What is the difference between Ice Cream and Custard?

Ice cream and custard can easily be differentiated by looking at how the two are made and the various ingredients that make up their content. The preparation of ice cream does not require that you use eggs. In contrast, eggs are usually used when making custard. Custard is made from milk and eggs, and with the addition of sugar and other flavorings. Ice cream is made from frozen sweetened cream or milk, together with other ingredients.

Depending on the types of ingredients used in making ice cream, it usually comes in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, fruit, nuts, whereas custard usually comes in flavors like fruit, chocolate, and savory flavor. Another difference is that the amount of calories present in custard is lower than that of ice cream. Custard contains less saturated fat compared to ice cream. Since custard is usually made with eggs, it contains more protein than ice cream.

The significant difference between custard and ice cream is their ingredients. The main components in ice cream include milk, cream, and sugar, while the main ingredients in frozen custard are the egg yolk. Custard is a dessert created with eggs, sugar, and milk, and it has a creamier, thicker texture. Custard has almost a silky texture compared to ice cream. According to the FDA, any dessert that contains at least 1.4 percent egg yolk by weight is frozen custard. If the percentage of egg yolk decreases, the dessert then qualifies to be ice cream. However, frozen custard does not contain additives and preservatives like ice cream.

Any food or dessert labeled as ice cream must have 20 percent milk solids and ten percent milk by weight; however, some of the more expensive brands, such as Ben and Jerry’s or Haagan Daaz, contain 14-18 percent of milk fat. Around 15 percent by weight in ice cream is sugar. Ice cream also tends to have more of a variety of fun flavors from which to choose.