How I Build Ice Cream: 3% Boldness, 12% Creaminess, 100% Precision

Part I‍

‍By Chef Liran Gruda

Over a decade ago, in the heart of Milan — the classic capital of gelato — I opened a small ice cream shop for a client. Not with Sicilian pistachio or Amalfi lemon.I, an Israeli with a bit too much chutzpah and not enough logic, came in with an idea: tahini ice cream.
The first customer approached, looked at me, then at the ice cream. “Is this cold halva with a soul?” she asked.
And me? I just smiled. In that moment, I understood: ice cream is an international language — you just need to translate it right.

Since then, in every kitchen I’ve worked in as a chef, I’ve made sure there’s an ice cream machine. Not because it looks fancy — but because it was my tool for personal and precise expression.
My first R&D project was building a boutique ice cream and popsicle factory, and this “cold” field quickly became one of the hottest things I worked on. Because when you understand the science behind creaminess — you just can’t stop.
Today, at Gruda, our food innovation lab, we support brands, entrepreneurs, and global companies in developing ice cream products at the highest level.

IceCream: Not Just Dessert — A Complex Frozen Food System

Ice cream is one of the most delicate and complex food systems:
It combines water, fat, sugar, proteins, ice crystals, air, stabilizers, and flavor components — all while being subject to strict textures and unforgiving temperatures.
Miss the balance just a little, and you’ll get something watery, overly icy, or unstable on the shelf.
But once you understand the mechanics — you gain control over texture, sweetness, melt rate, and even the mouthfeel.

In professional product development, we work with core concepts such as:

·       POD – Perceived sweetness

·       PAC – Freezing point depression

·       MSNF – Milk solids non-fat

·       Overrun – Air volume in the product

·       High-pressure homogenization – Fatemulsification

·       Hydrocolloid stabilizers –Building the structural framework

Mastering the balance between them is key to crafting any successful ice cream — whether it's plant-based, sugar-free, or classically indulgent.

PAC& POD: The Sacred Duo of Sweetness vs. Texture

When formulating ice cream, two numbers guide the path:

POD –Perceived Sweetness
This measures how sweet a component feels compared to sucrose (set at 100). For example:

·       Dextrose:74

·       Fructose:173

·       Erythritol:70

·       Stevia:300x sweeter than sucrose (but has no mass)

PAC –Freezing Point Depression
This shows how much an ingredient lowers the freezing point of water. The higher the PAC, the softer the texture of the ice cream:

·       Sucrose:PAC = 100

·       Dextrose:PAC = 190

·       Erythritol:PAC = 280, but it causes cooling effect and crystallization

In sugar-free ice creams, we separate POD and PAC intentionally — controlling sweetness and texture independently for optimal results.

MSNF– The Silent Backbone of Great Ice Cream

MSNF (Milk Solids Non-Fat) includes milk proteins (mainly casein), lactose, and minerals —without the fat.
While it gets less attention than sugar or fat, MSNF is crucial for:

·       Building body and structure

·       Emulsion stability

·       Natural sweetness (POD ≈ 20)

·       Preventing syneresis (water separation)

·       Enhancing uniformity during melting

Sources of MSNF in formulations:

·       Skim Milk Powder (SMP)

·       Condensed milk

·       WPC80(whey protein concentrate)

·       Caseinates or yogurt powder

We typically aim for 9–12% MSNF depending on whether the ice cream is dairy-based, vegan, or hybrid.

Fat and Fat Replacers: Richness Without the Weight

Fat in ice cream brings creamy texture, smooth mouthfeel, and lingering flavor. But too much fat can weigh the product down.
Too little fat? You’ll end up with something that tastes like a sad diet popsicle.

Typical fat levels:

·       PremiumIce Cream: 12–16%

·       ClassicIce Cream: 8–12%

·       Low-FatIce Cream: 0–5%

Fat replacers include:

·       Simplesse – Whey protein microparticles that mimic fat

·       Soluble fibers – Like inulin and polydextrose

·       Solidified plant fats –Coconut oil, shea butter (common in vegan formulations)

·       Whipped WPC – For rich mouth feel without actual fat

Through the right combination of ingredients and processing, we can achieve indulgent texture even at 0% fat.

Sugar Alternatives – A Real Development Challenge

Replacing sugar isn’t just about sweetness — it’s about structure and freeze dynamics.
Most sugar substitutes (especially polyols and high-intensity sweeteners) don’t lower freezing points the way glucose or fructose do.

The result?
You get an ice cream that freezes rock solid — and forget about scooping it straight from the freezer.

Solutions we use in R&D:

·       Blends of fibers, polyols, and intense sweeteners

·       Small amounts of dextrose or fructose to boost PAC

·       Pairing sweeteners with body agents to enhance texture

A well-formulated sugar-free ice cream needs:

·       Balanced sweetness (POD)

·       Controlled softness when frozen (PAC)

·       Ideal mouthfeel

High-Pressure Homogenization: Why I Never Skip It

From my experience, high-pressure homogenization is one of those steps you simply don’t skip — especially for dairy and premium recipes.
Most of my formulas are processed at 180–250 bar, depending on fat composition and the stabilizer system.

When it comes to plant-based fats like coconut oil, shea butter, or cocoa butter, it's even more critical. These fats have a harder time forming stable emulsions.
If you skip homogenization — you’ll know by the first bite: the texture will feel greasy, separated, or icy.

The process “breaks” fat droplets into uniform particles, evenly dispersing them in the mix. The result?

·       Better creaminess

·       Greater stability

·       Improved shelf life

Hydrocolloid Stabilizers: The Unsung Heroes

Stabilizers are the architects of ice cream structure. They manage:

·       Water binding

·       Ice crystal growth

·       Melting resistance

·       Mouth feel

·       Freeze/thaw stability

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We often combine multiple stabilizers into a custom blend, depending on:

·       Type of product (dairy, vegan, fruit-based)

·       Packaging format (scoopable tub, popsicle, soft serve)

·       Storage conditions

From Boutique to Industry: My Journey with Ice Cream

My first boutique ice cream plant was tiny — but every formula, every batch, every freeze cycle taught me something.
Today, we support industrial-scale brands that want to innovate without compromising the craft.

Ice cream is not just dessert — it’s culinary engineering. It’s a sensory science.
And to be honest? It still makes me smile like that first customer in Milan.

Want to Develop Ice Cream With Us?

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