What are the ingredients in Andy's frozen custard?

December 27, 2025 •

2 min read

According to the official Andy's Frozen Custard nutritional information, their custard base contains milk, cream, and egg yolks. These core ingredients, combined with various sweeteners and stabilizers, are what create the signature rich and creamy texture customers know and love.

Quick Summary

A breakdown of the main ingredients found in Andy's Frozen Custard, focusing on the vanilla and chocolate bases. It covers the dairy and egg components, sweeteners, and stabilizers, offering insight into what makes their frozen dessert so dense and creamy.

Key Points

Core Ingredients: Andy's frozen custard includes milk, cream, sucrose, corn syrup, non-fat dry milk, and egg yolks.
Egg Yolks are Key: The inclusion of pasteurized egg yolks is what legally distinguishes frozen custard from ice cream, contributing to its rich flavor and dense texture.
Gluten-Free Custard: The vanilla and chocolate custard bases are gluten-free, but cross-contamination is a risk due to shared kitchen equipment.
Vegan Options: The custard is not vegan, but select stores offer Zarlengo's Italian Ice as a dairy-free alternative.
Freshness and Texture: Andy's custard is made fresh hourly and churned slowly, which minimizes air and creates a denser, creamier product than traditional ice cream.
Allergen Awareness: The company provides a detailed allergen statement, acknowledging the presence of milk, eggs, gluten, peanuts, soy, and tree nuts in their facilities.

Core Ingredients of Andy's Vanilla Custard

Understanding what are the ingredients in Andy's frozen custard starts with examining the vanilla base. The richness and texture come from a blend of dairy, eggs, and sweeteners, churned to minimize air.

Key ingredients in the vanilla custard include:

Milk
Cream
Vanilla Extract
Sucrose
Non-Fat Dry Milk
Corn Syrup
Water
Egg Yolks
Mono and Diglycerides
Cellulose Gum
Guar Gum
Carrageenan
Dextrose

The Role of Egg Yolks

Egg yolks are crucial, legally defining frozen custard and distinguishing it from ice cream. Andy's uses pasteurized egg yolks and a second pasteurization process for safety and to enhance smoothness.

Core Ingredients of Andy's Chocolate Custard

The chocolate base shares many ingredients with the vanilla, adding cocoa powder for flavor.

The chocolate custard base includes:

Milk
Cream
Sucrose
Corn Syrup
Non-Fat Dry Milk
Cocoa Powder
Egg Yolks
Natural and Artificial Vanilla
Mono and Diglycerides
Cellulose Gum
Guar Gum
Carrageenan
Dextrose

Frozen Custard vs. Ice Cream: A Comparison

While similar, these desserts differ in ingredients and production, impacting texture and flavor.


Feature	Frozen Custard	Traditional Ice Cream
Primary Ingredients	Milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks	Milk, cream, sugar, flavorings (sometimes eggs)
FDA Standard	Min. 1.4% egg yolk solids & 10% milkfat	Min. 10% milkfat
Air Content (Overrun)	Low, dense, and rich	Higher, lighter texture
Churning Speed	Slow, which minimizes air	Faster, incorporates more air
Texture	Dense, thick, velvety, and smooth	Lighter, fluffier
Flavor Intensity	Enhanced richness due to higher egg yolk and fat content	Varies, generally less intense than custard
Melting Point	Melts more slowly due to lower air content	Melts faster due to higher air content

Allergen Information

Andy's provides allergen details, noting milk, eggs, gluten, peanuts, soy, and tree nuts are present in their facilities. While custard bases are gluten-free, cross-contamination is a risk with mix-ins. Staff can take precautions for severe allergies.

Other Ingredient Facts

Additional details about Andy's ingredients:

Vegan/Dairy-Free: Custard is not vegan, but some stores offer Zarlengo's Italian Ice.
Mono and Diglycerides: Plant-based from soybean oil.
rBGH/rBST Free: Milk production avoids synthetic hormones.
Kosher: Vanilla and chocolate mixes are Kosher-certified.

The Andy's Process

Beyond ingredients, the hourly fresh preparation and slow churning are vital. This process minimizes air, resulting in a dense, smooth texture.

Conclusion

Andy's frozen custard ingredients include milk, cream, egg yolks, sweeteners, water, and stabilizers. Egg yolks and slow churning differentiate it from ice cream. While bases are gluten-free, allergen cross-contamination is possible. Fresh ingredients and preparation create the rich, creamy flavor.

For a complete nutritional and allergen guide, please visit the official Andy's Frozen Custard website.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main difference is the addition of egg yolks in frozen custard, which is required by FDA standards. This, combined with a slow churning process, results in a richer, denser, and creamier texture with less air than typical ice cream.

Yes, the vanilla and chocolate custard bases at Andy's are gluten-free. However, the company warns of potential cross-contamination due to shared equipment used for toppings and mix-ins that may contain gluten.

Yes, Andy's uses pasteurized egg yolks in their custard mix. The company further pasteurizes the entire custard mix at 178 degrees to ensure its safety for consumption.

Andy's frozen custard contains dairy and is not vegan. However, some stores offer Zarlengo's Italian Ice, which is a dairy-free, fat-free, and vegan option.

Andy's uses stabilizers like cellulose gum, guar gum, and carrageenan to help maintain the custard's smooth texture and prevent ice crystal formation.

Yes, according to Andy's, their milk production does not use synthetic rBGH/rBST hormones.

The texture is dense, thick, and velvety, with a much smoother and richer consistency than regular ice cream. This is due to the low air content and the richness from the egg yolks.

In addition to the standard custard base ingredients, the chocolate custard incorporates cocoa powder processed with alkali to give it a distinct and rich chocolate flavor.