The Impact of Adding Sunflower Seed Oil Bodies to a Sugar-Free Plant-Based Ice Cream Formulation

The increasing demand for plant-based alternatives, driven by veganism, lactose intolerance, and greater health consciousness, has intensified research into dairy-free frozen desserts. This study investigates the development of a plant-based ice cream alternative utilizing oleosomes extracted from sunflower seed kernels as natural emulsifiers, eliminating the need for synthetic additives. Oleosomes were obtained through aqueous extraction from raw kernels, incorporated into emulsions in three levels (0, 12, and 24%), and combined with sunflower seed oil, tahini, date paste, and water to create the ice cream (IC) formulations. The physicochemical properties of three formulations of a sugar-free frozen dessert were studied. Physicochemical analyses assessed nutritional value, color (CIELab), melting time, stability, overrun, viscosity, and texture profile (TPA). Sensory evaluation was conducted using a hedonic test to assess the impact of tahini type (sunflower seed tahini or pumpkin seed kernel tahini) on the product acceptance. Results showed that higher oleosome content improved emulsion stability and melting resistance, while also producing a softer (30.74 ± 0.28 N), less adhesive (1.87 ± 0.20 mJ) texture, suitable for plant-based ice cream. Sensory analysis revealed a clear preference for the pumpkin tahini formulation, which scored 8.21 ± 0.62 for overall appreciation. The findings demonstrate that the addition of oleosome might improve textural attributes of the products, while the consumer preference could also be influenced by the type of tahini involved in the formulation. However, further studies are necessary to corroborate the proposed interaction mechanisms of ingredients.