How to achieve the perfect plant-based frozen desserts

Palsgaard to the rescue

Manufacturers of dairy-free frozen desserts often find it difficult to replicate the mouthfeel and texture of standard ice cream, and this is where Palsgaard can step in. 

“We have a product, Palsgaard® ExtruIce 379, which is an integrated blend of stabilisers and emulsifiers, and it’s perfect for frozen desserts,” explains Li Ying.

“Palsgaard® ExtruIce 379 provides very stable emulsions for the whole system, so it prevents ice crystal formation and it also helps to give a creamier mouthfeel to the frozen dessert as well. Another benefit is that it can improve the heat-shock stability.”

Four inspiring new recipes

Li Ying and Marilyn have spent the last few months experimenting with different plant-based frozen dessert recipes.

“Through the studies we did, we can advise our customers better on how they should prepare the product, such as whether hydration of the protein is required or not,” explains Li Ying. “We can also alert them to the challenges they might face and how to solve them. We can do this because we experienced these issues first-hand while working with various plant-based proteins. 

“The recipe creation process also enabled us to try out our own Palsgaard emulsifier blends and we are now in a better position to give advice to our customers.”

They now have four prototype recipes, which show how adaptable and valuable Palsgaard® ExtruIce 379 is in enhancing texture, mouthfeel, stability and other sensory properties. 

Recipe 1: Fava Bean Based Frozen Dessert

The fava bean – or broad bean - is a widely available plant-based source of protein but it’s not one many consumers will be familiar with as an ingredient in a frozen dessert. 

Marilyn explains why it was chosen as a base for one of the recipes. 

“We were trying to study the properties of different plant-based proteins. We did various studies with the fava bean and it came up very neutral in taste, which we saw as a benefit for frozen dessert recipes. 

“We wanted to work with ingredients which offered a wide range of different viscosity and the fava bean was actually the highest level that we worked with.

“We wanted to make sure our emulsifier and stabiliser blend was strong enough and functional enough to ensure there is no separation in the  frozen dessert mix and during the churning with a high viscosity protein base.”

The duo created two fava bean options, one oat-based and one water-based. 

“The oat-based one is creamier because of the oat, but the use of oat also contributes to the viscosity,” Li Ying explains. “We used two different bases to demonstrate that there will be a difference in the mouthfeel depending on whether you use water or oat as a base, but it gives the manufacturer a choice. The water-based option can be easier for processing because not all manufacturers will have the pump that is capable of such a high viscosity mix.” 

Recipe 2: Coffee Oat Frozen Dessert

Oats are commonly used as a protein base for dairy-free milk alternatives and desserts, in part because they are widely available globally but also because consumers are aware of their health benefits. In frozen desserts, oats also do a good job of replicating the creaminess of dairy. 

“This recipe was more straightforward because we used hydrolysed oat protein, which has a lower viscosity,” explains Marilyn. 

“We added instant coffee to this recipe, and we wanted to see if it would lower the pH of the product but in this case, it didn’t affect the texture and flavour unfavourably.”

Recipe 3: Almond Oat Frozen Dessert with Inulin

Nuts are one of the most widely used plant-based protein sources in dairy-free products, so almond was chosen as a base for the third concept. 

“We used it here with an oat base and it worked well,” says Li Ying. “Almond has a fairly mild flavour and it’s a taste that is favourable to many consumers as well.

“We added inulin, as a bulking agent to the plant-based frozen dessert to increase the solid content and at the same time improve the overall texture and achieving a creamy mouthfeel on the final product.“

Recipe 4: Sesame, Chickpea Frozen Dessert

However, it’s not just about the popular flavours of the moment. 

Li Ying and Marilyn wanted to demonstrate that lesser-known protein sources can also be used to create frozen desserts and for manufacturers who want to experiment with new concepts, Palsgaard’s emulsifier and stabiliser blends can help boost new product development. 

“We’ve been working with sesame paste for other products so we thought we would try it out here in a frozen dessert and it turned out well,” confirms Marilyn. 

Tips for manufacturers

There’s a lot of things to take into consideration when developing a plant-based frozen dessert, so where’s the best place to start?

“I would say the most important thing, first of all, is to identify the plant protein that you want to use, as every plant-base has different texture and functionality. Depending on the choice of plant-based protein, the ingredients in the recipe should be adjusted accordingly,” says Li Ying. 

Marilyn agrees, noting the importance of understanding that a plant-based recipe won’t be the same as a dairy’s recipe, “so manufacturers need to think about what qualities they want to replicate”. 

She says: “As these recipes demonstrate, Palsgaard® ExtruIce 379 can contribute to a different mouthfeel so if you have a dessert which is very high viscosity, we can help solve this. Palsgaard has a wide range of emulsifier and stabiliser blends that can address different requirements of  manufacturers like  better melt-down resistance, excellent heat-shock stability, and rich and creamy  mouthfeel to name a few.”

Caring for the planet

The ingredients used to make plant-based frozen desserts are wide-ranging and as such, the finished products can vary significantly when it comes to sustainability. “It often depends on the different protein base of the plant,” explains Li Ying. “Almonds might have a higher carbon footprint compared to other nuts, for example, so it’s difficult for the finished product to be entirely sustainable.”

However, manufacturers can be confident that Palsgaard® ExtruIce 379, like all Palsgaard’s ingredients, will meet the needs of eco-conscious consumers. 

Marilyn says: “Every product we produce is made in C02 neutral facilities, so Palsgaard is at the forefront of lowering carbon emissions. That is definitely a plus-point for manufacturers who want to promote the sustainability of the ingredients and the product.”