Dairy & Eggs
Buffalo Milk in gelato
Buffalo milk is whole milk from the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), roughly twice as rich in fat and total solids as cow milk. In gelato it acts as a naturally concentrated dairy base, delivering high fat and milk solids for a dense, creamy body.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 17.3% |
| Water | 82.7% |
| Sugars | 5.2% |
| Fat | 7% |
| MSNF | 5.1% |
| Protein | 4.3% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 0.8 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 5.2 |
Typical use: 40-65% of the mix when used as the primary fluid dairy base (in place of cow's milk), lower if combined with cream or milk powder.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Buffalo milk substitutes for cow's milk to enrich a base without extra cream, because it carries about 7% fat and ~17% total solids naturally. Its lactose (~5.2%) is a weak sweetener (POD ~16) but a normal freezing-point depressant, contributing PAC of about 5 per 100 g — similar per unit to cow milk lactose, so recalculate sugars when swapping. The high fat and casein give a fuller, denser mouthfeel and slower melt; reduce added cream and rebalance fat and MSNF accordingly. Watch total MSNF/lactose to avoid sandiness from lactose crystallization.
Origin & background
The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is the world's second most important dairy species, and buffalo milk is the second most-produced milk after cow milk, accounting for roughly 13% of global output (FAO). It is the traditional milk of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, a European PDO product, and is central to South Asian dairy, where India and Pakistan are the leading producers.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Milk, indian buffalo, fluid (FDC #171280): fat 6.89 g, protein 3.75 g, carbohydrate/lactose 5.18 g, water 84.1 g per 100 g — https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
- Guerreiro et al., Italian Journal of Animal Science — buffalo breeds milk composition (avg protein 4.76, fat 7.31, lactose 5.19, total solids 18.40 g/100 g) — https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1828051X.2018.1443288
- Buffalo milk: nutritional composition, bioactive properties and advances in processing technologies — comprehensive review, 2025 (water 82–83%, fat 6–12%, protein 4–5%, lactose 4–5.5%, ash ~0.8%) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12205600/
- FAO — Milk composition (buffalo milk fat on average twice that of cow milk; fat-to-protein ratio ~2:1) — https://www.fao.org/dairy-production-products/products/milk-composition/en