Dairy Queen is known for its delicious ice cream treats, including Blizzards, Dilly Bars, and soft serve cones. But what is Dairy Queen ice cream made of? In this article, we’ll go over the ingredients in Dairy Queen ice cream and explore the process of how it is made.
Ingredients in Dairy Queen Ice Cream
The ingredients in Dairy Queen ice cream include:
- Milk: Dairy Queen ice cream is made with whole milk, which gives it a rich and creamy texture.
- Cream: Dairy Queen ice cream is made with heavy cream, which adds to the richness and creaminess of the ice cream.
- Sugar: Dairy Queen ice cream is sweetened with sugar, which gives it a sweet flavor.
- Nonfat milk solids: Nonfat milk solids are a powdered form of milk that is used to stabilize the ice cream and give it a smooth texture.
- Corn syrup: Corn syrup is a sweetener that is used to add moisture and texture to the ice cream.
- Artificial flavor: Artificial flavors are added to give the ice cream a specific flavor, such as chocolate or strawberry.
- Carrageenan: Carrageenan is a thickening agent that is used to give the ice cream a smooth and creamy texture.
- Mono and diglycerides: Mono and diglycerides are emulsifiers that help to mix the ingredients together and give the ice cream a smooth texture.
- Cellulose gum: Cellulose gum is a thickening agent that is used to give the ice cream a creamy texture.
- Guar gum: Guar gum is a thickening agent that is used to give the ice cream a smooth and creamy texture.
- Carob bean gum: Carob bean gum is a thickening agent that is used to give the ice cream a smooth and creamy texture.
- Caramel color: Caramel color is used to give the ice cream a specific color, such as chocolate or vanilla.
Process of Making Dairy Queen Ice Cream
The process of making Dairy Queen ice cream involves several steps:
- Mixing: The ingredients for the ice cream are mixed together in a large tank.
- Pasteurization: The mixture is heated to a high temperature to kill any bacteria and ensure that the ice cream is safe to eat.
- Homogenization: The mixture is passed through a homogenizer, which breaks down the fat molecules and evenly distributes them throughout the mixture. This helps to give the ice cream a smooth and creamy texture.
- Aging: The mixture is cooled and allowed to age for several hours or overnight. This helps to develop the flavor and texture of the ice cream.
- Freezing: The mixture is frozen in a continuous freezer, which churns the mixture as it freezes to incorporate air and give the ice cream a smooth texture.
- Hardening: The frozen ice cream is hardened in a blast freezer, which reduces the temperature to below freezing and helps to give the ice cream a firm texture.
- Packaging: The ice cream is packaged and sent to Dairy Queen locations to be served to customers.
Conclusion
Dairy Queen ice cream is made with a combination of milk, cream, sugar, and various stabilizers and emulsifiers. The process of making Dairy Queen ice cream involves several steps, including mixing, pasteurization, homogenization, aging, freezing, and hardening. These steps help to create the rich and creamy texture and flavor that Dairy Queen ice cream is known for.