Faisalabad researchers have raised protein levels in coconut ice cream with chickpeas

Researchers at Government College Women University, Faisalabad, and partner institutions have developed coconut milk and chickpea ice cream formulations with higher reported protein and fiber content than their dairy control, while identifying changes in texture, air incorporation and stability during storage.

• Researchers tested six formulations over 28 days.
• Highest-chickpea blend recorded 5.79% protein.
• Reporting inconsistencies limit conclusions about nutritional performance.

Published as an article in press in Discover Food, the study examined whether a paste-like chickpea extract could enrich a coconut-based frozen dessert while maintaining acceptable sensory qualities. The highest-chickpea formulation recorded crude protein of 5.79%, compared with 3.69% in the buffalo milk control and 4.10% in the coconut-only formulation.

The research team, including first author Swaira Naveed and supervisor Rizwana Batool at Government College Women University, Faisalabad, prepared six experimental formulations. One used buffalo milk, another coconut milk without chickpea, and four combined coconut milk with progressively larger quantities of chickpea extract. The highest inclusion treatment, designated T5, contained 88mL of coconut milk and 12g of chickpea extract in the formulation table.

“This study successfully developed and evaluated lactose-free ice cream formulation using coconut milk and chickpea as plant-based substitutes for dairy milk,” the authors write.

Rather than using a purified protein isolate, the researchers prepared their extract from whole chickpeas. These were sorted, washed, soaked overnight, boiled until soft and blended with water to produce a smooth paste.

Coconut milk was prepared by blending grated coconut flesh with warm water and filtering the mixture through cloth. The methods describe coconut cream, sugar, stabilizers and mango puree among the other ingredients used during preparation, although the formulation table does not provide a complete breakdown of every ingredient.

The mixtures were homogenized, pasteurized at 85°C for 10 minutes, cooled to 4°C and aged for 12 hours before aeration and freezing. Samples were assessed at seven-day intervals over 28 days.

Alongside the higher reported protein concentration, T5 recorded crude fiber of 1.17%, compared with 0.30% in the dairy control. Fat content was 8.27% in T5, below the coconut-only formulation’s 10.20%, but above the control’s 7.55%.

Those comparisons suggest that adding chickpea changed several aspects of composition simultaneously. The highest-chickpea formulation had more reported protein and fiber than either control, while reducing fat relative to the coconut-only recipe.

However, the paper contains inconsistencies that limit interpretation of its nutritional findings. Several reported composition totals exceed 100%, and energy values are labeled per kilogram in the results table but per 100g in the abstract. The conclusion also describes increased energy values, whereas the table reports a decrease.

Consequently, the study does not provide a consistent basis for reporting a verified calorie reduction or treating its composition figures as a validated commercial nutrition specification.

Physical performance also varied between formulations. The coconut-only treatment recorded the highest mean overrun, the measure of air incorporated during ice cream production, at 97.63%. Overrun declined during storage, with T5 recording the lowest value on day 28.

The abstract reports declining viscosity, pH and total soluble solids during storage, alongside increasing hardness and acidity. Color measurements also changed, including reduced lightness and increased yellowness.

These results indicate that raising protein through chickpea incorporation did not eliminate the need to manage the frozen dessert’s structure over time. Formulation and storage both affected the characteristics assessed by the researchers.

Sensory testing covered flavor, taste, texture, smoothness and overall acceptability using a nine-point hedonic scale. Panelists were drawn from Food Technology at Government College Women University, Faisalabad, with assessments conducted throughout the storage period.

The authors report that the chickpea-enriched formulations maintained acceptable sensory qualities comparable to the control. However, the methods do not state the panel size, limiting assessment of how widely those preferences might apply.

There are also inconsistencies in the storage description: preparation specifies freezing at -18°C, while another methods section refers to refrigeration. The paper therefore leaves questions about the precise conditions behind its stability findings.

The research received no external funding, and the authors declared no competing interests. Its results concern experimental formulations rather than a commercially manufactured product, with no manufacturing cost or industrial production trial reported.

“Further research may explore flavor optimization and the feasibility of large-scale production,” the authors write.

‍If you liked this, check these out...

• UP Diliman researchers have turned coconut oil waste into protein-rich milk alternative

• NuCicer launches Nuchi high-protein chickpeas to target growing demand for clean-label ingredients

• University of Surrey study finds fortification could prevent nutrient losses from dairy swaps