Ice cream base recipe sized to your machine
Pick a style and your machine, and get a base formula in grams and cups with fat, sugar and solids checked.
Pick a style and your machine, and the Base Builder prints a base formula for one batch: each ingredient in grams and US cups or spoons, plus fat, sugars, milk solids and total solids, with a warning when a number is outside the normal range.
It is for home makers with a Ninja CREAMi, KitchenAid bowl, Cuisinart, compressor machine, rock salt bucket, or no machine. The numbers below are a worked example with the default inputs, and they update when you change them.
Base Builder
Philadelphia (no eggs)
28 fl oz
of base, about 911 g, for Cuisinart 1.5 qt freezer bowl
Base formula built on standard food-science ranges. We have not test-churned it.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Grams | US measure |
|---|---|---|
| Whole milk | 412 | 1 ¾ cups |
| Heavy cream | 316 | 1 ⅜ cups |
| Granulated sugar | 146 | ¾ cup |
| Skim milk powder (nonfat dry milk) | 37 | ¼ cup |
Fat, sugars and solids
| Part | This base | Usual range | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat | 14.0% | 10 to 16% | in range |
| Milk solids-not-fat | 10.0% | 9 to 12% | in range |
| Sugars (added and fruit) | 16.0% | 14 to 19% | in range |
| Total solids | 40.0% | 36 to 45% | in range |
| Protein | 3.9% | not checked |
Texture checks
Every checked number is inside the usual range.
Cuisinart ICE-21: The booklet says a recipe should make 1 1/2 quarts or less and the mix should stop 1/4 inch below the top of the bowl. Cuisinart's own vanilla recipe uses 3 cups of dairy and 3/4 cup of sugar, about 3 1/2 cups of base.
Philadelphia (no eggs): 28 fl oz of base, 14.0% fat, 16.0% sugars, no warnings.
How the base builder works
Shares: fixed ingredients as set; the rest solved so fat, milk solids and sugars hit the style's targets
Base weight = batch fl oz × 29.57 mL × 1.1 g per mL
Each ingredient = its share × base weight; cups from its FoodData Central cup weight
The Base Builder starts with the style you pick. Each style has targets as a percent of the mix by weight and a list of ingredients. Some ingredients sit at a fixed share, such as egg yolks at 6% in French custard. The tool works out the rest so the mix hits the targets, using ingredient make-up from USDA FoodData Central.
Next it sizes the batch. Each machine preset comes from the maker’s own manual or product page. The one exception is the Ninja CREAMi pint, where 14 fl oz is our own choice, so the Ninja CREAMi bases from the tool fill one pint. The batch volume becomes a weight at 1.1 grams per milliliter, the mix density in the University of Guelph worked examples. Each ingredient’s grams are its share of that weight, and its cups come from its FoodData Central cup weight.
The default shows the steps. A Philadelphia style ice cream base recipe for the Cuisinart 1.5 qt bowl takes 28 fl oz, about 911 g. That matches the size of Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes for that bowl, where the maker’s own vanilla uses about 3 1/2 cups. The weight splits into 412 g whole milk (1 3/4 cups), 316 g heavy cream (1 3/8 cups), 146 g granulated sugar (3/4 cup) and 37 g skim milk powder (1/4 cup).
Last, it checks the mix against normal ranges from the University of Guelph Ice Cream Technology e-Book by H. Douglas Goff. The default lands at 14.0% fat, 16.0% sugars, 10.0% milk solids-not-fat and 40.0% total solids, so no warnings show. Every formula is a base built on standard food-science ranges. We have not test-churned or tasted any of them.
