Halo Top

What Halo Top does

Halo Top is a U.S. light ice cream brand founded in 2011 by Justin Woolverton (with Doug Bouton as co-founder) that produces reduced-calorie frozen dessert pints containing 280-490 calories and 14-20 grams of protein per unit. The brand's core technology centers on ultrafiltered skim milk as a base ingredient, sweetened with erythritol and stevia leaf extract (Reb M) to deliver approximately half the calories of leading ice cream brands while maintaining protein content. Halo Top offers 20+ flavors across classic varieties (Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Strawberry), cookies and cream variants, and indulgent mix-in SKUs introduced in 2025, alongside a Vegan line launched in 2023.

The brand operates a hybrid go-to-market model, distributing through major U.S. retail grocery chains and convenience stores nationwide, while also fulfilling direct-to-consumer orders via five on-demand delivery platforms (DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, Instacart, GoPuff) and its own e-commerce site. Revenue is generated through one-time pint unit sales at premium pricing relative to conventional ice cream. The brand is owned by Wells Enterprises, Inc. (headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa), which itself was acquired by Ferrero Group in 2022 as part of Ferrero's strategy to scale U.S. operations from $300M in 2017 to over $3B.

Halo Top serves two primary customer segments: health-conscious consumers seeking indulgent desserts compatible with calorie-managed diets, and mainstream ice cream buyers who appreciate transparent nutritional labeling. The brand achieved $350M+ in retail sales by 2018, captured the #1 selling pint position in the U.S. in 2017, and was named TIME's Top Inventions of the Year in 2017. Halo Top, Enlightened, and Breyers collectively control over 40% of the high-protein ice cream market, a segment within the broader $11.6B U.S. ice cream industry.

Name

Halo Top

Legal name

Wells Enterprises, Inc.

Website

https://halotop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Halo Top is a U.S. light ice cream brand producing reduced-calorie pints (280-490 calories, 14-20g protein) using ultrafiltered skim milk and natural sweeteners, serving health-conscious and mainstream consumers through retail grocery, convenience stores, and on-demand delivery platforms. Owned by Wells Enterprises under Ferrero Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Light Ice Cream / Frozen Desserts

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

High-Protein/Functional Frozen Dairy Desserts Manufacturing (AFAHAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Light ice cream
• Low calorie ice cream
• High protein ice cream
• Frozen desserts
• Ice cream pints

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Ice Cream Product Sales: Halo Top generates revenue through direct sales of light ice cream pints to consumers via retail grocery stores, convenience stores, and online delivery platforms. The company sells frozen dessert products with per-pint pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Halo Top manufactures and sells light ice cream pints containing 280-490 calories per pint with 14-19g of protein, positioned as a healthier indulgence versus traditional ice cream. The portfolio includes 20+ flavors spanning classic, cookies/cream, chocolate, indulgent mix-in, and vegan varieties, distributed through grocery retailers, convenience stores, and online delivery platforms across the United States.

Product overview

Halo Top is a light ice cream brand offering a portfolio of frozen dessert pints positioned as a healthier indulgence. The core product is light ice cream pints containing 280-490 calories per pint, featuring good source of protein and less sugar than leading brands. The product line includes classic flavors (Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Strawberry, Mint Chip), cookies and cream varieties (Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough), chocolate-focused flavors (Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Caramel Brownie, Chocolate Mocha Chip), and indulgent mix-in varieties (Cookies & Brownies, P.B. Cookie Dough & Fudge, Caramel Cookie Crunch, Strawberry Cheesecake, Sweet Cream Cold Brew, Cherry Chocolate Chunk). In 2023, the company expanded into vegan offerings. The brand emphasizes transparency by displaying calorie counts prominently on packaging and positions itself as allowing consumers to enjoy ice cream carefree without overthinking calories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Halo Top Light Ice Cream Pints Core Halo Top product line of light ice cream pints containing 280-490 calories per pint with 14-19g of protein and less sugar than leading brands. Available in 20+ flavors including classic (Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Strawberry, Mint Chip), cookies and cream, chocolate-focused, and indulgent mix-in varieties. Sold to individual consumers through grocery, convenience, and online delivery.
• Halo Top Mix-Ins Line Indulgent light ice cream pints featuring mix-ins (brownie chunks, fudge swirls, cookie pieces, chocolatey chunks) in every bite at 490 calories per pint. Eight flavors marketed as Halo Top's most indulgent innovation while still delivering approximately half the calories of other leading ice cream brands.
• Halo Top Vegan Line Plant-based vegan ice cream pints added to the Halo Top portfolio as part of the brand's expansion into non-dairy frozen desserts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Number one selling pint of ice cream in America (2017)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wells EnterprisescoreOthersIn 2019, Halo Top joined forces with Wells Enterprises, the largest family-owned ice cream maker in the United States. This acquisition provided Halo Top with expanded reach, strengthened operations, and continued innovation capabilities. Wells Enterprises, headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa, owns and operates the Halo Top brand.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Blue Bunny: Blue Bunny is the flagship brand of Halo Top's parent company Wells Enterprises. While it sells traditional ice cream (not direct competition), it shares operational infrastructure, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution channels within Wells.

Direct peers

• Enlightened: Enlightened is a direct competitor in the better-for-you/light ice cream category, offering high-protein, low-calorie ice cream pints alongside Halo Top. The two collectively lead the high-protein ice cream market along with Breyers.
• Yasso Frozen Yogurt: Yasso offers light frozen Greek yogurt bars and ice cream sandwiches competing for the same health-conscious ice cream shopper as Halo Top, with similar retail distribution.
• Arctic Zero: Arctic Zero is a direct competitor in the low-calorie, low-fat frozen dessert space, offering pints and novelties positioned for calorie-conscious consumers similarly to Halo Top.
• Rebel Creamery: Rebel Creamery produces keto-friendly, low-carb, low-sugar ice cream and competes directly with Halo Top in the better-for-you frozen dessert category.

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's: Ben & Jerry's (Unilever) is a broad incumbent in premium ice cream with a low-calorie Moo'd Up and lighter line extensions competing with Halo Top's better-for-you positioning, with much greater scale and brand recognition.
• Magnum Ice Cream: Magnum (Unilever) is a global premium ice cream brand that competes broadly with Halo Top, particularly as Unilever expands its portfolio to include lower-calorie indulgences in the same freezer aisle.
• Breyers Delights / Breyers: Breyers (Unilever) launched Breyers Delights as a low-calorie ice cream line directly competing with Halo Top. As part of a much larger CPG portfolio, Breyers competes with Halo Top with greater distribution scale in mainstream grocery.
• Häagen-Dazs: Häagen-Dazs (Nestlé) is a premium ice cream incumbent that has launched lighter and fruit-based SKUs to compete with the better-for-you segment where Halo Top dominates.

Emerging players

• Nick's Ice Cream: Nick's is an emerging player in the low-carb, low-sugar ice cream category. It directly competes with Halo Top on the better-for-you positioning and is gaining traction in retail and DTC channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HaloTop
• Instagraminstagram.com/halotopcreamery/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@halotop_us
• Xx.com/HaloTopCreamery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/halo-top-creamery

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Halo Top