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Main page > Ā Ice Cream RecipesĀ  >Ā  The CreamyĀ Collection > Fior di Latte/Crema Ice CreamĀ > Ā with xanthan gum

THE LIKE-A-PRO ICE CREAM

Ice Cream
ā€¢ with xanthan gum ā€¢

With milk, cream, sugar, and xanthan gum.

This simple ice cream is just milk, cream, and sugar, thickened with xanthan; in ice cream parlours, you may find it as Fior di Latte Ice Cream. Its flavour is outstanding in its simplicity; after tasting a spoonful, you will wonder why people even put vanilla in ice cream when milk, cream and sugar alone can taste THAT good.

Xanthan gum makes for ice cream with a perfect, full-bodied mouthfeel, which churns beautifully, melts uniformly during serving, and keeps well in the freezer.

No xanthan gum? Here are 3 more ways to make this ice cream:

Fior di Latte
Philadelphia-style

THE EASY! Crowd-pleasing and easy to make. Eat now, thank us later. With milk, cream, sugar.

Fior di Latte
with corn starch

THE ITALIAN WAY. This is your hot weather ice cream: easy to make, and resistant to melting. Also the lightest in heavy cream.Ā With milk, cream, sugar, and corn starch.

Italian Crema
with egg yolks

THE FRENCH-STYLE ICE CREAM. Rich and velvety, this is a custard-based ice cream; a tad bit tricky to make, but so much worth it. With milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract.

Fior di Latte
Philadelphia-style

THE EASY! Crowd-pleasing and easy to make. Eat now, thank us later. With milk, cream, sugar.

Fior di latte
with corn starch

THE ITALIAN WAY. This is your hot weather ice cream: easy to make, and resistant to melting. Also the lightest in heavy cream.Ā With milk, cream, sugar, and corn starch.

Italian crema
with egg yolks

THE FRENCH-STYLE ICE CREAM. Rich and velvety, this is a custard-based ice cream; a tad bit tricky to make, but so much worth it. With milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolks.

or see:

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The ingredients

Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.

ā€¢ Milk: use whole milk, with around 3,5% fat. Do not substitute with skimmed milk (lower fat) or non-dairy milk. You need both the fat and the milk proteins for this ice cream recipe.

ā€¢ Cream (heavy cream – for double cream scroll to the right): for this recipe you can use heavy cream with 35% to 40% fat content. It is ok to use cream suitable for whipping or ultra-pasteurised cream with 35-40% fat content. Do not use low-fat cream or non-dairy cream.

ā€¢ Sugar: use regular sugar (white granulated sugar). Another option is raw cane sugar such as Demerara or Turbinado, which enhances the ice cream’s flavours. Do not use any other sugar or sweetener, natural or artificial, liquid or powder, like honey, stevia, golden syrup, table sweeteners, confectioner’s sugar, etc.

šŸ‡¬šŸ‡§Ā For UK readers: if you want to use double cream -which has a higher fat content (50%) than heavy cream (35-40% fat)- stir some milk into the double cream to bring it to the right fat content. Instructions in “double cream – how to use”Ā notes in the recipe.

ā€¢Ā Xanthan gum can be found in speciality shops, health food stores and online. Read more about it here.

ā€¢Ā Xanthan gum can be found in speciality shops, health food stores and online. Read more about it here.

ā€¢ Heavy cream (for double cream scroll right): for this recipe you can use heavy cream with 35% – 40% fat. It is ok to use cream suitable for whipping or ultra-pasteurised cream with 35-40% fat content.

Do notĀ use low-fat cream or non-dairy cream.

šŸ‡¬šŸ‡§Ā For UK readers: if you want to use double cream -which has a higher fat content (50%) than heavy cream (35-40% fat)- stir some milk into the double cream to bring it to the right fat content. Instructions in “Double cream: how to use” notes in the recipe.

ā€¢ Milk:Ā use whole milk, with around 3,5% fat. Do not substitute with skimmed milk (lower fat) or non-dairy milk. You need both the fat and the milk proteins for this ice cream recipe.

ā€¢ Sugar: use regular sugar (white granulated sugar). Another option is raw cane sugar such as Demerara or Turbinado, which enhances the ice cream’s flavours. Do not use any other sugar or sweetener, natural or artificial, liquid or powder, like honey, stevia, golden syrup, table sweeteners, confectioner’s sugar, etc.

Overview

This is a quick overview of the recipe. If you are new to ice cream making, do read the recipeĀ before proceeding.Ā 

In a medium saucepan bring to a rolling boil 2/3Ā of the milk & all the sugar.

