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Skimmed milk + milk powder
Less fat, but more protein and solids: the body stays, the calories drop.
🪶 New in the ICED app · coming in November
Low-calorie ice cream? Make it light as a feather: the real numbers, no wishful thinking
A classic ice cream has about 200 kcal per 100 g. A well-made light ice cream has half that and stays creamy. Go below 40 kcal, though, and it isn’t ice cream any more: it’s ice. Here you’ll find the numbers measured on our recipes, tools to make sense of them, and light recipes that genuinely work in the Ninja Creami, the Tefal Dolci and the Moulinex Dolci.
≈ 200kcal / 100 g in a classic ice cream
83light, creamy ICED recipes
0creamy ice creams under 40 kcal
🍨 How many calories are in your scoop?
Pick the type of ice cream and the portion size. A parlour scoop weighs about 60–80 g, a two-scoop cup 120–150 g. Values are the medians of more than 870 ICED recipes, calculated by our engine ingredient by ingredient.
≈ 206 kcal
🧊 The 40 kcal wall: how low can you go?
Move the slider: these are calories per 100 g. See what happens to the texture and how many ICED recipes sit in that range.
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Feather zone
Between 60 and 100 kcal: light, creamy ice cream, as long as the recipe is balanced with protein, skimmed milk, fibre and carefully dosed sweeteners. This is where ICED works.
177 ICED recipes here, 70 with a green light: these are our “Feather” recipes.
What the law says (EU Regulation 1924/2006): “low energy” only below 40 kcal / 100 g; “energy-reduced” only with at least 30% less than a similar product; “sugar-free” only below 0.5 g / 100 g. That’s why we don’t label an 80 kcal ice cream “low energy”: we call it light and give you the number.
🔧 How to make ice cream lighter without turning it into ice
The calories in ice cream come from fat and sugar. But those are exactly what keep it soft: just take them out and your Dolci or Ninja Creami will be scraping a rock-hard block. The trick is to replace them with ingredients that do the same job with fewer calories.
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Protein (skyr, quark, whey)
Adds structure and creaminess. Watch the dose: too much and the ice cream turns rubbery.
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Fibre (inulin)
Adds solids with very few calories and helps creaminess.
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Carefully dosed sweeteners
Erythritol and xylitol sweeten and soften with fewer calories, but beyond certain doses they crystallise or taste too cooling. Xylitol is toxic to dogs.
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Ripe fruit
Naturally sweeter: you need less added sugar.
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The right program + RE-SPIN
Light bases come out harder: a second spin (RE-SPIN) with a splash of milk makes them creamy.
🪶 83 low-calorie recipes that actually work
All under 100 kcal per 100 g and with a green light from the ICED engine: light, but creamy in your tub. Tap a recipe to open it in the app.
Sugar-Free Lemon Storm🪶 43 kcal / 100 gGranitaThe Lemon Grower's Granita🪶 48 kcal / 100 gGranitaRainbow Snowflake🪶 52 kcal / 100 gGranitaFrozen Lemon Sun🪶 55 kcal / 100 gGranitaFrozen Fruit Rainbow🪶 56 kcal / 100 gGranitaFrozen Lemon Bubbles🪶 57 kcal / 100 gGranitaFrozen Energy Boost🪶 59 kcal / 100 gGranitaAfternoon Snack Granita🪶 60 kcal / 100 gGranitaSoft Cocoa and Quark🍃 65 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamProtein Vanilla Snow🍃 68 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamProtein Almond Cloud🍃 68 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamField Strawberry with Yogurt🍃 69 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamPink Strawberry Cloud🍃 69 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamLemon Grove Ice🍃 70 kcal / 100 gGranitaLight Iced Coffee🍃 71 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamLight Frozen Tiramisu🍃 72 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamSparkling Kefir Cherry🍃 73 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamSugar-Free Fior di Latte🍃 74 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamStrawberry Rose🍃 74 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamMorning Coffee Cream Treat🍃 77 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamSugar-Free Freshness🍃 79 kcal / 100 gFrozen yoghurtSugar-Free Lemon Lightness🍃 79 kcal / 100 gFrozen yoghurtTurin Dark Chocolate Night🍃 80 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamCocoa Rocky Road🍃 82 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamMidnight Espresso🍃 84 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamAlpine Lemon Freshness🍃 84 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamIntense Protein Chocolate🍃 85 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamMint and Cocoa Breeze🍃 87 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamLight Peanut Cream🍃 87 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamCoconut and Mango Breeze🍃 88 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamPure White Ricotta🍃 88 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamCottage Cheese and Vanilla Sweetness🍃 88 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamLactose-Free Vanilla Cloud🍃 89 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamFrozen Cinnamon Roll🍃 89 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamMango Express 100% Fruit🍃 89 kcal / 100 gSorbetLight Almond and Cocoa🍃 90 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamWatermelon