If you love Halo Top, then you're going to want to read this...
Strawblackcat
Posts: 944 Member
So, I think that pretty much all of Myfitnesspal agrees that Halo Top is awesome. I also think that most of us also agree that, at almost $5.00 a pint (for most of us,) the eating an entire pint of Halo Top on a regular basis is entirely too expensive. So, as someone who likes to waste her time fooling around in the kitchen, I decided to re-engineer the Halo Top recipe. I just make a basic vanilla flavor, but you could play with this basic recipe by adding mix-ins and by using various flavors of whey protein to create different flavors. The best part of this recipe (other than being able to make your own Halo Top at home for super-cheap,) is that this ice cream is actually soft and scoop-able right out of the freezer. No need to let it defrost before eating, like you do with actual Halo Top.
Enjoy!
Vanilla Bean "Halo Top" Recipe
Yields : 1 pint of super-delicious, super-healthy ice cream
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. of Isomaltooligosaccharide Syrup (Like FiberYum or VitaFiber)
- 16 g of Erythritol
- 0.50 large Egg (Use good eggs, or buy pasteurized eggs: you’ll be eating them raw)
- 1 cup, Milk - Reduced fat, 2% milkfat (Whole would also work, or skim + 1 tbsp. of cream)
- 0.50 scoop of Whey Protein (Choose one that you like the flavor of)
- 0.25 tsp of Table Salt
- 1.50 Teaspoon of Sugar
- 2 tsp of Vegetable Glycerin
- 0.25 tsp of Xanthan Gum
- 1 tsp. of Vanilla EXTRACT (not a non-alcoholic flavoring!)
-0.50 tsp Vanilla Bean Powder (optional, but it looks pretty)
Directions:
1. Freeze ice-cream-maker bowl until solid
2. Blend all ingredients together well
3. Pour into ice-cream-maker
4. Let the ice-cream-maker do it's thing until the ice cream is the consistency of soft-serve
5. Put into a freezer-safe container and freeze until you're ready to enjoy a pint of DIY Halo Top!
Servings: 4
Per serving:
Calories: 79
Total Fat: 2 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Sodium: 196 milligrams
Potassium: 113 milligrams
Total Carbohydrates: 16 grams
Dietary Fiber: 4 grams
Sugar: 5 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Enjoy!
Vanilla Bean "Halo Top" Recipe
Yields : 1 pint of super-delicious, super-healthy ice cream
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. of Isomaltooligosaccharide Syrup (Like FiberYum or VitaFiber)
- 16 g of Erythritol
- 0.50 large Egg (Use good eggs, or buy pasteurized eggs: you’ll be eating them raw)
- 1 cup, Milk - Reduced fat, 2% milkfat (Whole would also work, or skim + 1 tbsp. of cream)
- 0.50 scoop of Whey Protein (Choose one that you like the flavor of)
- 0.25 tsp of Table Salt
- 1.50 Teaspoon of Sugar
- 2 tsp of Vegetable Glycerin
- 0.25 tsp of Xanthan Gum
- 1 tsp. of Vanilla EXTRACT (not a non-alcoholic flavoring!)
-0.50 tsp Vanilla Bean Powder (optional, but it looks pretty)
Directions:
1. Freeze ice-cream-maker bowl until solid
2. Blend all ingredients together well
3. Pour into ice-cream-maker
4. Let the ice-cream-maker do it's thing until the ice cream is the consistency of soft-serve
5. Put into a freezer-safe container and freeze until you're ready to enjoy a pint of DIY Halo Top!
Servings: 4
Per serving:
Calories: 79
Total Fat: 2 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Sodium: 196 milligrams
Potassium: 113 milligrams
Total Carbohydrates: 16 grams
Dietary Fiber: 4 grams
Sugar: 5 grams
Protein: 6 grams
20
Replies
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I'm taking this and starting a business now.
