XO Ice is a Singapore-based gelato brand that positions itself at the intersection of Italian gelato craftsmanship, Asian-inspired flavours, and better-for-you nutrition. The brand specializes in low-calorie, low-sugar, and high-protein gelato, developing products around the idea that healthier desserts should still feel indulgent 1.

While the brand was conceived and developed in Asia, its products are manufactured in Veneto, Italy. XO Ice describes its approach as combining traditional Italian gelato techniques with ingredients and flavour profiles inspired by Asia and other parts of the world 2.

The company’s website identifies Indulge Creamery Asia Pte. Ltd. as the corporate entity behind the brand.

XO Ice was created from an idea shared by its co-founders, Jenn and Don, who sought to create a dessert that combined indulgence with the nutritional expectations of modern lifestyles. According to the company’s account, Don—who has spent decades working with consumer brands in Asia and has experience with brands including Bonne Maman and Evian—met Jenn while exploring industry trends. Their discussions led to the concept of a low-calorie, low-sugar, high-protein ice cream that would not sacrifice taste or texture.

The founders deliberately avoided creating a conventional “diet ice cream.” Instead, they aimed for a product that retained the richness, creaminess, and indulgence associated with premium gelato, while altering its nutritional profile. A major part of the concept was also to make the brand distinctly Asian in flavour and personality, rather than simply importing a conventional Western ice-cream concept into Asia.

Donatien Monod

Don serves as the CEO and co-founder of XO Ice. The company’s biography describes him as an advocate of sports, physical activity, and healthy eating. He has lived in Asia for more than two decades and has worked on consumer brands including Bonne Maman and Evian. His background provides XO Ice with experience in consumer packaged goods, brand building, and the Asian food-and-beverage market.

Jennifer (“Jenn”)

Jenn is XO Ice’s co-founder and head of marketing. Her interests in Asian food culture and emerging food trends helped shape the company’s emphasis on Asian flavours and contemporary Asian consumer preferences. Together, the founders developed XO Ice around the idea of making a healthier frozen dessert that consumers would actively want to eat rather than perceive as a compromise.

XO Ice’s central proposition can be summarized as offering indulgence without requiring consumers to choose between enjoyment and nutritional goals. The company describes its products as low calorie, low sugar, and rich in protein, while emphasizing a smooth and creamy gelato texture. The gelatos are developed by an Italian gelato specialist known within the company as “Il Professore,” with production taking place in Veneto, Italy.

This creates a unique brand identity: Asian inspiration + Italian craftsmanship + modern nutrition. Rather than positioning itself purely as a “healthy food” company, XO Ice uses health and nutrition as part of a broader premium indulgence proposition.

Although XO Ice is an Asian-born brand, its flagship gelato is produced in Veneto, Italy. The company states that its recipes are developed with an experienced Italian gelato specialist and manufactured using Italian gelato craftsmanship. This is an important component of the brand’s identity: XO Ice isn’t simply marketed as a low-calorie ice cream, but as Italian-style gelato adapted to contemporary Asian tastes and nutritional preferences. The brand describes this philosophy as combining age-old Italian technique with modern adaptation.

One of XO Ice’s strongest differentiators is its flavour portfolio. Instead of relying exclusively on traditional flavours such as vanilla and chocolate, the brand incorporates ingredients and food cultures associated with Asia. The flavour names are deliberately playful, helping XO Ice establish a youthful and unconventional personality.

Examples include:

• Mucho Matcha: Japanese-inspired matcha gelato.
• Open Sesame: Roasted black sesame gelato.
• Bubblely Hills: Bubble-tea-inspired gelato with tapioca pearls.
• Takes-one-to Mango: Alphonso mango gelato.
• Goood Morning Vietnaaam!: Vietnamese coffee-inspired flavour.
• King-don’t-lie Musang King: Durian-inspired flavour.
• Mango Goes Coco: Plant-based mango and coconut.
• Nocciobella: Hazelnut-based gelato.
• Gingerly Chocolate: Chocolate combined with ginger.
• La Vie en Pink: Strawberry plant-based gelato.
• Not-so-plain Vanilla: Madagascar Bourbon vanilla.

