Carob Flour Ice Cream
Carob flour gives the ice cream a dark color reminiscent of cocoa and a distinctive, caramelly aroma. Thanks to its natural sweetness, it can be prepared with less sugar than classic chocolate ice cream recipes and does not contain caffeine.
In this article, we share a recipe for a custard-based creamy ice cream with carob flour, a method that can be applied without an ice cream maker, and an egg-free alternative. We also briefly touch on the role of the carob gamut, which is obtained from carob seeds, in the ice cream industry.
Why Does Carob Work Good in Ice Cream?
The taste of cocoa ice cream is intense and slightly bitter; To balance this bitterness, recipes use a lot of sugar. Carob flour, on the contrary, is naturally sweet. According to USDA FoodData Central data, 100 grams of carob flour contains 49.1 g of total sugar, 39.8 g of dietary fiber, and only 0.65 g of fat (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173755). Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of sugar in carob flour ice cream compared to cocoa recipes.
The main reason why carob can be used as a substitute for cocoa is that when roasted, it acquires a color and aroma reminiscent of cocoa. In a 2018 review by Loullis and Pinakoulaki, it is emphasized that the cocoa-like taste and unique sensory properties that become evident when roasting carob powder form the basis of its potential to be used as a substitute for cocoa in many foods. In addition, as stated in the BAKERpedia resource for the baking industry, carob powder does not add caffeine to the product, unlike cocoa.
Another advantage is its fiber content. The fiber in carob flour can bind some of the water in the ice cream mixture, contributing to a denser and velvety texture. However, if carob flour is not finely ground, it may leave a slightly gritty feeling in ice cream; therefore, finely ground flour should be preferred as much as possible.
Ingredients (approx. 1 liter)
| Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Whole milk | 500 ml |
| Liquid cream (at least 30% fat) | 250 ml |
| Egg yolk | 4 pcs |
| Granulated sugar | 80 g (approx. 6 tablespoons) |
| Fine carob flour | 40 g (approx. 5 tablespoons) |
| Carob molasses (optional) | 1 tablespoon |
| Salt | 1 pinch |
| Vanilla | 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 packet of vanillin |
Note: If you like a sweeter ice cream, you can increase the sugar to 100 grams. If you add carob molasses, reduce the sugar by 1 tbsp. l.
Instructions
1. Prepare the carob flour
Rub the carob flour through a fine sieve and mix well with half the sugar. Pre-mixing the flour with the sugar prevents it from clumping when added to the liquid.
2. Heat the milk
Put the milk and cream in a saucepan. Add the sugar-carob flour mixture and salt, whisk with a wire and heat over medium heat. When the mixture is close to boiling (small bubbles form on the edges), remove from the heat.
3. Beat the egg yolks
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining half of the sugar until lightened in color.
4. Warm the yolks
Take a ladle of the hot milk mixture and add it to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Repeat this process one more time. Thus, the eggs do not suddenly encounter the heat and cook.
5. Bake the custard base
Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the pot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it reaches a consistency that covers the back of the spoon. If you have a kitchen thermometer, it is enough for the mixture to reach 80–82 °C. Do not boil; if it boils, the egg may curdle.
6. Strain and flavor
Strain the mixture through a fine strainer and put it in a clean bowl. Add vanilla and optionally carob molasses and mix.
7. Cool it down
Cover the mouth of the container with cling film so that it touches the surface of the mixture so that it does not bind the cream. Let it come to room temperature first, then let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. A well-cooled mixture gives a creamier ice cream.
8. Freeze
If you have an ice cream maker, shake the mixture according to the machine's instructions and then put it in a freezer container and freeze for another 2–3 hours.
How to do without an ice cream maker?
- Pour the cooled mixture into a metal or glass, wide and shallow container; the shallow container allows for faster and even freezing.
- Place the container in the freezer and remove after 45 minutes. Mix the part that has begun to freeze at the edges with the liquid part in the middle with a fork or hand mixer.
- Repeat this process every 45 minutes, a total of 3–4 times. Each stirring helps to break up large ice crystals, making the texture smoother.
- After the last mixing, close the container and wait for the ice cream to freeze completely.
Egg-Free (Starchy) Option
For those who do not want to use eggs, you can prepare the custard base with starch:
- Use 600 ml of whole milk, 200 ml of cream, 80 g of sugar, 40 g of carob flour, 2 tablespoons (about 20 g) of cornstarch and 1 pinch of salt.
- Mix the starch with 100 ml of milk in a separate bowl until smooth.
