Technical Note No. 005: Why Are Dairy Fats the Reference for Ice Cream Formulation?

A Concept That Is Often Misunderstood

When formulating ice cream, fat content is one of the first parameters considered. However, it is common to think that all fats play the same role.

In reality, the lipids present in a recipe do not all have the same origin or the same function.

In artisanal ice cream, fats come primarily from dairy products, but also from flavoring ingredients such as chocolate, nut pastes and coconut.

Understanding the role of each helps achieve a better understanding of ice cream formulation.

Why Are Fats Important?

Fats play an essential role in the final quality of ice cream.

They contribute to:

• providing creaminess;

• improving melt-in-the-mouth sensation;

• limiting the growth of ice crystals;

• stabilizing the emulsion;

• enhancing flavor perception.

  
  

A lack of fat often results in ice cream that feels colder, more watery and less creamy.

Conversely, excessive fat can produce a heavy, pasty texture and mask delicate flavors.

As always in formulation, achieving the right balance is essential.

Not All Fats Play the Same Role

Milk and cream are generally the primary sources of fat in ice cream.

By contrast, flavoring ingredients provide fats whose quantity depends primarily on the flavor being produced.

For example:

• pistachio paste naturally contains fats;

• chocolate contains cocoa butter;

• hazelnut paste is naturally rich in lipids.

  
  

These fats naturally contribute to the overall composition of the recipe. However, their quantity is largely determined by the desired flavor intensity rather than by formulation requirements.

Therefore, they are not generally used as the primary balancing parameter.

Gelato Pro Software's Approach

In Gelato Pro Software, fat balancing is based on dairy fats.

This approach reflects the practices of many artisanal ice cream makers, for whom milk and cream form the structural foundation of the recipe.

The fats naturally present in flavoring ingredients are fully included in each ingredient's composition. However, they are not used as the primary reference for balancing the fat phase of the recipe.

This methodology provides a consistent approach to balancing the base while allowing complete freedom in selecting flavoring ingredients according to the desired sensory profile.

A Practical Example

Imagine two recipes containing exactly 8% dairy fat.

The first is a vanilla ice cream.

The second is a pistachio ice cream containing a significant amount of pistachio paste.

Although the second recipe has a higher total fat content, both recipes contain the same amount of dairy fat.

In most cases, the formulator would not reduce the amount of cream simply to compensate for the fat contributed by the pistachio paste. Those lipids are an integral part of the flavoring ingredient and contribute to its unique sensory characteristics.

With Gelato Pro Software

Gelato Pro Software automatically calculates the contribution of dairy fats in every recipe.

Combined with other formulation parameters—including protein, milk solids-not-fat (MSNF), total solids (TS), sweetening power (POD), freezing point, freezing curve and viscosity—this information helps formulators develop balanced and reproducible recipes.

The concepts of freezing point, freezing curve and hardness will be explored in future Technical Notes, as they are particularly valuable indicators for predicting the actual behavior of ice cream during production.

💡 Did You Know?

Two recipes can contain exactly the same percentage of dairy fat while having different total fat contents.

The final texture also depends on proteins, sugars, water, total solids and the nature of the ingredients used.

That is why the balance of an ice cream can never be defined by a single parameter.