Caravan🍃 90 kcal / 100 gSorbetRipe Midday Mango🍃 90 kcal / 100 gSorbetChocolate and Peanut Embrace🍃 91 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamPink Strawberry Sweetness🍃 91 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamAutumn Dream🍃 91 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamSummer Watermelon and Fresh Mint🍃 91 kcal / 100 gSorbetWatermelon Summer🍃 91 kcal / 100 gSorbetFresh Summer Mint🍃 91 kcal / 100 gSorbetSilky Tropical Mango🍃 91 kcal / 100 gSorbetLight Vanilla Blossom🍃 92 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamProtein Dark Cocoa🍃 92 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamChurned Protein Shake🍃 92 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamShadow of Dark Cocoa🍃 92 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamSoft Vanilla Cloud🍃 93 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamGarden Strawberry and Rhubarb🍃 93 kcal / 100 gSorbetMango Wave🍃 93 kcal / 100 gSorbetTriumph of Berries🍃 93 kcal / 100 gSorbetLight Hazelnut Gianduia🍃 94 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamSparkling Watermelon and Lime🍃 94 kcal / 100 gSorbetLemon from Grandma's House🍃 94 kcal / 100 gSorbetGolden Temptation🍃 95 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamPineapple and Coconut Paradise🍃 95 kcal / 100 gGranitaExotic Raspberry🍃 96 kcal / 100 gSorbetFrench Mango in the Sun🍃 96 kcal / 100 gSorbetMango and Calamansi of the East🍃 96 kcal / 100 gSorbetRuby Red Strawberry🍃 97 kcal / 100 gSorbetProvence Strawberry🍃 97 kcal / 100 gSorbetVelvety Oceania Mango🍃 97 kcal / 100 gSorbetThe Farmer's Unusual Cherry Tomato🍃 97 kcal / 100 gSorbetCreamy Little Strawberry🍃 97 kcal / 100 gFrozen yoghurtSoft Tropical Ricotta🍃 97 kcal / 100 gGranitaWhite Silk with Vanilla🍃 98 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamSpiced Pumpkin🍃 98 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamLittle Strawberries at Sunset🍃 98 kcal / 100 gSorbetIntense Morning Raspberry🍃 98 kcal / 100 gSorbetRaspberries of the Rediscovered Wood🍃 98 kcal / 100 gSorbetStrawberry Heart🍃 98 kcal / 100 gFrozen yoghurtStrawberry and Lemon Rose🍃 98 kcal / 100 gFrozen yoghurtStrawberry at Sunset🍃 99 kcal / 100 gSorbetMango and Strawberry Tropical Duet🍃 99 kcal / 100 gSorbetSparkling Green Apple🍃 99 kcal / 100 gSorbetEnergy Peanut Cup🍃 100 kcal / 100 gLight ice creamPure Pineapple🍃 100 kcal / 100 gSorbetStrawberry and Raspberry Duet🍃 100 kcal / 100 gSorbetAndalusian Strawberry🍃 100 kcal / 100 gSorbetPure Orchard Strawberry🍃 100 kcal / 100 gSorbetSilky Milk-Free Strawberry🍃 100 kcal / 100 gSorbet
✨ FEATHER feature: coming to the app in November
The ICED app keeps evolving. In November comes FEATHER: tap any recipe and the engine rewrites it as a light version, keeping the texture light on green. If going any lighter would turn it into ice, it tells you.
Sunday Fior di Latte
199
kcal / 100 g- whole milk and cream
- sugar
- texture: ✅ creamy
🪶 Sugar-Free Fior di Latte
74
kcal / 100 g- milk and protein instead of cream
- carefully dosed sweeteners
- texture: ✅ creamy
Two real recipes already in the app: 63% fewer calories, same creaminess. With FEATHER the engine does this step for you, for any recipe.
Subscribe now: FEATHER is included at no extra cost.Get the ICED app →
🎛️ Low-calorie ice cream in your machine
Ninja Creami
Use the LITE ICE CREAM program, designed specifically for low-sugar, low-fat bases. One or two RE-SPINs are often needed: that’s normal.
Tefal Dolci and Moulinex Dolci
480 ml tub. Light bases go on the GELATO program (if your panel has LIGHT ICE CREAM, use that). If it comes out powdery: RE-SPIN with a spoonful of milk.
FAQ
How many calories are in ice cream?
Across our 870+ recipes, a custard-based ice cream averages about 200 kcal per 100 g, a fruit sorbet about 100, frozen yoghurt about 120 and a granita about 60. A parlour scoop weighs 60–80 g.
Can you make creamy ice cream under 40 kcal per 100 g?
Not by our calculations: below 40 kcal it’s almost only water and the machine shaves ice. Below that threshold you get granitas and water-based sorbets. Light, creamy ice cream starts at around 60–65 kcal.
What does “low energy” or “low calorie” mean on a label?
Under EU Regulation 1924/2006 the “low energy” claim is only allowed for foods under 40 kcal per 100 g. An 80 kcal ice cream is light, but not “low energy”.
Which Ninja Creami program should I use for low-calorie ice cream?
LITE ICE CREAM. If the result is powdery or crumbly, RE-SPIN once or even twice with a spoonful of milk.
Does light ice cream work in the Tefal Dolci or Moulinex Dolci?
Yes, if the recipe is balanced: less fat and sugar have to be made up for with protein, fibre or sweeteners, otherwise the block is too hard. The 83 recipes on this page all have a green light from the ICED engine.
Can I use erythritol?
Yes, in moderation: in large amounts it crystallises and gives a cold, minty feeling in the mouth. The ICED engine takes this into account too.
What is the FEATHER feature?
It’s the new ICED app feature arriving in November: it turns any recipe into its light version while keeping the texture creamy. Subscribers get it at no extra cost.
Related guides: Keto ice cream · Ice cream too hard? · 30 free sorbets · Ninja Creami app
Calories estimated by the ICED engine from the ingredients of each recipe (standard nutrition databases); they may vary with brands. This information is not medical or dietary advice. Moulinex, Tefal, Dolci, Ninja and Creami are trademarks of their respective owners; ICED METHOD is not affiliated with them.
🪶 FEATHER arrives in NovemberOpen the app