Scoop Kitchen
What pudding mix does
Instant pudding mix is mostly modified starch and thickeners, plus flavour and sugar or sweetener. In a CREAMi base it does three things:
- It thickens the base without cooking.
- It holds on to water, so ice crystals stay small.
- It gives body to thin, low-fat bases, so they spin smoother and less powdery.
How much to use
1 tbsp per 473 ml16 oz (473 ml) tubpint is the usual amount. Very thin bases, such as skim milk or a watery protein shake, can take up to 2 tbsp. More than that turns the texture pasty and gummy. For the Deluxe 709 ml24 oz tubpint, use 1.5 times as much.
Instant, sugar-free or regular
- Use instant pudding, not the cook-and-serve kind.
- Sugar-free suits protein and lite tubspints.
- Regular adds a little sugar, which also helps keep the tubpint soft.
- Vanilla, cheesecake and white chocolate flavours are neutral. Chocolate suits chocolate bases.
Mixing it in
Whisk or blend the powder into the milk until there are no lumps, then let it stand for 5 minutes. The base thickens a little but should still pour easily. Pour to the max fill line and freeze for 24 hours.
No pudding mix? Use one of these
- Xanthan gum: ΒΌ tsp, blended in well. The strongest helper, so measure carefully.
- Cornstarch: 1 tbsp, cooked in part of the milk until it thickens, then cooled.
- Cream cheese: 15 g, softened and whisked in.
- Instant custard powder: works like pudding mix where pudding mix is hard to find.