Thanks for the recipe. I'll have to make it sometime.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Thanks for posting your work. I tried 4 flavors of HT and was really underwhelmed by it considering the price vs calories saved over "regular" brands of lower calorie/sugar ice creams like Breyers. For my $ if I'm spending that much for the "experience" I would buy Arctic Zero instead. I've been considering making my own version of these products.1
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Great, another thing that sounds impossible in New Zealand :-( I imagine this would be expensive to make here. I feel sad about not having Halo or Ben and Jerry's.0
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I honestly wouldn't even know where to find most of that stuff
That reminds me that I should really get an ice cream maker though!0 -
I honestly wouldn't even know where to find most of that stuff
That reminds me that I should really get an ice cream maker though!
Most of the stuff is pretty easy to find if you have a good supermarket near to your house.
The IMO Syrup was the only thing I ordered, and you can get it for about $15.00 on Amazon for a large jug that can be used to make Quest bars and will last you a long time.
The Erythritol can be bought at a normal health food store (I bought mine at work). I used NOW brand, which was around $8.00-ish for a 1 lb bag, but Swerve is another popular brand that costs a little more. Once again, you can use it in baking, and it will last you a while.
Whey protein you can buy pretty much anywhere. I used Garden of Life's Vanilla Grass-fed whey, since it's on sale at work.
The glycerin I bought in the first aid section at Walmart for about $3.00. CVS and Walgreens should have it, too.
I bought the Xanthan gum at work, but any good grocery store should have it in the baking aisle, since it's primary use is in gluten free baking. I've seen the Bob's Red Mill and Hogdson Mills brands before in Walmart and Food Lion.
So, everything's pretty easy to find. You just have to know where to look.4 -
Thank you so much. I bought an ice cream maker and tried it ONCE before giving up. I will be doing this.0
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I've been thinking about seeing what would happen if I put a protein shake in my ice cream maker. Thanks for doing the research and saving me the frustration! I'm going to hunt down the ingredients and try it myself this weekend!0
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The reason I thought I struggled with the ice cream I tried was because there was like...no fat. I used almond milk and it just came out like...crap. Like an icicle.
I live in the city so can probably find all the ingredients easily but it's a snow day...maybe I'll order them all on amazon. I've had xanthan gum for awhile but the package is open wide in the cabinet. I wonder if it's still good.0 -
The reason I thought I struggled with the ice cream I tried was because there was like...no fat. I used almond milk and it just came out like...crap. Like an icicle.
I live in the city so can probably find all the ingredients easily but it's a snow day...maybe I'll order them all on amazon. I've had xanthan gum for awhile but the package is open wide in the cabinet. I wonder if it's still good.
It should be okay. Bobs Red Mill packages don't re-seal, so I just clip a clothespin onto mine.
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healthypelican wrote: »Great, another thing that sounds impossible in New Zealand :-( I imagine this would be expensive to make here. I feel sad about not having Halo or Ben and Jerry's.
there are SO many better things in NZ than not having access to Halo or Ben & Jerry's!! Dairy for dayyyyys. Lamb. MEAT PIES....1 -
@Strawblackcat that's awesome! You should go into product development! I am going to try out your recipe.
To make sure you get good consistency (avoid the icicle) is to increase the overrun.. aka blend the mixture like crazy to get as much air in there as possible prior to adding to the IC maker. GL!1 -
@Strawblackcat that's awesome! You should go into product development! I am going to try out your recipe.
To make sure you get good consistency (avoid the icicle) is to increase the overrun.. aka blend the mixture like crazy to get as much air in there as possible prior to adding to the IC maker. GL!
Ohhh.......Thanks for the tip0 -
Strawblackcat wrote: ». No need to let it defrost before eating, like you do with actual Halo Top.
Hmm. I actually do eat mine right out of the freezer, and it's delicious.0 -
Thanks OP! Now I'm kind of regretting giving away my ice cream maker years ago. I used it once to try homemade sorbet and failed miserably.0
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meganridenour wrote: »Thanks OP! Now I'm kind of regretting giving away my ice cream maker years ago. I used it once to try homemade sorbet and failed miserably.
