Custard vs. Ice Cream — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on October 15, 2023
Custard and ice cream are both creamy desserts, but while custard is made with milk, sugar, and eggs, ice cream typically emphasizes milk, cream, and sugar. The presence of eggs gives custard a richer texture.
Difference Between Custard and Ice Cream
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Custard is a dessert preparation that primarily combines milk, sugar, and eggs. These ingredients are heated together until they form a thick, creamy consistency. Custards can be either sweet, as in dessert preparations, or savory in some dishes. The inclusion of eggs gives custard its distinct rich and velvety texture, making it a staple in many classic desserts.
Ice cream, on the other hand, is a sweetened frozen dessert made mainly from milk, cream, and sugar. While it can sometimes contain eggs, it's not as predominant as in custard. The process involves churning and freezing, resulting in a smooth, soft, or firm frozen delight. Ice creams come in a myriad of flavors and are beloved worldwide for their cold, refreshing taste.
Another difference between custard and ice cream is their serving state. Custard is generally served in a creamy, non-frozen state (unless you're referring to frozen custard, a variant). In contrast, ice cream is always served frozen. The preparation methods differ significantly, with ice cream requiring special equipment like churners or ice cream makers.
In terms of texture, because of the egg content, custard has a denser, creamier feel in the mouth. Ice cream can also be creamy, but its texture is influenced more by the fat content from cream and the particular churning process used.
Lastly, while both desserts can be flavored in countless ways, custards often have a more delicate, subtle profile, emphasizing the richness of the eggs. Ice cream flavors can be bold and varied, ranging from simple vanilla to exotic blends.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Ingredients
Milk, sugar, and eggs
Milk, cream, and sugar
Texture
Creamy and dense due to eggs
Creamy to icy; depends on churning and recipe
Serving State
Usually non-frozen
Frozen
Variations
Can be sweet or savory
Primarily sweet
Preparation Equipment
Stove or oven
Churner or ice cream maker
Compare with Definitions
Custard
A base often used for puddings and pie fillings.
The custard inside the pie was perfectly set.
Ice Cream
A sweet treat churned to a creamy consistency.
The homemade ice cream was a hit at the barbecue.
Custard
A preparation that can be either sweet or savory.
For dinner, she made a savory mushroom custard.
Ice Cream
Often flavored with fruits, chocolates, or nuts.
The store had a new flavor: raspberry walnut ice cream.
Custard
A creamy dessert made from milk, sugar, and eggs.
I topped my fruit salad with some silky custard.
Ice Cream
A frozen dessert made from milk, cream, and sugar.
She bought vanilla ice cream for the party.
Custard
A mixture that sets as it's heated, due to egg content.
The custard for the éclairs was rich and velvety.
Ice Cream
Served in scoops on cones or in bowls.
He had three scoops of ice cream on his waffle cone.
Custard
A sauce often served with desserts.
The warm custard sauce was perfect with the apple pie.
Ice Cream
A product that can be soft-serve or hard-packed.
She prefers soft-serve ice cream on a summer day.
Custard
A dish consisting of milk, eggs, flavoring, and sometimes sugar, boiled or baked until set.
Ice Cream
A sweet, smooth, frozen dessert made from dairy products such as cream or milk, sugar or other sweeteners, and flavorings.
Custard
A type of sauce made from milk and eggs (and usually sugar, and sometimes vanilla or other flavourings) and thickened by heat, served hot poured over desserts, as a filling for some pies and cakes, or cold and solidified; also used as a base for some savoury dishes, such as quiches, or eaten as a stand-alone dessert; egg custard.
Ice Cream
A serving of this dessert
At the ball game, I bought an ice cream.
Custard
A mixture of milk and eggs, sweetened, and baked or boiled.
Ice Cream
Alternative spelling of ice cream
Custard
Sweetened mixture of milk and eggs baked or boiled or frozen
Common Curiosities
Can ice cream contain eggs?
Yes, some ice cream recipes, especially "French-style," contain egg yolks for a richer texture.
Can custard be frozen like ice cream?
Yes, there's a dessert called "frozen custard" which is like ice cream but denser due to its egg content.
Which has more fat, custard or ice cream?
It can vary, but often ice cream has more fat due to the cream content, while custard gets its richness from eggs.
Is custard always made with eggs?
Yes, traditional custards use eggs as a primary ingredient for texture and richness.
Is crème brûlée a type of custard?
Yes, crème brûlée is a type of baked custard with a caramelized sugar top.
Is gelato different from ice cream and custard?
Yes, gelato is denser and has a lower fat content than most ice creams but is similar to frozen custard.
How do I make vegan custard without eggs?
Vegan custard often uses ingredients like cornstarch or agar for thickening, and plant-based milks.
Can I use custard as an ice cream base?
Yes, many ice cream recipes start with a custard base, especially those labeled "French-style."
Why is my ice cream icy and not creamy?
It could be due to various factors: high water content, insufficient churning, or incorrect storage.
Can custard be flavored like ice cream?
Absolutely! Custard can be flavored with vanilla, chocolate, fruits, and more, much like ice cream.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
