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The Science of Ice Cream: Why Texture, Melting, and Creaminess Matter

Season 2 Episode 2· Whimsical Wavelengths

Episode overview

Ice cream may seem simple, but it is one of the most complex foods we regularly eat. In this episode of Whimsical Wavelengths, we explore the science behind ice cream—how it freezes, melts, flows, and feels the way it does—through the lens of food science and even volcanology.

From fat networks and ice crystals to melting tests and rheology, this conversation reveals why ice cream behaves less like a frozen liquid and more like a carefully engineered material.

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What we discuss in this episode

  • Why ice cream is a multi-phase material made of ice, fat, air, and liquid

  • How fat networks give ice cream its structure and creaminess

  • What controls melting rate and why some ice cream “doesn’t melt”

  • How sugar affects freezing point and scoopability

  • The role of gums and stabilizers in texture and shelf life

  • Why soft serve, gelato, custard, and hard ice cream behave differently

  • How food science overlaps with volcanology and rheology

Ice cream as a material, not just a dessert

Ice cream is not a solid—it is a structured mixture of phases. It contains ice crystals, fat globules, air bubbles, proteins, and a liquid serum phase where sugars and salts remain dissolved. The balance between these phases determines how ice cream flows, melts, and feels in the mouth.

In this episode, ice cream is compared to magma: both are complex mixtures whose behavior depends on internal structure, temperature, and composition. Concepts like viscosity, rheology, and even glass transition temperature apply to both.

Why ice cream melts the way it does

Melting is not just about temperature. Ice cream can melt internally—ice turning to water—without collapsing. This is why some products appear not to melt in the sun.

Two major factors control melting behavior:

  • Stabilizers and gums, which increase viscosity and slow structural collapse

  • Fat networks, where partially coalesced fat globules form a strong framework

These properties can be measured experimentally using standardized “meltdown tests” that track mass loss over time.

Texture, mouthfeel, and creaminess

Creaminess is not flavor—it is fat. Fat and oil phases create the smooth, rich mouthfeel associated with ice cream. Reducing fat changes texture far more than taste.

The episode also explores:

  • How stabilizers can mask graininess caused by large ice crystals

  • Why ice crystals grow during freezer storage

  • Why reformulating ice cream often prioritizes manufacturing and stability over flavor

Guest: Dr. Abigail Thale

Dr. Abigail Thale earned her PhD at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she studied how fat networks in dairy foods—particularly ice cream—affect sensory and rheological properties. She now works as an industry consultant and science communicator, applying food science research to real-world products.

From dairy to plant-based ice cream

The episode also examines why dairy ice cream is difficult to replicate using plant-based fats. Milk fat is uniquely suited to forming stable fat networks because it exists as both solid and liquid over relevant temperatures.

Plant-based fats such as coconut or palm oil can approximate these structures, but differences in melting behavior and texture remain a challenge—especially during storage and consumer use.

Key questions explored

  • What makes ice cream creamy rather than icy?

  • Why does sugar control softness and freezing behavior?

  • How do fat networks form during manufacturing?

  • Why does ice cream texture degrade over time?

  • Why is vegan ice cream harder to engineer than dairy ice cream?

Frequently asked questions

Why doesn’t all the water in ice cream freeze?

Sugars and salts lower the freezing point, leaving part of the water unfrozen in a liquid serum phase.

What makes ice cream scoopable?

Sugar concentration, fat structure, air content, and storage temperature all control scoopability.

Does ice cream taste worse today than it used to?

There is no strong evidence of declining quality. Modern cold-chain logistics may actually preserve texture better than in the past.

Why are soft-serve flavors limited?

Soft-serve machines cannot easily handle inclusions like chips or dough, and formulations must flow through narrow nozzles.

Episode details

  • Podcast: Whimsical Wavelengths

  • Season: 2

  • Episode: 2

  • Topic: Food Science · Ice Cream · Rheology

  • Guest: Dr. Abigail Thale

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