Scoop KitchenRecipe check
Check a recipe before you freeze it. See how much fat, sugar and solids the base has, compared with what spins creamy, and exactly what to change.
Starting from scratch? Build your own tubpint and see the balance as you go.
Only what goes into the tubpint before freezing. Amounts like 240, 0.5, 1½ or 1/2 work, in any units.
Paste a list instead
Choose a recipe, or enter your own, to see the result.
How to use the check
- Pick one of our recipes to see why it works, or choose My own recipe and enter what goes into the tubpint before freezing. Amounts like 240, ½ or 1/2 work in any units, and you can paste a whole list.
- Leave the style on Work it out for me, or pick it yourself: ice cream, gelato, sorbet, protein and lite, frozen yogurt and the rest each have their own range.
- Read the result: each number shows where your base sits against the range that spins creamy for that style.
- Make the swaps it suggests, like a spoon of cream cheese, a little less cream or more sugar, and check again.
What the numbers mean
- Fat makes a tubpint rich and creamy. Too little tastes thin and icy; too much turns greasy or waxy.
- Sugars, including the natural sugar in milk and fruit, keep part of the water from freezing hard. Too little and the first spin is powdery or icy; too much and it is soft and runny.
- Solids are everything that is not water: milk solids, protein, cocoa and fruit fiber. They give body and keep ice crystals small. Too many feel heavy or sandy.
- Protein adds body, but a lot of it makes a tubpint freeze harder. That is why protein tubspints often need a Re-spin.
- Milk sugar (lactose) can crystallize and feel sandy when a base has a lot of milk powder or condensed milk.
- Thickeners like xanthan gum, pudding mix and cornstarch hold water in lean tubspints. A pinch is plenty: too much is gummy or slimy.
The ranges
Percent of the frozen base by weight. Our recipes sit inside these, apart from a few traditional treats like kulfi, which is made dense and sweet on purpose.
| Style | Fat | Sugars | Solids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice cream | 10–16% (rich up to 18%) | 14–21% | 30–42% |
| Gelato | 4–12% (rich up to 14%) | 16–23% | 30–42% |
| Protein or lite | 0–7% | 0–16% | 10–32% |
| Sorbet or fruit whip | 0–5% | 12–32% | 14–36% |
| Frozen yogurt | 1–10% | 13–22% | 20–38% |
| Vegan ice cream | 7–16% (rich up to 19%) | 14–22% | 26–42% |
| Smoothie bowl | 0–9% | 6–24% | 12–36% |
More on what the numbers mean: How to balance a base · What each ingredient does
Questions people ask
How does the recipe check work?
It adds up the fat, sugars, protein and solids of every ingredient in the frozen base, from its nutrition per 100 g, and shows each as a percentage of the base weight.
Why are some of my ingredients not counted?
The check only knows the ingredients in our library. Unknown ones are listed but not counted. Try a more common name, like “heavy cream” or “sugar”.
Are the numbers exact?
No, they are good estimates. Brands vary, especially protein powders, plant milks and sweeteners. Use them to see the direction, not the decimals.
Can I check a recipe from another website?
Yes. Choose My own recipe, paste the ingredient list and read it in. Look over the amounts it found before you trust the result.
Does the check work for the Deluxe?
Yes. Choose the 709 ml tubpint size. The percentages are the same for both sizes; only the amounts change.