Soft serve ice cream is back in style: Seven ways to reinvent it

Soft serve ice cream, traditionally associated with fast food and often topped with overly sweet ingredients, is making a comeback thanks to ice cream chefs who are giving it new value and reinventing it, expanding the flavor palette, reducing sugar, or presenting it with a groundbreaking aesthetic.

If you’re thinking about introducing creamy, light, and freshly made soft serve ice cream, check out the ideas from these seven top chefs in our ice cream magazines AH (in Spanish) and so cool.. magazine (in English)!

Martín Lippo goes dairy-free

Martín Lippo (Vakuum, Barcelona) has conducted research to find out how to give soft serve ice cream more personality and flavor. The result is ice cream that is lower in fat, with less sugar, and with formulas similar to a sorbet, without fat or dairy solids.

Among all their offerings, we highlight their versatile Soft Tropical, which can be combined with countless flavors and elements in a restaurant dessert or with toppings in an ice cream shop.

Discover the recipe in AH 201

Talia Profet applies a haute cuisine formula with a smoky touc

One way to achieve an unusual soft serve ice cream, more akin to a restaurant dessert, is by applying a classic haute cuisine formula: bitterness (intense dark cocoa) + smoke (smoked oolong tea) + freshness (a final touch of candied kumquat).

This is how Talia Profet, pastry chef and technician at OFI (Olam Food Ingredients), the group that owns the renowned deZaan brand of cocoa powder, does it in this Smoked Oolong and Cocoa Soft Serve Ice Cream, which graces the cover of so cool.. magazine 3.

Discover the recipe in so cool.. magazine 3

Tiago Barbosa and Julia Canu recreate a luxury bonbon

At Fresco (Lyon, France), the couple Tiago Barbosa and Julia Canu use soft serve ice cream as a base to recreate a popular brand’s luxury bonbon: toasted hazelnut soft serve, crunchy praline, melting gianduia, and a light vanilla cloud, all in a single spoonful.

Discover the recipe in AH 190

Rocambolesc offers groundbreaking toppings

At Rocambolesc (Girona), Jordi Roca and Alejandra Rivas explore the more informal and fun side of ice cream, combining it with groundbreaking toppings.

A good example is this seasonal strawberry sorbet, which at first glance a child would order, but to which they add unusual flavor touches like hibiscus, which naturally enhances the red color of the strawberry, and cinnamon, which acts as a base note that rounds out the final flavor.

Discover the recipe in so cool.. magazine 1

Marc Piqué takes it to the realm of frozen cocktails

Marc Piqué (Cal Sisquet, Roda de Berá, Tarragona) demonstrates that it is possible to create a soft-serve cocktail ice cream with a firm and creamy swirl. In this piña colada, maltodextrin, inulin, and the combination of sugars compensate for the destabilizing effect of the Malibu liqueur and maintain the characteristic texture of soft-serve ice cream.

Discover the recipe in AH 191

Dej Kewkacha embraces Japanese flavors in parfait form

The chef Dej Kewkacha, who, along with his brother Litti, runs a veritable artisanal empire in Thailand, has recently opened Parfait Parlor. This establishment draws inspiration from the Japanese parfait, served in layers in a tall glass like an ice cream cone, but each layer is meticulously designed to be enjoyed from top to bottom.

Among their offerings is the Parfait Matcha Deluxe, inspired by traditional Japanese wagashi sweets, combining classic Kyoto flavors with a modern aesthetic. Matcha is one of the stars of this creation, appearing in five different forms: soft serve ice cream, chocolate nama, granita, feuilletine, and kanten.

Discover the recipe in so cool.. magazine 2

Éric Ortuño serves it in a croissant cone

Éric Ortuño, co-founder of l’Atelier Barcelona, ​​proves once again that he is a visionary by presenting a hybrid creation that combines a croissant, a dessert, and an ice cream. The combination of artisanal pastry and soft serve ice cream is one of the strongest current trends in the sector.

The cone is made of laminated pastry, which allows for a crispy finish and a buttery flavor. It is filled with soft serve ice cream flavored with Reus (best tea pastry in Spain 2000).

Discover the recipe in AH 222

If you’re interested in soft serve ice cream, we recommend our artisan ice cream recipe book.

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