Are you the kind of person who loves a big bite of honeycomb, chocolate chunk, or gooey brownie in your ice cream… or do you prefer it silky, creamy, and as smooth as possible?
This is the age-old ice cream debate. The kind that can make or break a shared tub at home. Picture it: you’re at the freezer aisle, only allowed to pick one flavour for everyone. The smooth-ice-cream lovers are giving you the look. The chunky fans are quietly plotting their own dessert run.
So, which side are most of us on?
If you are Team CRUNCH then…
Globally, it turns out you are with the majority. A whopping 65% of ice creams sold last year had mix-ins from cookie dough to nuts, biscuit pieces, and swirls of sauce while just 35% stayed smooth. And the reason is because it turns out Team Crunch like those little “surprises” in each scoop gives it more than just flavour. They add a moment. The crunch of an almond. The crumble of a biscuit. The chewy hit of brownie. It’s indulgence with every bite.
And here’s the thing this isn’t just a UK trend. Across the world, people are getting adventurous. “Crinchy” textures (that crispy-meets-crunchy sweet spot) are on the rise, and artisan makers are experimenting with wild inclusions, think chilli chocolate, salted pretzel, or even miso caramel. Have you tried these yet?
Don’t worry Team SMOOTH…
Let’s be honest smooth isn’t “boring”, Vanilla alone still ranks as one of the world’s best-selling flavours. It’s the perfect canvas for any topping, syrup, or sauce. And sometimes, you just want that uninterrupted, melt-in-your-mouth spoonful with no crunchy surprises lurking.
Smooth ice cream is also a hero for consistency, easier to scoop, easier to portion, and often with a longer shelf life than chunk-filled varieties. Plus it goes with pretty much anything – cake, brownies, apple strudel, tarts etc
What does this mean for you, the ice cream makers?
Whether you’re running an artisan parlour or producing at scale, the choice between chunky and smooth isn’t just about flavour it’s about production ultimatley. Dry inclusions can shorten shelf life if not handled right, and they require machinery that can mix them in evenly without damaging the texture. If you want to know which machinery is best then contact our sales team and they will be able to help as they are experts on this topic. Whether it is the right batch freezers, mixers, pasteuriser etc we can help. So, the big question is… which team are you on?
- https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en-US/trends-insights/ice-cream-trends-texture
- https://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/94921-consider-inclusions-influence-on-ice-creams-shelf-life
- https://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/94804-elevate-dairy-offerings-with-inclusions
- https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en-US/trends-insights/why-inclusions-make-difference
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213846324000786
- https://www.idfa.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2404080_IDFA_Ice_Cream_Analysis_Final3.pdf
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