Eggless Base

A stabilized base that achieves excellent texture without eggs. Produces cleaner dairy flavor and bright color—ideal when you want flavoring ingredients to shine without competition from yolk richness.

Characteristics

Property	Value
Fat %	~9.1%
MSNF	~10.8%
Total sugar	~16.1%
PAC	~235
Target overrun	20–30%
Character	Clean, bright, dairy-forward

Formula

Component	1 Qt	2 Qt	3 Qt	4 Qt
Base
Whole milk	450g	900g	1350g	1800g
Heavy cream (36%)	150g	300g	450g	600g
Granulated sugar	90g	180g	270g	360g
Dextrose	35g	70g	105g	140g
Skim milk powder	40g	80g	120g	160g
Stabilizer blend	4g	8g	12g	16g
Fine sea salt	1.5g	3g	4.5g	6g
Base total	~771g	~1541g	~2312g	~3082g

Stabilizer Options

Use one of the following at the specified dose:

Stabilizer System	Dose (% of base)	Amount per 1 Qt
Commercial blend (Cremodan 30)	0.5%	4g
Perfect Ice Cream/Gelato	0.5%	4g
Custom blend (see below)	0.5%	4g

Custom Stabilizer Blend

If blending your own:

Component	Per 100g Blend	Per 1 Qt (4g total)
Locust bean gum	29g	1.16g
Guar gum	19g	0.76g
Lambda carrageenan	6g	0.24g
Dextrose (carrier)	46g	1.84g

Calculated Values

Fat Breakdown

Source	Amount (1 Qt)	Fat Contribution
Heavy cream (36%)	150g	54.0g
Whole milk (3.5%)	450g	15.8g
Total fat		69.8g

Fat % = 69.8g / 771g × 100 = 9.1%

PAC Calculation

Sugar	Amount (1 Qt)	PAC Value	Contribution
Sucrose	90g	100	9,000
Dextrose	35g	190	6,650
Lactose (in dairy)	~25g	100	2,500
Total			18,150

PAC = 18,150 / 771g × 10 ≈ 235

Method

Stovetop Method

Prepare Dry Blend

In a bowl, whisk together sugar, dextrose, skim milk powder, stabilizer blend, and salt. This ensures even distribution of the small amount of stabilizer.

Combine with Milk

Pour milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. With an immersion blender running, slowly add the dry blend. Blend 30 seconds to fully disperse.

Add Cream

Whisk in cream until combined.

Heat

Place over medium heat. Stir frequently with a spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent scorching. Heat until mixture reaches 85°C / 185°F.

Hold Temperature

Maintain 85°C for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. This ensures complete stabilizer hydration.

Cool

Remove from heat. Transfer to a clean container and cool in ice bath to below 4°C / 40°F.

Age

Cover and refrigerate minimum 4 hours, preferably 8–12 hours.

Churn

Churn to –5°C / 23°F (slightly warmer than custard bases due to lower fat).

Harden

Transfer to container, press plastic wrap on surface, freeze minimum 4 hours.

Sous Vide Method

An alternative that simplifies temperature control:

Prepare Dry Blend

Whisk together dry ingredients as above.

Combine in Vacuum Bag

Place milk and cream in vacuum bag. Add dry blend. Seal bag (chamber vacuum preferred; if using external sealer, freeze liquid slightly first to prevent pulling liquid into sealer).

Massage

Massage bag to distribute dry ingredients.

Cook

Sous vide at 185°F / 85°C for 30 minutes. Massage bag at 15 minutes.

Cool and Age

Cool bag in ice bath. Refrigerate 4–12 hours.

Churn

Cut bag, pour into machine, churn to –5°C / 23°F.

Sous Vide Parameters

Parameter	Value
Temperature	185°F / 85°C
Time	30 minutes
Vessel	Vacuum bag (preferred) or mason jars
Note	Higher temp than custard (no egg overcooking risk)

Flavor Extraction

Because there are no eggs to mask flavors, this base produces particularly bright, clean flavor expression.

Best Applications

Fruit — Bright, true fruit flavor
Vanilla — Pure vanilla expression without yolk backdrop
Coffee — Clean coffee notes
Mint — Vibrant, fresh mint character
Honey — Unobstructed honey flavor

Extraction Methods

Sous vide (in bag/jar):

Vanilla bean
Coffee beans
Tea leaves
Toasted spices

Cold steep (post-cook):

Fresh mint
Basil
Delicate aromatics

Post-process addition:

Extracts (below 40°C)
Fruit purées (before churn)
Honey (stir into cooled base)

Comparison: Custard vs Eggless

Property	Custard Base	Eggless Base
Fat source	Cream + yolk	Cream only
Body source	Yolk proteins	Stabilizers + SMP
Color	Yellow/cream	White/cream
Flavor	Rich, rounded	Clean, bright
Texture	Elastic, chewy	Smooth, lighter
Complexity	Layered	Direct
Best for	Rich flavors	Delicate flavors

Variations

Lower Fat (6%)

For even lighter character:

Component	1 Qt
Whole milk	520g
Heavy cream	80g
(increase SMP to 50g for body)

Lactose-Free

For lactose-intolerant consumers:

Component	1 Qt
Lactose-free whole milk	450g
Lactose-free heavy cream	150g
(reduce sugar by 10g due to increased sweetness from converted lactose)

Or treat base with lactase enzyme—see Enzyme Applications.

Extra Creamy (10% Fat)

Component	1 Qt
Whole milk	400g
Heavy cream	200g

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Solution
Gummy texture	Too much stabilizer or under-hydrated	Reduce stabilizer; ensure 85°C reached
Icy texture	Under-stabilized	Increase stabilizer; verify hydration temp
Thin/weak body	Low MSNF	Increase skim milk powder
Specks in base	Stabilizer clumped	Use immersion blender; pre-mix with sugar
Too sweet	Standard sugar level too high for no-yolk	Reduce total sugar 10–15%
Chalky/dry	Excess skim milk powder	Reduce SMP to 30g

When to Choose This Base

Choose Eggless when:

Making fruit-forward flavors
Egg allergies or dietary restrictions apply
Clean, bright flavor is priority
Making fior di latte (pure milk gelato)
Color purity matters (white base)

Choose Custard when:

Making rich, indulgent flavors
Complexity and depth desired
Traditional texture preferred
Egg flavor complements the profile

Next: Philadelphia Style Ice Cream →