Same here. One time. I was going to throw it away but I kept it up. So glad now. Though I think it's a piece of crap so we'll see0 -
healthypelican wrote: »Great, another thing that sounds impossible in New Zealand :-( I imagine this would be expensive to make here. I feel sad about not having Halo or Ben and Jerry's.
I have some (albeit used) halo top pistachio in my freezer. I found it to taste extremely sweet and wasn't into it. I was excited though because of all the rave reviews I'd heard from other MFPers. I'd share with you if there was a way to get it from me to you without it melting >.<0 -
Do you know what each of the chemicals (ingredients) does to the mixture? Just looking for ideas why you used what you used so if I cant find something I can maybe try and replace it.
The IMO syrup adds the soluble fiber to the ice cream, and it may help with keeping the texture soft, since bars made with it also help keeping things soft and chewy. It also provides mild sweetness, since a lot of fitness-treats will use it as a low-GI sweetener. The whey protein adds protein to the ice cream and gives the base more body and richness, since it doesn't have the fat & cream that most ice creams do. I think that powdered milk could work as a substitute. the erythritol is a sugar alcohol that serves the dual purpose of sweetening without adding any calories, and preventing large ice crystals from forming during churning (essentially, it serves the same purpose that normal sugar does in ice cream). I think that xylitol may also work, but erythritol tends to be more digestable for people in larger amounts. Glycerin helps keep the ice crystals small during churning as well, which prevents it from getting icy and helps keep it creamy. It also adds a bit of sweetness. I used xanthan gum to replace the carob and guar gum that actual Halo Top uses, and they're there to keep everything emulsified and to prevent it from getting rock-hard in a normal freezer. The reason I specified to use vanilla extract instead of vanilla flavoring is because vanilla extracts contain alcohol, which lowers the freezing point of ice cream and can help in keeping it soft. You might be able to experiment with replacing the glycerin for a couple of tablespoons of vodka or bourbon, but you would have to increase the amount of sugar, or add a little Stevia extract or something, to compensate for the loss of sweetness.11 -
I need to order IMO syrup evidently because omgggg0
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Strawblackcat wrote: »Do you know what each of the chemicals (ingredients) does to the mixture? Just looking for ideas why you used what you used so if I cant find something I can maybe try and replace it.
The IMO syrup adds the soluble fiber to the ice cream, and it may help with keeping the texture soft, since bars made with it also help keeping things soft and chewy. It also provides mild sweetness, since a lot of fitness-treats will use it as a low-GI sweetener. The whey protein adds protein to the ice cream and gives the base more body and richness, since it doesn't have the fat & cream that most ice creams do. I think that powdered milk could work as a substitute. the erythritol is a sugar alcohol that serves the dual purpose of sweetening without adding any calories, and preventing large ice crystals from forming during churning (essentially, it serves the same purpose that normal sugar does in ice cream). I think that xylitol may also work, but erythritol tends to be more digestable for people in larger amounts. Glycerin helps keep the ice crystals small during churning as well, which prevents it from getting icy and helps keep it creamy. It also adds a bit of sweetness. I used xanthan gum to replace the carob and guar gum that actual Halo Top uses, and they're there to keep everything emulsified and to prevent it from getting rock-hard in a normal freezer. The reason I specified to use vanilla extract instead of vanilla flavoring is because vanilla extracts contain alcohol, which lowers the freezing point of ice cream and can help in keeping it soft. You might be able to experiment with replacing the glycerin for a couple of tablespoons of vodka or bourbon, but you would have to increase the amount of sugar, or add a little Stevia extract or something, to compensate for the loss of sweetness.
Thanks for the explanation! (Somebody must watch Alton Brown and/or America's Test Kitchen!) I have so many ideas for subs if I can't find all of the ingredients... perhaps egg yolk for Xanthan gum... flavored liqueur for vanilla... perhaps a dollop of light corn syrup if I can't find the IMO syrup... I think I've seen glycerin in the cake decorating supplies...0 -
Um yes!0
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THANKKKYYYYOUUU! I just mentioned this to the husband the other day that I need to figure out how to make this stuff myself so I don't have to keep buying it. 2 pints a week is just too much. I've got bills to pay!0
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I have an old 1970s ice cream maker I was considering giving away. It gets to stay now. Thank you! 1 -
Strawblackcat wrote: »Do you know what each of the chemicals (ingredients) does to the mixture? Just looking for ideas why you used what you used so if I cant find something I can maybe try and replace it.