- Heat the remaining milk, cream, sugar and carob flour; close to boiling, add the starchy milk and stir for 2–3 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Follow the cooling and freezing steps as above.
The starchy base gives a slightly lighter texture than the eggy base; however, the aroma of carob is felt more pronounced.
Carob Gum in the Ice Cream Industry
Carob's connection to ice cream is not limited to flour. Locust bean gum, obtained from the endosperm of carob seeds, is one of the ingredients used as a thickener and stabilizer in the ice cream industry. In the 2017 re-evaluation report of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), carob gum is defined as an authorized food additive with the number E410; It is defined as a product consisting mostly of high molecular weight galactomannans.
According to a 2014 review by Barak and Mudgil, the industrial uses of carob gum are due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. In products such as ice cream, this property helps to keep water more controlled within the structure. The EFSA report also states that the gum is insoluble in cold water and must be thawed by heating for full function.
It is not mandatory to use carob gum in the home kitchen; in the recipe above, the egg yolk, cream and the fiber in the carob flour already support the texture. If you want to try the gum, you need to mix it with sugar and add it to hot milk, as it does not dissolve in cold water, and follow the usage recommendation on the product's packaging. Even in very small quantities, it should not be overused, as it noticeably changes the consistency. For more information about carob seeds and gum What is Carob Seed? You can read our article.
Serving and Storage Recommendations
Serve: Take the ice cream out of the freezer 5–10 minutes before serving; thus, it is easier to scoop and its aroma is better felt. You can add fine carob crumbs, roasted walnuts or a few drops of carob molasses to it.
Molasses sauce: You can prepare a quick sauce by heating 3 tablespoons of carob molasses with 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of cream for 1-2 minutes on low heat. Be careful not to boil the molasses for a long time.
Storage: Store homemade ice cream in a sealed container with greaseproof paper pressed against the surface. This reduces the formation of ice crystals on the surface. Homemade ice creams can harden and ice faster than industrial products; consume within 1-2 weeks for the best flavor.
Food Safety: Cook the custard base well, cool quickly and do not refreeze thawed ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does carob flour ice cream taste similar to chocolate?
It gives a color and aroma reminiscent of cocoa; however, it is not the exact taste of chocolate. It has a sweeter, caramelly and slightly fruity taste.
Can I use carob flour and cocoa together?
Yes. You can balance the two flavors by using 20 g of carob flour and 20 g of cocoa together. In a local study on cocoa cake, it was suggested that cocoa can be replaced with carob flour up to 40% (Gerçekaslan & Boz, 2018); partial substitution is also a good starting point in ice cream. When you add cocoa, the ice cream is not caffeine-free.
Why did my ice cream get icy?
Insufficient cooling of the mixture, low oil content, or insufficient mixing in the machine-free method leads to the growth of ice crystals.
Is carob gum the same as carob flour?
Carob flour is obtained from the fleshy part of the fruit, while carob gum is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel; their functions are also different.
Carob Desserts with Carob Türkiye
Carob flour can be used as a natural alternative to cocoa in many desserts, from ice cream to cakes. At Carob Türkiye, we supply carob fruit, crumbs, flour/powder, seeds, and extracts.
For more information about carob flour What is Carob Flour Powder? For product information, Carob Flour / Powder You can review our page. For your wholesale and export requests Contact Now You can contact us on our page.
Domestic resources
Gerçekaslan, K. E., Boz, H., "The effect of carob flour addition on the physical, sensory and textural properties of cocoa cake", Journal of Iğdır University Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, 8(1), 95–101, 2018. doi.
org/ 10. 21597/ jist. 407844 Foreign sources
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, "Carob flour (FDC ID 173755), SR Legacy", FoodData Central, 2019. FDC.
horseshoes. USDA. gov/ food- details/ 173755/ Nutrients Loullis, A., Pinakoulaki, E., "Carob as cocoa substitute: a review on composition, health benefits and food applications", European Food Research and Technology, 244(6), 959–977, 2018. doi.
org/ 10. 1007/ S00217- 017- 3018- 8 BAKERpedia, "Carob Powder" (Baking Ingredients). bakerpedia.
com/ ?p=3660 EFSA ANS Panel (Mortensen, A. et al.), "Re-evaluation of locust bean gum (E 410) as a food additive", EFSA Journal, 15(1), 4646, 2017. doi.
org/ 10. 2903/ j. efsa. 2017. 4646 Barak, S., Mudgil, D., "Locust bean gum: processing, properties and food applications—a review", International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 66, 74–80, 2014. doi.
Scientific Resourcesorg/ 10. 1016/ j. ijbiomac. 2014. 02. 017