The styles at their standard settings
| Style | Fat | Milk solids | Sugars | Total solids | Checked against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia (no eggs) | 14.0% | 10.0% | 16.0% | 40.0% | hard-frozen ice cream |
| French custard (egg yolks) | 14.0% | 10.0% | 16.0% | 41.3% | hard-frozen ice cream |
| Gelato style (more milk, less cream) | 7.0% | 11.5% | 17.0% | 35.5% | light and low-fat ice cream |
| Sorbet (fruit, no dairy) | 0.2% | 0.0% | 30.0% | 32.3% | sorbet |
| Sherbet (fruit with a little milk) | 1.2% | 3.0% | 31.5% | 36.7% | sherbet |
| No-churn (condensed milk and whipped cream) | 23.6% | 12.9% | 19.7% | 56.2% | hard-frozen ice cream |
| Ninja CREAMi base | 12.0% | 10.0% | 15.0% | 37.0% | hard-frozen ice cream |
| Protein (milk powder, low fat) | 2.0% | 13.0% | 16.0% | 31.0% | light and low-fat ice cream |
Usual ranges
| Product | Fat | Milk solids | Sugars | Total solids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hard-frozen ice cream | 10 to 16% | 9 to 12% | 14 to 19% | 36 to 45% |
| light and low-fat ice cream | 3 to 8% | 11.5 to 13% | 16 to 17% | 33.5 to 36% |
| sherbet | 0.5 to 1.5% | 2 to 3.5% | 30 to 33% | none given |
| sorbet | none given | none given | 30 to 33% | none given |
Sugars here are added sweeteners and fruit sugars, not the lactose inside milk solids.
Machine batch sizes
| Machine | Maker and model | Base | How we sized it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninja CREAMi pint (16 oz) | SharkNinja Ninja CREAMi NC300 series (NC299AMZ, NC300, NC301) | 14 fl oz (1 ¾ cups) | The owner's guide says never to fill past the MAX FILL line and does not give that line in cups. Ninja's own ice cream recipes put about 1 3/4 cups of liquid (3/4 cup cream and 1 cup milk) in one pint, so we size the base at 1 3/4 cups. |
| KitchenAid ice cream bowl (2 qt) | KitchenAid Ice cream maker attachment KICA0WH (and KSMICM) | 46 fl oz (5 ¾ cups) | The use and care guide says the starting mixture should not exceed 46 oz (1.4 L) to make 2 quarts. |
| Cuisinart 1.5 qt freezer bowl | Cuisinart ICE-21 | 28 fl oz (3 ½ cups) | The booklet says a recipe should make 1 1/2 quarts or less and the mix should stop 1/4 inch below the top of the bowl. Cuisinart's own vanilla recipe uses 3 cups of dairy and 3/4 cup of sugar, about 3 1/2 cups of base. |
| Cuisinart 2 qt freezer bowl | Cuisinart ICE-30BC | 40 fl oz (5 cups) | The booklet says a recipe should make 2 quarts or less and the mix should stop 1/2 inch below the top of the bowl. Cuisinart's own vanilla recipe uses 4 1/2 cups of dairy and 1 1/8 cups of sugar, about 5 cups of base. |
| Compressor machine (about 1 qt) | Whynter ICM-128BPS (1.2 qt) | 23 fl oz (2 ⅞ cups) | The manual lists a 1.2 quart capacity and says the mixture must not go above 60% of the bowl's capacity, because it expands as it freezes. 60% of 1.2 quarts is about 23 fl oz. |
| Ice and rock salt bucket (4 qt) | Nostalgia PICM4BG | 85 fl oz (10 ¾ cups) | The manual says not to fill the 4 quart canister more than 2/3 full, because the mixture expands as it freezes. Two thirds of 4 quarts is about 85 fl oz. |
| Ice and rock salt bucket (6 qt) | Nostalgia ICMP600WD | 128 fl oz (16 cups) | The manual says not to fill the 6 quart canister more than 2/3 full. Two thirds of 6 quarts is 4 quarts, or 128 fl oz. |
Numbers and sources we use
- Ingredient make-up for cream, milk, milk powder, sugar, dextrose, egg yolks, condensed milk, strawberry purée and cocoa comes from USDA FoodData Central, checked October 27, 2026.
- Batch volume becomes weight at 1.1 grams per milliliter, the mix density used in the University of Guelph worked examples.
- Normal ranges for fat, milk solids-not-fat, sugars and total solids come from the University of Guelph Ice Cream Technology e-Book by H. Douglas Goff.
- Sweetened condensed milk is split into milk solids and added sugar using the University of Guelph figure that milk solids-not-fat average 38% protein.
- Each machine's batch size comes from the maker's own manual or product page, such as 46 fl oz for the KitchenAid bowl and 28 fl oz for the Cuisinart 1.5 qt.
