Custard vs. Ice Cream: What’s the Difference?

Contents

1 Key Difference
2 Comparison Chart
3 What is Custard?
4 What is Ice Cream?
5 Custard vs. Ice Cream
6 Explanatory Video

Key Difference

Custard and Ice Cream both are a form of sweet food served as desert. Custard and ice cream are totally different from each other but still as custard in its frozen form often mixed up with the ice cream. Ice cream is the frozen dessert which is made up of milk and cream. Sometimes fruit chunks along with different flavors are also mixed for taste. The basic difference between custard and ice cream is that custard is a cooked and it is a mixture of milk, cream, and egg yolk, whereas ice cream is not cooked and it does not contain any egg or egg yolk in it.

Comparison Chart

	Custard	Ice Cream
Definition	Custard is a cooked sweet food served as dessert. It is made up of milk, cream, and egg yolk.	Ice Cream is a frozen sweet food served as a frozen dessert or snack even. It is made up of cream, milk, and artificial flavors.
Basic Ingredients	Basic ingredients of custard include milk, cream, the yolk of egg and sugar.	Basic ingredients of ice cream include artificial flavors, milk, cream, etc.
Calories	Custard usually has fewer calories than ice cream.	Ice Cream has more calories than custard and most of the rest frozen desserts.
Flavors	Mostly fruit based flavors. Can be natural or artificial both.	Artificial flavors are used in Ice Creams. Popular ones are vanilla, chocolate, etc.
Procedure	It is cooked initially in cooker or boiler than after the blend of ingredients it is cool down in the freezer.	Ice Cream is usually made of the ice cream makers at home. It is made on heavy machines as well in industries.
Temperature at serving	Custard is usually served at 18 F, which is more as compare to Ice Cream.	Ice Cream as served as frozen dessert usually has low temperature than custard-like 10 F and even low.
Fat per cup	4 grams	11 grams
Protein Ratio	Custard has more protein in it because of egg yolk added. It is usually 4 grams per serving.	3 grams of protein per usually serving because of no egg yolk addition.

What is Custard?

Custard is a form of sweet food that is initially cooked and then cool down for serving as dessert. Custards are often served as a frozen dessert too due to which they are confused with the Ice Creams. Custards are prepared by milk, cream, and egg yolk. Egg yolk is the master ingredient of the custard that distinguishes it from ice cream and another form of desserts. Custard usually has more protein ratio but low calories as compare to ice cream because of the addition of egg yolk. Custard is prepared by cooking the milk and cream after addition of egg yolk in it. Some custard available in the market does have starch and maize mixture in them also. After cooking the custard is kept in the freezer. It is served when it is cool down as dessert and even frozen dessert too in some cases. Custards usually have natural fruit based flavors added in them.

What is Ice Cream?

Ice Cream is the form of sweet food that is served as frozen dessert and even snacks. Ice Cream is made up of milk, cream, artificial flavors and many other additives too. Egg yolk is not present in any form of the Ice Cream. Ice Cream is not cooked like the custard. It is prepared in the ice cream machines if at home and in the large container machines in the commercial industry. Ice Cream has less protein ratio in it as compare to custards but has more calories per serving. Popular artificial flavors of ice creams loved worldwide are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.