Dairy
Ice Cream
Ice cream is a frozen dairy dessert built from milk, cream, sugar, and often egg yolk, then churned to incorporate air and control ice crystal size. Butterfat, overrun, and flavouring determine whether the result is dense gelato-like, classic American scoopable, or light soft-serve. Beyond vanilla and chocolate, ice cream absorbs fruit, nuts, spices, inclusions, and regional traditions from kulfi to gelato and rolled ice cream. Dairy base remains the defining structure; non-dairy frozen desserts are related products rather than true dairy ice cream.
Also known as: Gelato, Glace, Kulfi, Dondurma, Aisu Kurīmu, Helado
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 10.5 g
- Saturated Fat 5.84 g
- Trans Fat 0.3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 2.78 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.31 g
- Cholesterol 30.7 mg
- Sodium 74.2 mg
- Salt 0.21 g
- Total Carbohydrate 4.84 g
- Dietary Fibre 0 g
- Total Sugars 5.39 g
- Complex / starch 0 g
- Protein 8.46 g
- Water 74.1 g
- Energy 161 kcal
- Water 74.1 g
- Carbohydrates 4.84 g
- Sugars 5.39 g
- Monosaccharides 3.78 g
- Disaccharides 6.47 g
- Protein 8.46 g
- Animal Protein 8.04 g
- Fat 10.5 g
- Saturated Fat 5.84 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 2.78 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.31 g
- Trans Fat 0.3 g
- Vitamins 340 mg
- Vitamin A 324 µg
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamine 0.04 mg
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin 0.21 mg
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin 0.11 mg
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid 0.42 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.05 mg
- Vitamin B7 — Biotin 2 µg
- Vitamin B9 — Folate 8.1 µg
- Vitamin B12 — Cobalamin 1.9 µg
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Vitamin D 0.5 µg
- Vitamin E 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K 0.5 µg
- Minerals 418 mg
- Major Minerals 412 mg
- Trace Minerals 6.3 mg
- Salt 0.21 g
- Sodium Chloride 0.21 g
- Cholesterol 30.7 mg
Vitamins
vitamin-c: 2 · vitamin-b12-cobalamin: 1.9 · vitamin-a: 324 · vitamin-b1-thiamine: 0.04 · vitamin-b2-riboflavin: 0.21 · vitamin-b3-niacin: 0.11 · vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid: 0.42 · vitamin-b6: 0.05 · vitamin-b7-biotin: 2 · vitamin-b9-folate: 8.1 · vitamin-d: 0.5 · vitamin-e: 0.1 · vitamin-k: 0.5 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 74.18 · Potassium: 174 · Calcium: 164 · Iron: 0.9 · Zinc: 0.4 · Iodine: 5 ·
Dairy contributes complete protein, saturated fat, and lactose unless cultured or strained.
In the kitchen
Culinary partners and combinations that usually underperform with Ice Cream.
Usually avoid with
Often clash in flavour or tradition
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Early frozen and chilled milk or rice mixtures appeared in East Asian and later Persian aristocratic kitchens.
Italian frozen dessert techniques spread through European courts, refining dairy ices and custard bases.
French pâtisserie developed rich egg-custard ice creams that influenced classic Western ice cream formulae.
Commercial ice cream production expanded in the United States with hand-crank freezers and later industrial plants.
Electric freezers, continuous freezers, and retail parlours made ice cream a mass-market dessert worldwide.
Premium low-overrun, gelato, and artisan ice cream movements elevated ingredient quality and flavour craft.