PLANT BASED DAIRY ALTERNATIVES 2021
or oat as a base, but it gives the
manufacturer a choice. The water
based option can be easier for
processing because not all manufacturers
will have the pump that
is capable of handling such a high
viscosity mix.”
Recipe 2: Coffee Oat
Frozen Dessert
Oats are commonly used as a protein
base for dairy-free milk alternatives
and desserts, in part
because they are widely available
globally but also because consumers
are aware of their health benefits.
In frozen desserts, oats also
do a good job of replicating the
creaminess of dairy.
“This recipe was more straightforward
because we used hydrolysed
oat protein, which has lower
viscosity,” explains Marilyn.
“We added instant coffee to this
recipe, and we wanted to see if it
would lower the pH of the product
but in this case, it didn’t affect the
texture and flavour unfavourably.”
Recipe 3: Almond Oat
Frozen Dessert with Inulin
Nuts are one of the most widely
used plant-based protein sources
in dairy-free products, so almond
was chosen as a base for the third
concept.
“We used it here with an oat
base and it worked well,” says Li
Ying. “Almond has a fairly mild flavour
and it’s a taste that is favourable
to many consumers as well.
“We added inulin, as a bulking
agent to the plant-based frozen
dessert to increase the solid content
and at the same time improve
the overall texture and achieving
a creamy mouthfeel on the final
product.“
Recipe 4: Sesame,
Chickpea Frozen Dessert
However, it’s not just about the
popular flavours of the moment.
Li Ying and Marilyn wanted to demonstrate
that lesser-known protein
sources can also be used to create
frozen desserts and for manufacturers
who want to experiment with
new concepts, Palsgaard’s emulsifier
and stabiliser blends can help
boost new product development.
“We’ve been working with sesame
paste for other products so we
thought we would try it out here in
a frozen dessert and it turned out
well,” confirms Li Ying.
TIPS FOR
MANUFACTURERS
There’s a lot of things to take into
consideration when developing
a plant-based frozen dessert, so
where’s the best place to start?
“I would say the most important
thing, first of all, is to identify the
plant protein that you want to use,
as every plant-base has different
texture and functionality. Depending
on the choice of plant-based
protein, the ingredients in the recipe
should be adjusted accordingly.”
says Li Ying.
Marilyn agrees, noting the importance
of understanding that a
plant-based recipe won’t be the
same as a dairy’s recipe, “so manufacturers
need to think about what
qualities they want to replicate.”
She says: “As these recipes
demonstrate, Palsgaard ExtruIce
379 can contribute to a different
mouthfeel so if you have a dessert
which is very high viscosity, we can
help solve this. Palsgaard has a
wide range of emulsifier and stabiliser
blends that can address different
requirements of manufacturers
like better melt-down resistance,
excellent heat-shock stability, and
rich and creamy mouthfeel to name
a few.”
CARING FOR THE
PLANET
The ingredients used to make
plant-based frozen desserts are
wide-ranging and as such, the finished
products can vary significantly
when it comes to sustainability. “It
often depends on the different protein
base of the plant,” explains Li
Ying. “Almonds might have a higher
carbon footprint compared to other
nuts, for example, so it’s difficult for
the finished product to be entirely
sustainable.”
However, manufacturers can be
confident that Palsgaard ExtruIce
379, like all Palsgaard’s ingredients,
will meet the needs of ecoconscious
consumers.
Marilyn says: “Every product we
produce is made in C02 neutral facilities,
so Palsgaard is at the forefront
of lowering carbon emissions. That is
definitely a plus-point for manufacturers
who want to promote the sustainability
of the ingredients and the
product.” Photos: Palsgaard
10 · September/October 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com
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