Ice Cream Vs Frozen Custard: Is There Even A Difference?

On the surface, ice cream and frozen custard look awfully similar. They're both scoopable frozen treats that are right at home in a cone, cup, shake, or sundae. And for the most part, they're made with similar ingredients; including cream, milk, and some kind of sweetener. The key difference between ice cream and frozen custard comes down to one ingredient — frozen custard contains egg yolks in it. 

Those egg yolks give frozen custard an edge when it comes to texture because it's almost always denser and creamier thanks to their inclusion. If we're going for the legal definition, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), frozen custard must contain at least 1.4% egg yolk by weight (with 10% milkfat minimum). But that's not all: Their churning styles are different too. Ice cream machines slowly build air into ice cream, giving it volume and fluffiness, while frozen custard machines avoid adding air as much as possible, contributing to its silky mouthfeel. 

What's great is you can make both ice cream and frozen custard at home. We've got a ton of ice cream recipes on our site, some of which don't require an ice cream maker. We also have a proper recipe for frozen custard, in case you'd like to try your hand at that as well.

Ice cream is great and all, but it's always nice to have choices, right? That's probably why a few fast food chains opt to serve custard instead, such as Midwestern-favorite Culver's, which is particularly known for the frozen treat in the form of shakes, sundaes, and concrete mixers. Then there's Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers (it even has "frozen custard" in its name), which, like Culver's, has an entire section of its menu dedicated to the frozen treat. Shake Shack also quietly serves frozen custard in lieu of ice cream, which is made fresh daily on-premises.

Personally, I like frozen custard a little more than ice cream thanks to its richness, but it really does depend on the situation. It's not a product you'll find as often in the grocery store's frozen aisle, so when I see a stand that sells it during the summer, you bet I'll stop in — it's definitely a treat. The secret to its luxuriousness is in that not-so-secret ingredient: egg yolks.