Softsrve® has partnered with Kara, one of the region's best-known coconut brands, to create three plant-based gelato flavours built entirely on coconut — no dairy in the formulation at all.
The three flavours we developed for the collaboration:
- Chocolate Coconut — deep cocoa against the natural richness of coconut cream
- Pandan Coconut Gula Melaka — the most Malaysian flavour we have ever made, with a gula melaka ripple running through it
- Coconut Coffee Crunch Latte — coffee, coconut and a chocolate crumble inclusion for texture
All three were built on Kara's new Barista Coconut Milk and Kara Coconut Cream, and launched at a trade event at Ginger by Brick House, Bamboo Hills, Kuala Lumpur, in front of more than 150 guests from across the F&B industry.
Why Coconut Gelato Is Harder Than It Sounds
Removing dairy from gelato is not a matter of swapping one liquid for another.
Milk fat does specific structural work in ice cream. It carries flavour, controls how fast the product melts, and gives that clean, rounded mouthfeel people expect from a good scoop. Take it out and put coconut in its place, and a whole set of new problems appear: coconut fat behaves differently at freezing temperatures, it can turn waxy on the palate if you push it too far, and coconut's own flavour is assertive enough to fight with whatever else you put in the tub.
Getting the balance right took many hours of R&D across multiple revisions. Too little coconut cream and the texture falls flat and icy. Too much and you get a waxy coating that ruins the finish. The sweet spot is narrow, and it moves depending on what else is in the flavour.
The reason we could get there at all is the quality of the base. Kara's Barista Coconut Milk is engineered for performance — it is built to be steamed, textured and blended in a café environment — which makes it far more stable to work with than standard coconut milk. That gave us a foundation we could actually formulate against.
The Launch: 150+ F&B Professionals at Ginger, Bamboo Hills
The event was held at Ginger by Brick House Group — a glasshouse event space at Bamboo Hills in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur — and the room was full of exactly the people whose opinion actually matters on a product like this.
More than 150 guests attended, including bakery operators, coffee specialists, distributors and F&B buyers. This is a crowd that tastes plant-based products for a living and has developed a healthy scepticism about them, because most of them are a compromise.
The response was the thing that surprised us most. People came back for second servings. Coffee specialists asked technical questions about the base. Several guests told us straight out that they would not have guessed there was no dairy in it.
What This Means Going Forward
Demand for plant-based dessert in Malaysia keeps growing, and it comes from several directions at once: guests avoiding dairy, event hosts catering to mixed dietary requirements, cafés wanting a plant-based option on the menu, and brands wanting products that suit a wider audience.
Until now, our answer to "can you do a plant-based version?" was a qualified maybe. After this project, it is a yes — with a proven base, three finished formulations, and the process knowledge to develop more.
We are now open to plant-based gelato development for clients who need it, whether that is a custom flavour for a café menu, a dessert option for an event with mixed dietary requirements, or a brand collaboration like this one.
Thank you to the Kara team for the collaboration and for trusting us with your product, and to Ginger by Brick House for hosting a beautiful launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Softsrve make plant-based ice cream in Malaysia? Yes. Softsrve developed a three-flavour plant-based gelato range in collaboration with Kara Coconut, using Kara Barista Coconut Milk and Kara Coconut Cream as the base. We also take on custom plant-based gelato development for clients.
What plant-based gelato flavours did Softsrve create with Kara? Three flavours: Chocolate Coconut, Pandan Coconut Gula Melaka, and Coconut Coffee Crunch Latte. All are formulated on a coconut base with no dairy ingredients.
Can Softsrve cater a plant-based dessert option for my event? Yes. We cater ice cream scoop stations across Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and the Klang Valley, and can include plant-based options for guests with dietary requirements. Let us know your needs when you enquire so we can plan the flavour lineup.
Where is Softsrve based? Softsrve is an artisan gelato manufacturer based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, producing kurang manis (lower sugar) gelato for over 10 years, with distribution across the Klang Valley.
Can Softsrve develop a custom gelato flavour for my brand? Yes. The Kara collaboration is an example of our custom product development work — we formulate to a brand's ingredients, positioning and specifications. WhatsApp us at +6011-6424 3931 to discuss a project.
Is the plant-based range available for retail purchase? This collaboration range was produced as a short-run special for the launch. For current availability, contact us directly or check our website.
Softsrve is a Malaysian artisan gelato manufacturer based in Petaling Jaya, specialising in kurang manis (lower sugar) gelato. We supply 70+ retail points across Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, cater corporate events and weddings across the Klang Valley, and take on custom formulation projects for brands.