Pour the boiling milkĀ into a blender jug with the cold cream and the rest 1/3 of the cold milk.

With the blender on, sprinkle the xanthan gum.

Blend for 2 minutes to fully hydrate it.

Strain the ice cream mixture and cool it down over an ice bath.

Put the ice cream mixture in the refrigerator overnight; or until completely cold.

Churn in your ice cream maker until fluffed up and creamy.

Put it in the freezer for a few hours to set.Ā 

As soon as it sets, you can either serve it from the ice cream maker bowl or transfer to a container and store it in the freezer.

Watch us making it
Image to Youtube link with video recipe.
The recipe
Ice Cream | with xanthan gum
Print recipe
  • Special equipment: ice cream maker, blender
  • Active prep: 15 mins.
  • Total time: 10-18 hrs.
  • makes: 1.2 ltr/qrt ice cream mixture (before churning), perfect for ice cream makers of 1.5 ltr/qrt capacity and bigger
  • yields: 1.4 litre/quart ice cream
  • Special equipment: ice cream maker, blender
  • Active prep. time: 15 mins.
  • Total time: 10-18 hrs.
  • yields: 1.4 litre/quart ice cream
  • ice cream maker capacity: for 1.5 ltr/qrt and up
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup = 237 ml , 1 tablespoon = 15 ml , 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
Notes:

When making ice cream prefer to weigh all the ingredients by weight. We also recommend weighing the liquids directly into the bowl/pan as you proceed with the recipe instead of transferring them from one bowl to another because this transfer causes a small -but unwanted- loss of quantity.

If you do not have a kitchen scale, follow these guidelines:
1 cup (US) = 237 ml | 1 tablespoon = 15 ml | 1 teaspoon = 5 mlĀ 

ā€¢ sugar: measuring sugar in tablespoons is more accurate than measuring it in cups. Use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon (not a regular one); this is 13 gr of sugar. To measure correctly, each time you scoop the sugar, level it with the flat side of a knife.

ā€¢ liquid ingredients: thoroughly scrape with a rubber spatula any residues left on the sides and bottom of the cup every time you measure something and empty it.

Note that the quantities in each measuring system (grams, ounces, and cups) in our recipes may not be accurate conversions, while any deviations you may notice do not affect the outcome.

This recipe yields approximately 1.24 liters (1.24 quarts) of ice cream mixture before churning, making it ideal for ice cream makers with a capacity of 1.5 to 2 liters (quarts).

To adjust the batch size based on your desired total mixture weight, use the following ingredient ratios by weight:

  • Whole milk: 48.9%

  • Heavy cream (35% fat): 34.4%

  • Sugar: 16.6%

  • Xanthan Gum: 0.12%

For example, to prepare a 1000 g (approx. 1 liter) batch of ice cream mixture, youā€™ll need:

  • Whole milk: 1000 g Ɨ 48.9% = 489 g

  • Heavy cream: 1000 g Ɨ 34.4% = 344 g

  • Sugar: 1000 g Ɨ 16.6% = 166 g

  • Xanthan Gum 1000 g Ɨ 0.12% = 1.2 g

You can scale the recipe up or down using these same percentages to match the size of your ice cream maker.

The fat content from the milk and cream in this recipe make for ice cream with approx. 14% fat, which is the lowest in fat we can go in ice cream with xanthan gum before the ice cream texture and mouthfeel start to suffer.

Other than that, we prefer our ice cream richer in butterfat; if you like it this way too, use 425 gr milk (15 oz ) & 575 g cream (20.3 oz); this makes ice cream with approx. 18% fat, with a creamier body and mouthfeel.

You can adjust the quantity of the xanthan gum in the recipe to your liking, depending on the texture you want to achieve:

  • To slightly stabilise the ice cream without affecting its texture and mouthfeel much, use 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum and decrease the sugar by 10 g (0.35 oz)
  • To create a firmer texture, which has a fuller body and mouthfeel, use 1/2 teaspoon as per the recipe (this is 0.12%)
  • For a stretchy texture similar to Booza/salep ice cream, use 1 teaspoon xanthan gum and increase the sugar in the recipe by 15 g (0.5 oz)

You can combine double cream with whole milk to make heavy cream for this recipe. To make 415 g (14.6 oz) heavy cream, you need:

  • 290 g double cream (10.2 oz) (with approx. 50% fat)
  • 125 g/ml whole milk (4.4 oz) (with approx. 3.5% fat) *

To make the heavy cream, put the double cream in a medium bowl and pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring smoothly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Avoid whisking, as it may turn into whipped cream.

