Glossary · Ice cream & treats
Overrun
Definition
Overrun is the extra volume ice cream gains from air whipped in during freezing. Higher overrun means lighter ice cream; lower overrun means denser.
When an ice cream mix is churned, air is beaten into it. Overrun measures how much bigger the frozen product is than the liquid mix it started from, as a percentage. If a litre of mix becomes two litres of ice cream, that is 100 per cent overrun. The machine and the recipe together decide how much air goes in.
Air is not a cheat. Without some of it, ice cream would be a hard, icy block. The balance between air, fat and sugar is what gives each style its texture: soft serve is light and smooth, while gelato and many premium ice creams are churned with less air so they feel denser. You do not need to know the numbers to plan an event, but overrun explains why soft serve and scooped ice cream feel so different.
Related terms
- ButterfatButterfat is the natural fat in milk and cream. In ice cream it carries flavour and gives a rich, smooth texture. More fat usually means richer.
- Soft serveSoft serve is ice cream frozen and whipped to order in a machine, then piped straight into a cone or tub. It is softer and lighter than scooped ice cream.
- GelatoGelato is Italian-style ice cream, usually made with more milk than cream and churned with less air, so it tastes dense and intense.
- Soft serve machineA soft serve machine freezes and whips liquid ice cream mix in a chilled barrel, then dispenses it through a nozzle when the handle is pulled.
- The full glossary54 terms, from soft serve to street trading licences.
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