The IMO syrup adds the soluble fiber to the ice cream, and it may help with keeping the texture soft, since bars made with it also help keeping things soft and chewy. It also provides mild sweetness, since a lot of fitness-treats will use it as a low-GI sweetener. The whey protein adds protein to the ice cream and gives the base more body and richness, since it doesn't have the fat & cream that most ice creams do. I think that powdered milk could work as a substitute. the erythritol is a sugar alcohol that serves the dual purpose of sweetening without adding any calories, and preventing large ice crystals from forming during churning (essentially, it serves the same purpose that normal sugar does in ice cream). I think that xylitol may also work, but erythritol tends to be more digestable for people in larger amounts. Glycerin helps keep the ice crystals small during churning as well, which prevents it from getting icy and helps keep it creamy. It also adds a bit of sweetness. I used xanthan gum to replace the carob and guar gum that actual Halo Top uses, and they're there to keep everything emulsified and to prevent it from getting rock-hard in a normal freezer. The reason I specified to use vanilla extract instead of vanilla flavoring is because vanilla extracts contain alcohol, which lowers the freezing point of ice cream and can help in keeping it soft. You might be able to experiment with replacing the glycerin for a couple of tablespoons of vodka or bourbon, but you would have to increase the amount of sugar, or add a little Stevia extract or something, to compensate for the loss of sweetness.
Thanks for the explanation! (Somebody must watch Alton Brown and/or America's Test Kitchen!) I have so many ideas for subs if I can't find all of the ingredients... perhaps egg yolk for Xanthan gum... flavored liqueur for vanilla... perhaps a dollop of light corn syrup if I can't find the IMO syrup... I think I've seen glycerin in the cake decorating supplies...
Yeah, Wilton sells glycerin. Like I said, you can also get it at the drugstore (and probably for less money -- Wilton crap is crazy overpriced) It's often used as a humectant in skin care.
I like Alton Brown and ATK, but I can't say that I actually watch either of them that much. I work for a health food store, and all of us at work are pretty adept at reading labels and figuring out which additives are doing what in a particular product. I'm just the one that's the best at actually figuring out how to re-make things and/or figure out how to make natural or allergy-friendly alternatives to popular processed stuff.
Has anybody here ever had those ultra-expensive mini flaxseed brownie bites from Flax4Life? I re-created the recipe for those, too. 2 -
Any recepies you have I am willing to try. I am literally going out to buy the one ingredient I am missing from your list for the ice cream (on top of the ice cream maker I bought cos of it!)1
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*sigh* Now I'm going to have to go and figure out the name of a whole lot of things in another language (worst case 2, depends on which side of the language divide I'll try my luck first) and whether I can manage to recreate what the ice cram maker does without an actually ice cream maker (don't have 100$ to spend right now).
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I'd have to eat a ton of Halo Top to go through all of that trouble.1
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You're right, there is no difference between the two. I don't know what I was thinking.3 -
You're right, there is no difference between the two. I don't know what I was thinking.
LOL! 1 -
That looks like entirely way to much work and cost. rather just buy the Halo Top.5
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Man I wish, I can't eat Halo Top or anything with sugar alcohols like Erythritol in them. They make me super bloated and um...well it gives me the runs. Unless I'm only going to eat a couple of spoon fulls...and then what's the point of Halo Top then, LOL? I guess my gut bugs just go into a frenzy when they get that stuff, which happens to some people. The whole FODMAPs thing, although I am fine with FODMAP foods like onions, garlic, everything else I think the sugar alcohols are just too much.
But that's awesome because that stuff is WAY overpriced and if I was not sensitive I would eat it every day! Enjoy!0
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