What’s the Scoop on Frozen Desserts?

08.19.2019 | 3 min read

What’s your favorite cold treat? Is it ice cream in a waffle cone, a cup of gelato or an icy sorbet? With so many options, it can be hard to choose. Each dessert is crafted with various ingredients, providing a different taste and nutritional value.

Here’s the scoop*:

Hard Serve Ice Cream: The average American eats about 23 pounds of ice cream a year. The popular treat consists of mostly milk, cream and sugar. However, there are dairy-free versions with coconut, soy, almond or cashew milk alternatives. Since ice cream is chilled at a lower temperature, it has a harder consistency, hence the term “hard serve ice cream.”

Nutrition Facts: ½ cup of Ice Cream (Vanilla) contains:

Calories: 137

Fat: 7.3g

Carbohydrates: 16g

Sugar: 14g

Soft Serve Ice Cream: Soft serve ice cream has more air, but less milkfat than hard served. It’s also made at a higher temperature, which creates a lighter texture. Soft serve is consumed at 21.2 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to 6 to 10 degrees for hard serve.

Nutrition Facts: ½ cup of Soft Serve (French Vanilla) contains:

Calories: 191

Fat: 11g

Carbohydrates: 19g

Sugar: 18g

Gelato: Better known as “Italian ice cream,” gelato has a silky and rich taste due to a slower churning process. It’s also made with more milk, less cream and little to no eggs. Please note: Although it’s lower in fat, gelato can still be high in sugar.

Nutrition Facts: ½ cup of Gelato (Vanilla Bean) contains:

Calories: 204

Fat: 9g

Carbohydrates: 25g

Sugar: 25g

Frozen Custard: Along with milk and sugar, custard’s signature ingredient is egg yolk. It employs a unique production technique, which focuses on constant churning with reduced air. It’s also served at a warmer temperature, creating a dense and smooth base.

Nutrition Facts: ½ cup of Custard contains:

Calories: 147

Fat: 6.5g

Carbohydrates: 16g

Sugar: 16g

Frozen Yogurt: Frozen yogurt is often billed as a healthier alternative to ice cream. By using yogurt cultures instead of cream, it’s much lower in fat. Yet, the inclusion of toppings such as candy, syrup, cookie dough and brownies can increase fat, calories and sugar content.

Nutrition Facts: ½ cup of Frozen Yogurt (Vanilla) contains:

Calories: 114

Fat: 4g

Carbohydrates: 17g

Sugar: 17g

Sorbet: Being one of the healthiest options, sorbet is dairy-free and is made from water, syrup and fruit juices. It’s low in calories and fat, but high in sugar due to the fruit.

Nutrition Facts: ½ cup of Sorbet contains:

Calories: 92

Fat: 0g

Carbohydrates: 23.1g

Sugar: 17g

Sherbet: Like sorbet, sherbet has a fruit-base and contains very little fat. A distinct difference is its inclusion of milk and eggs, which makes it creamier. Despite their addition, sherbet still has less calories than regular ice cream.

Nutrition Facts: ½ cup of Sherbet (Orange) contains: