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Vanilla Ice Cream: Recipe Makeover

By Sidney Fry, MS, RD
Updated: June 09, 2014
Our classic vanilla ice cream has 75% less fat—but it's still creamy and rich, thanks to one secret ingredient.
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A Lighter Churn

Photo: Randy Mayor
We believe in maintaining a healthy attitude about occasional splurges, but the fact is a scoop from a traditional recipe made with cream, eggs, and sugar yields 300 calories, with loads of saturated fat. If there's a way to get ice-cream pleasure with less of all that, bring it on.

The quest to lighten can start—as many light ice-cream recipes do—by swapping out heavy cream in favor of reduced-fat milk. That churns up a tasty dessert, but it's also an icy one—a milk ice, basically—thanks to the higher water content in reduced-fat dairy. Our trick: Trade the heavy cream for evaporated low-fat milk, which has 60% less water than regular milk. When combined with half-and-half, sugar, and the essential egg yolks, the canned milk fosters a rich custard that stays creamy instead of icy. A touch of light-colored corn syrup adds a velvety-smooth mouthfeel, and a real vanilla bean is worth the splurge for its vibrant flavor. This smarter scoop has almost half the calories, a fraction of the fat, and the lion's share of the texture and taste of full-fat ice cream.

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Creamy and Rich

Photo: Randy Mayor
Classic
• 303 calories per scoop
• 13.9 grams saturated fat
• 23.6 grames total fat

Makeover
• 161 calories per scoop
• 3.1 grams saturated fat
• 5.9 grams total fat

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Tip #1: Evaporated Low-Fat Milk

Photo: Randy Mayor
With 60% of the water removed, it yields fewer ice crystals and a creamier texture. Save 12g sat fat per serving over heavy cream.
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Tip #2: Vanilla Bean

Photo: Randy Mayor
A little pricey, but real vanilla beans make all the difference. Steeped in milk, they lend a creamier texture and maximum vanilla goodness.

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Tip #3: Corn Syrup

Photo: Randy Mayor
It's more viscous than sugar, producing a smoother mouthfeel in the final churned product that's especially noticeable the day after.
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