- The Ninja CREAMi pint size of 14 fl oz is our planning choice, since the owner's guide gives no cup figure for its MAX FILL line and Ninja's own recipes use about 1 3/4 cups.
- Richness and sweetness steps move the fat or sugars target by 2 percentage points.
Questions people ask
How much ice cream base goes in my Ninja CREAMi?
About 14 fl oz, or 1 3/4 cups, per pint. The owner's guide says never to fill past the MAX FILL line but does not give that line in cups. Ninja's own ice cream recipes put about 1 3/4 cups of liquid in one pint, so we size the base there. The Ninja CREAMi base style aims for 12% fat, 10% milk solids-not-fat and 15% sugars.
Have you tested these formulas in a machine?
No. Every formula the Base Builder prints is a base formula built on standard food-science ranges. We have not test-churned, tasted or perfected any of them. Use the numbers as a starting point, and use the richness and sweetness steps to adjust.
Why does the no-churn base show warnings?
Because it sits outside the churned ice cream ranges on purpose. At 23.6% fat, 19.7% sugars and 56.2% total solids, it is well above the usual numbers. With no churning, whipped cream supplies the air, and the extra sugar keeps it soft enough to scoop. It is sized by the can: one 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk with about 2 cups of heavy cream.
Why do the cups not add up to the batch size?
Because sugar and milk powder dissolve into the liquid. The tool turns your batch volume into a weight at 1.1 grams per milliliter, splits that weight among the ingredients, then converts each one to cups using its own FoodData Central cup weight.
What is the right batch for Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes?
It depends on the bowl. For the 1.5 qt ICE-21 we use 28 fl oz (3 1/2 cups), and for the 2 qt ICE-30BC we use 40 fl oz (5 cups). Both line up with Cuisinart's own vanilla recipes, and the booklets say to leave room at the top of the bowl.
Does French custard count as frozen custard under US rules?
By the yolk numbers, yes. The French custard style puts egg yolks at 6% of the mix by weight, which gives about 2.9% egg yolk solids. That is above the 1.4% that 21 CFR 135.110 requires for a product sold as frozen custard. The same rule says ice cream has at least 10% milkfat.
Sources
- Ice Cream Technology e-Book: Ice Cream Mix General Composition H. Douglas Goff, University of Guelph
- Ice Cream Technology e-Book: Suggested Mixes for Ice Cream H. Douglas Goff, University of Guelph
- Ice Cream Technology e-Book: Overrun calculations H. Douglas Goff, University of Guelph
- 21 CFR 135.110, Ice cream and frozen custard Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
- Cream, fluid, heavy whipping (FDC 170859) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D (FDC 171265) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Milk, dry, nonfat, regular, without added vitamin A and vitamin D (FDC 170877) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Sugars, granulated (FDC 169655) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- DEXTROSE PURE AND NATURAL SWEETENER, DEXTROSE (FDC 1991846) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Egg, yolk, raw, fresh (FDC 172184) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened (FDC 171275) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Strawberries, raw (FDC 167762) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (FDC 169593) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- SharkNinja Ninja CREAMi NC300 series (NC299AMZ, NC300, NC301): NC300 series owner's guide SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- SharkNinja Ninja CREAMi NC300 series (NC299AMZ, NC300, NC301): NC300 series recipe guide SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- KitchenAid Ice cream maker attachment KICA0WH (and KSMICM): KICA0WH use and care guide SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- KitchenAid Ice cream maker attachment KICA0WH (and KSMICM): KSMICM product page SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Cuisinart ICE-21: ICE-21 instruction booklet SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Cuisinart ICE-21: ICE-21P1 product page SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Cuisinart ICE-30BC: ICE-30BC instruction booklet SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Cuisinart ICE-30BC: ICE-30BCP1 product page SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Whynter ICM-128BPS (1.2 qt): ICM-128 user manual SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Whynter ICM-128BPS (1.2 qt): ICM-128BPS product page SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Nostalgia PICM4BG: PICM4BG instruction manual SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Nostalgia PICM4BG: PICM4BG product page SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Nostalgia ICMP600WD: ICMP600WD instruction manual SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
- Nostalgia ICMP600WD: ICMP600WD product page SharkNinja, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Whynter and Nostalgia
Every data source the site uses is on the Sources page.