Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Chen.
Hi Alan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Alan Chen, and I’m the co-founder of Frozen One—a protein ice cream with 40 grams of protein per pint that my business partner, Conner, and I just launched here in Austin! My path to the protein ice cream business has been quite unconventional. I have no background in culinary arts or food science—I was actually a pre-medical student throughout college and had planned for many years to become a psychiatrist. After graduating, I felt the need to explore my options before committing to medical school, so I spent a year backpacking through Europe and Hawaii, doing work-stays in hostels and on farms. Toward the end of that year, I made the difficult decision to walk away from medicine. I then took a remote sales position, which I held for about a year—until the idea for Frozen One came to life.
Conner and I came up with the idea in January 2025 after a workout together, while discussing our mutual frustration with hitting our daily protein goals. We were each trying to consume around 180 grams of protein a day, relying on sugary protein shakes, chalky bars, and endless amounts of chicken. We knew there had to be a better way. I mused aloud that there had to be a high-protein ice cream out there—and we headed to H-E-B to find one. When we didn’t see a single high-protein ice cream option on the shelves, we knew we had to spring into action and create one ourselves.
We immediately bought a Ninja Creami ice cream machine, which ultimately helped us develop our final recipes. For two months, we experimented with new iterations daily. Each night, we’d spin the batch we’d prepared the night before, taste it, and then adjust the ingredients for the next version. After countless tweaks, flavor tests, and many nights of frustration, we finally developed three flavors we’re truly proud of: Peanut Butter Chip, Chocolate, and my personal favorite, Apple Pie.
Our ice cream is now available at all six Royal Blue Grocery locations in Austin (except S. Congress), and we’re working hard to expand into more retailers like Wheatsville Co-op, Central Market, and H-E-B in the coming months!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has certainly not been smooth or linear. Crafting a healthy, high-protein ice cream recipe—as two guys with zero background in ice cream and full-time jobs—was a daunting task that led to many late nights. Early on, we struggled significantly with both the taste and texture of our product. The protein powder we were using had a strong flavor that was difficult to mask, requiring us to test numerous brands before finding one we were happy with. In addition, our product contains far less fat and sugar than traditional ice cream—ingredients that are key to the sweet taste and creamy texture people expect. It took countless hours of research to find the right combination of ingredients that would deliver a silky smooth texture and delicious flavor, without compromising on nutrition.
That was just the beginning. Working with a frozen product brings its own set of challenges. We quickly discovered how difficult—and expensive—it is to transport frozen goods in the Texas heat. After a lot of trial and error, we finally developed a system for moving our ice cream from the manufacturer to our storage facility, and from there, self-distributing to grocery stores.
We’ve learned that being an entrepreneur is a constant test of your problem-solving skills, and we continue to face every new challenge head-on and with determination.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Frozen One?
Frozen One is a high-protein, better-for-you ice cream with 40 grams of protein packed into each pint — we’re proud to be the highest protein ice cream on the market! Each pint contains only 390–430 calories, is made with all-natural ingredients, and has 75% less fat and 62% less sugar than traditional ice cream. Despite our clean nutrition label, our ice cream tastes just as sweet, creamy, and delicious as the classic treats you know and love.
With Frozen One, you can satisfy your ice cream cravings any time of day—guilt-free—knowing you’re getting a generous serving of complete, muscle-building protein with every spoonful. After sampling other “healthy” ice creams, we were left unimpressed by their lack of flavor and the airy texture of their pints. We’re genuinely proud of our rich taste, creamy texture, and indulgent mouthfeel—and our customers have been blown away by the difference. We currently offer three flavors: Peanut Butter Chip, Chocolate, and my personal favorite, Apple Pie. We’re available at all six Royal Blue Grocery locations in Austin, TX (except S. Congress), go give us a try and tell us your favorite flavor!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something many people might not know about Frozen One is that we developed the recipes and ingredient lists for all three of our flavors completely on our own! While many others in this space outsource research and development or recipe formulation to large companies, it was important to us to have full control over what went into our ice cream. We wanted every ingredient to be all-natural and serve a clear purpose.
I take immense pride in our ice cream, and a big part of that comes from the countless late nights we spent obsessing over the smallest details—sometimes debating whether a half-gram difference in an ingredient made an impact. That level of hands-on experimentation and rigorous review is what brought us to where we are today. Thankfully, our co-packer now handles production in a professional FDA and SQF-certified facility, but I still break out the Ninja Creami machine to test new flavor ideas!
Pricing:
- Apple Pie: $9.99 at Royal Blue Grocery
- Peanut Butter Chip: $9.99 at Royal Blue Grocery
- Chocolate: $9.99 at Royal Blue Grocery
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.frozen-one.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frozenoneprotein/
Image Credits
Jack Linzmeyer, Kelly Phillips