The resulting heavy cream has 36% fat, perfect for this ice cream. Proceed with the recipe, just as if you had the 415 g (14.6 oz) heavy cream needed.Ā 

*this 125 g (4.4 oz) milk is extra to the 590 g milk (20.8 oz) asked in the recipe. So, if using double cream, you will need in total 715 g milk (25.2 oz), from which:

  • 590 g (20.8 oz) are for the recipe; and
  • 125 g (4.4 oz) are mixed with the double cream to make heavy cream

A flexible rubber spatula is good for:
-wiping the bottom of the saucepan when you cook dairy on the stovetop.
-scraping residues from bowls, saucepans etc.

If you do not have one, we strongly encourage you to buy one, preferably a flexible one.Ā 

Instructions
Plan ahead:

The ice cream mixture needs to cool completely and hydrate before churning, so prepare it in advance (approx. 8 hours before) to give it time to chill in the refrigerator.Ā 

If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.

šŸ“Œ Note: This recipe was updated in June 2025 to reflect two important changes: (1) the milk is now blended instead of the heavy cream to avoid the risk of buttering, and (2) the vanilla extract is now added in Step 1 along with the heavy cream.

Step 1: Make the ice cream mixture

This step is a foolproof way to bring the ingredients to the right temperature before sprinkling the xanthan gum, without using a thermometer. To sum it up, all we do is combine part of the blend that is at fridge-cold temperature and the other part that is at boiling-hot temperature. And that’s it. The blend instantly reaches our target temperature for the xanthan gum to activate efficiently (about 45ā€“65ĀŗC / 113ā€“149ĀŗF).

You can read more about this no-thermometer methodĀ here.

In this step, youā€™ll be adding xanthan gum while the blender is running. First, pour in the mixtureā€”making sure not to exceed your blenderā€™s maximum capacity for hot liquids. (Even though the liquid is warm, not hot, it can still expand slightly during blending and cause overflow.)

Secure the lid, start the blender, and let it run for a few seconds. Then, carefully remove the cap and sprinkle in the xanthan gum, aiming for the center and avoiding the edges of the opening. This helps prevent the gum from sticking to the lid or clumping along the sides.

If you’re using an immersion blender, keep the blade fully submerged and sprinkle the xanthan gum away from the blade to avoid it accumulating and clumping around the head.

Set up the blender with 1/2 of the cold milk: Pour Ā½ of the cold milk (295 g / 10.4 oz) into the blender jug and set it asideā€”ready to use. Also have the xanthan gum measured and ready. Youā€™ll need to work quickly once the milk comes to a boil.

Bring the rest of the milk and the sugar to a boil: In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining milk (295 g / 10.4 oz) and all the sugar (200 g / 7 oz).Ā 

Warm over medium-high heat, stirring often. Once the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture reaches a rolling boil (about 95Ā°C / 203Ā°Fā€”youā€™ll see large bubbles popping vigorously or the milk starting to rise), remove it from the heat immediately.

Do not let the milk come to a boil before all the sugar has dissolved, or the milk may curdle. Stirring often helps the sugar dissolve efficiently.

Blend with the cold milk: Pour the hot milk mixture into the blender jug with the cold milk. Then turn the blender on (medium speed).

Note: by combining that much boiling hot milk with that much fridge-cold cream, the blend instantly reaches approx. 52Ā°C; 125Ā°F; this is within our desired range of temperature for the xanthan gum to activate efficiently.Ā 

Sprinkle in the xanthan gum: With the blender running, slowly sprinkle in the xanthan gum (Ā½ tsp) over the surface. Blend for 2 minutes to fully hydrate it. The mixture wonā€™t thicken immediately; it will thicken as it cools.

Add the cold heavy cream:Ā Pour in the cold heavy creamĀ (415 g / 14.6 oz) and blend to combine

Step 2: Chill in the fridge overnight.

Strain the ice cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a temperature-safe bowlā€”one that can handle sudden temperature changes without breaking.
Use something like stainless steel, tempered glass (e.g. Pyrex), or sturdy heat-resistant plastic, as the bowl will go directly over an ice bath.

Cool the mixture with an ice bath: Place the bowl with the ice cream mixture inside a larger one and fill the space around it with ice cubes and cold water to create an ice bath. Make sure no water gets into the mixture. About 200 g (7 oz) of iceā€”roughly one standard trayā€”is enough to cool it down properly.

Let the mixture cool in the ice bath for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to help it cool evenly.

Chill completely: Once the mixture is no longer warm, remove the bowl from the ice bath, cover it and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days. The base should be fridge-cold before churning.