Featured Flavours

Mucho Matcha uses high-grade Japanese matcha and is designed to retain the characteristic grassy, umami, and slightly bitter profile of matcha. XO Ice states that a whole pint contains approximately 303 calories, 2% sugar, and 28g of protein.

Open Sesame uses roasted black sesame paste sourced from Japan. XO Ice positions it as an example of its broader philosophy of taking a recognizable Asian ingredient and translating it into Italian gelato. The company lists approximately 345 calories and 23g of protein per pint for this flavour.

Bubblely Hills transforms the familiar Taiwanese bubble-tea experience into a frozen dessert. It combines brewed black tea, tapioca pearls, skim milk, and a high-protein base. The company lists approximately 315 calories and 22g of protein per pint.

Nutrition is a primary functional component of XO Ice’s positioning. The brand consistently emphasizes three characteristics: low calorie, low sugar, and high protein. While exact nutritional values vary by flavour, the company uses the nutritional profile to position its gelato as suitable not only as a traditional dessert but also as a snack or post-workout treat. For example, the company describes some flavours as appropriate for consumption after exercise or as an afternoon snack, connecting the product with active and health-conscious lifestyles.

Importantly, XO Ice does not abandon indulgence in favour of nutrition. Its messaging repeatedly focuses on texture, flavour, and enjoyment alongside the nutritional benefits.

XO Ice offers plant-based flavours to participate in the growing market for dairy-free and plant-based desserts. La Vie en Pink, a strawberry flavour, is made using a plant-based formula and is listed at approximately 280 calories and 2.9% sugar per pint. Mango Goes Coco is another plant-based flavour combining mango and coconut.

XO Ice has established a retail presence in Singapore and Malaysia, while also expanding internationally. In Singapore, its official store locator lists products through major supermarket chains including Cold Storage, FairPrice Finest, and Marketplace, alongside numerous individual locations.

Its international distribution includes:

• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Spain, including selected El Corte Inglés stores
• United Kingdom, where the company says its rollout is underway

A 2025 profile of the company reported that XO Ice had expanded to more than 400 stores, illustrating the scale the brand had reached in a relatively short period 3. The brand has evolved from an Asia-focused concept into a business with ambitions beyond Southeast Asia.

XO Ice’s branding revolves heavily around the idea of “hugs and kisses,” reflected in the use of “XO.” The brand combines playful flavour names, colourful contemporary packaging, Asian cultural references, Italian craftsmanship, nutritional messaging, and a lifestyle-oriented tone. Rather than adopting the clinical aesthetic sometimes associated with “healthy” foods, XO Ice aims to make health feel fun, indulgent, and emotionally positive.

The intended proposition is closer to “premium gelato that happens to fit better into a health-conscious lifestyle” rather than simply “healthy ice cream.”

In addition to its consumer XO Ice range, the company operates XO Italia, a food-service gelato offering. XO Italia focuses on traditional Italian gelato made in Italy, with flavours including chocolate, coffee, coconut, cookies, hazelnut, pistachio, stracciatella, tiramisu, and various fruit flavours. The company says its Italian food-service gelato has been produced using Italian craftsmanship since 1997. This gives the wider business a second dimension beyond the consumer-facing XO Ice brand.

The XO ICE name has been formally trademarked for a broad range of frozen-dessert products. A U.S. trademark record identifies Indulge Creamery Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. as the owner of the XO ICE trademark, covering products including ice cream, gelato, frozen confections, sorbets, frozen yogurt, and related products. The U.S. registration was recorded in July 2024.

From a branding and marketing perspective, XO Ice sits at the intersection of several major food trends:

• Premiumization: Uses Italian gelato craftsmanship and premium ingredients to maintain a premium-dessert image.
• Better-for-you food: Targets consumers who monitor nutrition with its low-calorie, low-sugar, and high-protein proposition.
• Asian flavour innovation: Flavours like matcha, black sesame, bubble tea, durian, mango, and Vietnamese coffee give the brand a distinctly Asian character.
• Active lifestyle: Protein content and post-workout messaging make the product relevant to fitness-conscious consumers.
• Plant-based consumption: Plant-based flavours allow participation in the dairy-free dessert market.

1. XO-ice – High Protein Low Calorie Gelato – Italian Ice Cream
2. About Us
3. XO-Ice: She started a clean gelato brand that’s sold in 400+ stores