ice cream bars have a dairy and sweetener base, with variations in ingredients depending on the flavor and formulation. The Original uses sugar and corn syrup, while the No Sugar Added version features low-calorie sweeteners. Flavored bars, like Heath, add unique components. Klondike products contain common allergens such as milk and soy, and some include wheat or nuts, making careful label reading essential for those with allergies. Understanding what are the ingredients in Klondike ice cream helps consumers make informed choices.

For further product details and nutritional information, you can always visit the official Klondike website.

Frequently Asked Questions

The chocolate-flavored coating on an Original Klondike bar is made primarily from sugar, coconut oil, and chocolate liquor processed with alkali. This mix of fats and chocolate gives it its distinctive hard texture and flavor.

No, Klondike bars are not vegan. The base of the ice cream contains milk and cream, and the company has confirmed that its products are made with dairy and eggs.

According to Klondike, the milk and cream used in their ice cream are sourced from American cows not treated with artificial growth hormones (rBST). The FDA, however, states no significant difference has been shown between dairy from rBST-treated and non-rBST-treated cows.

Artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium are used in Klondike's No Sugar Added varieties. The Original bars use traditional sugar and corn syrup instead.

Common allergens in Klondike products include milk and soy. Certain flavors also contain other allergens; for example, the Heath bar contains almonds, and products with cookies or cones contain wheat.

Yes, the portion of ice cream in an Original Klondike bar is a 'light ice cream,' meaning it contains less fat and calories than a similar portion of full-fat ice cream.

No, Klondike products are not gluten-free. The company states this directly and advises allergic consumers to check ingredient labels, as recipes can change.