When using a home ice cream maker, the mixture needs to be properly chilledā€”fridge-cold, around 4ĀŗC to 12ĀŗC (39ĀŗF to 54ĀŗF). Youā€™ll know itā€™s ready if it feels cold when you dip your finger in.

If the mixture isnā€™t cold enough, the machine may struggle to churn it properly, and youā€™ll end up with a loose, slushy texture instead of light, fluffy ice cream.

Step 3: Churn the ice cream

Check if the ice cream mixture is cold before churning it: below 12ĀŗC / 54ĀŗF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your (clean) finger into it.

Prepare the ice cream makerĀ according to the manufacturerā€™s instructions.Ā 

Stir: the ice cream may thicken slightly after chilling; give it a vigorous and thorough stirring to loosen it; this will allow it to churn for longer and fluff up. If it is too thick, read below:

This ice cream mixture thickens as it cools, but it should still be pourable. If it gets too thickā€”like yogurtā€”just give it a quick blend with an immersion or regular blender to loosen it up before churning.

Itā€™s a small step that makes a big difference. When the mix is too thick, it struggles to trap air during churning. And without enough air, your ice cream ends up dense, icy, and hard to scoop.

If you want that light, creamy texture, make sure your mix flows easily before it hits the machine.

Not sure if itā€™s too thick? Blend it anyway. A bit more fluid is better than too stiff.

Churn: With the machine running, pour the ice cream mixtureĀ through the canister and into the ice cream maker.Ā Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-70 minutes.

This ice cream is ready when it is creamy and wavy. At this stage the texture is similar to soft-serve ice cream. Churning time varies depending on your machine and can take anywhere from 30 to 70 minutes.

To check the texture, lift a spoonful. It should be thick enough to stay on the spoon, but still soft. If it looks too thin or starts melting immediately, it needs more time.

If you’re unsure, let it churn for 10 more minutes. Keep in mind that it wonā€™t look like store-bought ice cream at this pointā€”it will still be soft. It only becomes firm and scoopable after a few hours in the freezer.

Stop the machine once the mixture is thick and creamy. If you continue churning beyond that point, the mixture can start losing the air it has built up and may seize, resulting in a dense, heavy texture.

One important note: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop automatically after a fixed time, but that doesnā€™t always mean the ice cream is ready. If your machine stops and the mixture still looks too soft, simply restart it and continue churning until the texture improves.

Ā 

Step 4: Put the ice cream in the freezer to set

Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To doĀ so, turn off the ice cream maker and:Ā 

Ā· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filledĀ with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
Ā· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowlĀ 
Ā· place it in the freezer, uncovered
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.

Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.

The setting time depends on the type of ice cream maker you’re using. Here are the general guidelines:

3ā€“5 hours for machines with removable freezer bowls (these bowls must be pre-frozen before churning)

Under 1 hour for machines with built-in compressors and aluminum bowls
āš ļø Important: Ice cream in aluminum bowls sets quickly. Do not leave it for too longā€”once fully frozen, it can become extremely hard and difficult to remove without risking scratches to the bowl. Always monitor it closely.

To check if the ice cream is ready, aim for an internal temperature of ā€“11Ā°C (12Ā°F). If you donā€™t have a thermometer, use this simple test:

Insert a round-tip knife all the way to the bottom of the ice cream:
āœ” If it goes in smoothly but meets gentle resistance, it’s ready
āœ– If it feels hard on top but soft underneath, it needs more time
āœ– If itā€™s too firm to insert the knife, itā€™s over-frozen and likely too hard to scoop

If itā€™s over-frozen, donā€™t worryā€”head to the next section for how to bring it back to scoopable.

If the ice cream sits in the freezer in the removable freezer bowl for too long after it has set, it can become too hard to scoop or remove.

To make it scoopable again:
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the ice cream to soften gradually.

Hereā€™s how long that may take:

4ā€“10 hours for removable freezer bowls (pre-freeze models)

1ā€“2 hours for aluminum bowls (from compressor ice cream makers)

Note: These times are approximate and may vary depending on your fridge and the amount of ice cream. Check the texture occasionally as it softens.

Once the ice cream is soft enough to scoopā€”or its internal temperature reads approximately ā€“11Ā°C (12Ā°F)ā€”you can:

āœ” Transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer
āœ” Or serve it directly from the bowl

Just be sure to avoid digging into an over-frozen bowl with hard utensils, especially if using a nonstick-coated or aluminum bowl.

Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve consistency and melts almost instantly on contact. At this stage, itā€™s too soft to serve neatly or transfer easilyā€”itā€™s simply too messy to handle.

