Sugars & Sweeteners
Maltodextrin in gelato
Maltodextrin is a nonsweet, spray-dried glucose polymer made by partial hydrolysis of starch. In gelato it adds dry solids and body without adding sweetness or excessively softening the mix, thanks to its very low sweetening and anti-freezing power.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 95% |
| Water | 5% |
| Sugars | 95% |
| Fat | 0% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 9.5 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 21 |
Typical use: Roughly 1-5% of the total mix, most commonly 1-3%.
Balance maltodextrin in a real recipe
Free balancer · no signup wall · watch PAC, POD and Total Solids update live as you add it.
Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Maltodextrin is used to raise total solids and improve body, chewiness and scoopability without adding sweetness or lowering the serving temperature. Because a DE18 grade contributes only about POD 9-10 and PAC 21 (per 100 g product, sucrose = 100), it lets you boost dry matter while keeping the mix firm, which is useful in low-sugar, no-added-sugar or high-solids recipes and in sorbets that would otherwise be too soft. It also binds free water and helps limit large ice crystals during storage. Overusing it can make the texture gummy or dull the flavor release, so it is dosed as a supporting solid rather than a primary sugar.
Origin & background
Maltodextrin is defined by the U.S. FDA (21 CFR 184.1444) as a nonsweet nutritive saccharide polymer with a dextrose equivalent (DE) below 20, produced by partial hydrolysis of edible starch. Commercial maltodextrins are made from corn, potato, rice, tapioca or wheat starch and are sold across a DE range of roughly 3 to 20, with sweetness rising as DE increases. Gelato and pastry formulations typically use a DE around 18-20.