Ice Cream Fat Calculator

Recipe Calculator

% Fat
Ingredient Weight (g) Fat Content (%) Action
Heavy cream (36% fat) will be calculated and added automatically.

Calculation Summary

Combined Non-Cream Weight: 0 g

Average Fat of Non-Cream Ingredients: 0%

This accounts for all entered ingredients before heavy cream is added.



Total ingredient weight should be 1,600g - 2000g for a single recipe.

Heavy Cream to Add:
0 g

Adding this amount will result in a final mixture weight of 0 g at exactly 0% fat.

Quick-Start Base Presets

Click a preset below to instantly load ingredient compositions. These represent common ice cream bases before heavy cream is added. These base recipes are not complete - they are meant to be used to help you create a final recipe.

Fat Percentage Guide

Below is a quick reference guide of approximate fat percentages for common ingredients to help you input recipes accurately:

  • Butter (European): 84% fat
  • Butter (U.S.): 80% fat
  • Cocoa Powder, Valrhona: 21% fat
  • Cream Cheese (regular): 33% fat
  • Crème Fraîche: 30% fat
  • Egg (whole): 9% fat
  • Egg (yolk): 32% fat
  • Half and Half: 12% fat
  • Cream (heavy): 36% fat
  • Milk (whole): 3.25% fat
  • Sour Cream (regular): 18% fat

How the Calculation Works

The amount of heavy cream to add is determined using a simple algebraic mass balance. We solve for the weight of heavy cream required to ensure that the combined fat weight divided by the total batch weight equals your target fat percentage.

Let:

  • T = Target fat percentage (expressed as a decimal, e.g., 0.14 for 14%)
  • W_i = Weight of ingredient i in grams
  • F_i = Fat percentage of ingredient i (expressed as a decimal, e.g., 0.0325 for 3.25%)
  • C = Weight of heavy cream to add in grams
  • F_c = Fat percentage of heavy cream (fixed at 0.36 for 36%)

The total fat in the mixture is the sum of fat in each ingredient plus the heavy cream:

Total Fat = Σ(W_i × F_i) + (C × F_c)

The total batch weight is the sum of weights of each ingredient plus the heavy cream:

Total Weight = Σ(W_i) + C

We want the ratio of Total Fat to Total Weight to equal our target fat T:

(Σ(W_i × F_i) + C × F_c) / (ΣW_i + C) = T

Solving this algebraic equation for C (heavy cream weight) yields the formula used by this page:

C = (T × ΣW_i - Σ(W_i × F_i)) / (F_c - T)
Boundary Rules:
  1. If the target fat percentage is 36% or more, it is mathematically impossible to reach using 36% cream (unless you add an infinite amount). The system flags this as an error.
  2. If the calculated cream weight is negative, the ingredients are already richer on average than your target. The calculator suggests adding a lower-fat liquid (like milk) to dilute the mixture.