Freezing the ice cream immediately after churning allows it to set properly. This step brings it to the right texture: scoopable, stable, and easy to portion or transfer into a storage container.

Itā€™s the final step that turns churned ice cream into finished ice cream.

Storing and serving

Storing: Transfer the finished ice cream to a lidded container and store it in the freezer for up to one month.
Cover it well to protect it from absorbing any unwanted freezer smells.

Scooping: Like all artisanal-style ice creams, this one freezes hard over time.
To make it scoopable again, place the container in the refrigerator for 45ā€“60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about ā€“11Ā°C (12Ā°F).
Once softened, itā€™ll scoop cleanly and serve beautifully.

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16 Responses

  1. Thank you for posting this recipe. I’ve looked high and low for a recipe with these ingredients. You would think that would be easy to find . . . but not so. Do you have a similar recipe using xanthan AND guar?

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your feedback! I haven’t got to work with guar gum yet to provide you with trustworthy instructions. It is in my plans to create a collection of ice cream recipes using a range of stabilisers, so do check occasionally for new arrivals, which may fit your liking. Until then, you can rest assured that the texture of this ice cream made with just xanthan gum is divine, so I strongly encourage you to give it a try.

      Reply

    1. Yes, you can. But for a not-so-icy mouthfeel, I would increase the cream-to-milk ratio.
      For optimal results, I would use:
      – 450 g milk, 6% fat (450 ml) and
      – 550 g heavy cream, 25% fat (550 ml)
      But a 1:1 ratio would work too:
      – 500 g milk 6% fat (500 ml) and
      – 500 g heavy cream, 25% fat (500 ml)

      Reply

  3. Thank you so much for the recipe!

    I was trying to make a gelato from 2,1/2 cups of milk, 2 yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar – they taste delicious, but I can’t get rid of the nasty ice crystals that I can feel between my teeth….

    Is there a way to obtain a store-quality texture using only milk and stabiliser?

    In other words, how to turn milk into gelato without getting a milk-sorbet šŸ˜€

    Reply

    1. Unfortunately, no, it’s not possible to make ice cream without special ingredients that are only available to professionals.
      The smooth and creamy texture of ice cream depends on the right balance of fat, sugar, and water. If there’s too much water, as in the recipe you mentioned, the ice cream will contain too much water and form icy crystals when frozen.
      Ice cream manufacturers and professionals have access to ingredients that allow them to reduce the fat or sugar content, but when making ice cream at home, it’s best to stick to the traditional method and maintain the balance of fat, sugar, and water.
      You can reduce the heavy cream and achieve the perfect ice cream texture by following a recipe that includes xanthan gum, like the one on this webpage.

      Reply

  4. Could I add vanilla and chocolate chips to this recipe? If so, when would be the best time to add these ingredients? Thank you

    Reply

    1. Absolutely! To add vanilla extract, stir it into the ice cream mixture before churning. For chocolate chips, add them during the last minutes of churning or stir them in with a wooden spoon after churning.

      Reply

  5. Hi and thanks for posting this recipe, I’m chilling the mix as we speak and I can’t wait to get churning!
    I’m a British chef, classically trained and for accuracy and convenience, where it matters, I would advise the use of kitchen scales to weigh all dry ingredients and a glass measuring jug to measure all liquids over 15ml.

    Reply

  6. Hi just bought xanthan gum but I don’t have an ice cream machine. Is there a way I can make it in the freezer or use a kitchen aid ?

    Reply

    1. Hi! Yes, thereā€™s a way to make ice cream with xanthan gum even without an ice cream maker.
      Instead of churning, you can pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze it completely. Once frozen, pulse the cubes in a food processor until smooth. This method helps break down the ice crystals and gives you a creamy texture.

      Itā€™s not quite the same as churning in a machine, and it doesnā€™t store wellā€”so itā€™s best enjoyed right after processing. But itā€™s the most effective way to get good results without an ice cream maker.

      Reply

  7. Some very good information here spoiled by a couple things:
    1) Formatting makes it difficult to impossible to copy or print out the recipe for use in the kitchen . Mixing the notes and text boxes in the text along with tips and comments renders it much less useful
    2) xanthan and guar gums are pretty finicky. It would be very helpful if you mentioned the range as a percentage of the total mixture BY WEIGHT.

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your feedback.
      1. The recipe is available in a printable formatā€”thereā€™s a ā€œPrint the Recipeā€ button in the recipe section, just below the title. This generates a clean version without extra notes or comments.
      2. The percentage by weight of each ingredient, including xanthan gum, is listed in the Notes section of the recipe.

      Reply

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