Plombir, creamy and milk ice cream: what sets them apart and how many calories they have
In Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union the type of ice cream is set by its milk fat: milk ice cream has up to 7.5%, creamy 8 to 11.5%, plombir at least 12%. On one producer’s labels, plombir in a wafer cup has 210 to 230 kcal per 100 g, about 170 to 185 kcal for an 80 g cup.
How plombir differs from creamy and milk ice cream
Only by the share of milk fat. The definitions come from the Customs Union technical regulation TR CU 033/2013 “On the safety of milk and dairy products” (text as amended on 23 June 2023), and the standard GOST 31457-2012 divides each type into steps of 0.5%.
| Type | Milk fat under TR CU 033/2013 | Steps in GOST 31457-2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Milk ice cream | up to 7.5% | 0.5% to 7.5% |
| Creamy ice cream | 8% to 11.5% | 8% to 11.5% |
| Plombir | at least 12% | 12% to 20% |
The word “plombir” does not describe a recipe or a flavour. It is a fat range, and plombir with 12% fat is closer to creamy ice cream with 11.5% than to plombir with 20%.
Additives do not change the class. On the labels of the producer used below, plombir with 12% and 15% fat lists an emulsifier (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids) and stabilisers (locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan), and the fat is still milk fat. Our guide to reading food labels explains how to read such lines.
What “ice cream with a milk fat substitute” means
It is ice cream in which part of the milk fat is replaced by vegetable fat. By the regulation’s definition, products in this class may replace no more than 50% of the fat phase with a milk fat substitute.
The name of such ice cream must contain the full phrase “ice cream with a milk fat substitute”. It goes on the front of the pack in type of one size. The words “milk”, “creamy” and “plombir” are not allowed in the labelling of this ice cream (TR CU 033/2013, items 83 and 84).
So the check takes five seconds: read the name on the front. If it says plombir, the regulation requires milk fat. The second check is the ingredient list: “milk fat substitute” or “vegetable fats” means a product of a different class.
Choose by taste and price: each class has its own composition, not its own grade.
What the fat percentage on the pack means
“12% fat” refers to milk fat in the ice cream itself. GOST 31457-2012 states that wafer, biscuit, glaze and removable add-ins are left out of that figure. The nutrition table on the pack, however, is given per 100 g of the whole product, cup included.
That is why the two numbers on one pack should not match. For vanilla plombir 12% in a wafer cup from the Rybinsk Dairy Plant, the site states milk fat of 12.0% in the dairy part and 11 g of fat per 100 g of the finished product.
Use the percentage in the name to compare types. To calculate a serving, take the energy value line and the net weight of the pack.
How many calories in plombir, creamy and milk ice cream
Russian ice cream has no single calorie figure: it depends on the recipe and on what is in the product, such as the cup or glaze. Here is what one producer, the Rybinsk Dairy Plant, states on its site as of 5 October 2026. The per-serving column is calculated: kcal per 100 g × weight ÷ 100.
| Product (GOST 31457-2012) | Weight | kcal per 100 g | kcal per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla plombir 12%, wafer cup | 80 g | 210 | 168 |
| Vanilla plombir 15%, wafer cup | 80 g | 230 | 184 |
| Chocolate plombir 12%, wafer cup | 80 g | 210 | 168 |
| Vanilla plombir 12% in whipped chocolate glaze | 90 g | 290 | 261 |
| Vanilla plombir 12%, bulk tub | 900 g pack | 200 | n/a |
The 12% and 15% plombir cups differ by 20 kcal per 100 g on their labels. In chocolate glaze the same ice cream has 290 kcal per 100 g against 200 to 210 without it. On these labels the glaze changes the total more than three extra points of fat.
To compare orders of magnitude, the USDA FoodData Central reference (SR Legacy, accessed 5 October 2026) has three entries for American vanilla ice cream. These are different products and do not match the Russian classes.
| USDA entry | Fat, g per 100 g | kcal per 100 g | Serving of ½ cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla, light | 4.8 | 180 | 76 g ≈ 137 kcal |
| Vanilla | 11.0 | 207 | 66 g ≈ 137 kcal |
| Vanilla, rich | 16.2 | 249 | 107 g ≈ 266 kcal |
The last column shows why a “scoop” or “half a cup” should not be converted to grams from memory: ½ cup is about 118 ml. The same volume of different ice creams weighs 66, 76 or 107 g, heavier when dense and lighter when airy.
How to log a serving of ice cream
For packaged ice cream, take the weight from the pack and the calories per 100 g from the same label. If you ate part of a block, weigh what is left and subtract. If the label gives figures for the whole product, as for a glazed cup, use them whole: there is no need to count the wafer separately.
For scoops from a café or a bulk tub it is simpler: weigh the serving, or use a reference entry labelled plombir. The principle is the same as for other portions, described in our guide to estimating portion size. Precision here is limited, and that is fine.
If you are allergic to cow’s milk protein, the type of ice cream makes no difference: milk protein is in milk ice cream, creamy ice cream and plombir. See our article on milk protein allergy. How far the numbers on a pack can be trusted is covered in the piece on label accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
- How is plombir different from creamy ice cream?
- By the share of milk fat. Under TR CU 033/2013 plombir has at least 12%, creamy ice cream 8% to 11.5% and milk ice cream no more than 7.5%.
- Can ice cream with vegetable fat be called plombir?
- No. Ice cream with a milk fat substitute must be called “ice cream with a milk fat substitute”, and the words “milk”, “creamy” and “plombir” are not allowed in its labelling (TR CU 033/2013, items 83 and 84).
- How many calories are in 100 g of plombir?
- The Rybinsk Dairy Plant site lists 200 to 210 kcal per 100 g for vanilla plombir with 12% fat and 230 kcal for 15% (as of 5 October 2026). Other producers differ, so check the label.
- How many calories are in a plombir wafer cup?
- About 170 to 185 kcal for an 80 g cup, from two labels of one producer: 210 kcal per 100 g for 12% fat and 230 kcal for 15%.
- What does the fat percentage in the name of ice cream mean?
- It is the share of milk fat in the ice cream itself, without wafer, biscuit or glaze. The nutrition table on the pack is calculated per 100 g of the whole product.
Read next
- How to read the ingredients list on a label: the rules governing its writing — A label looks like a list of words from which everyone reads something different: one person considers a long list of ingredients a red flag, another looks for E numbers.
- Calories and macros on the label: why the numbers don't match reality — The same buckwheat in three different apps gives three different calorie counts, and the package shows a fourth.
- How to determine portion size without a scale — Portion weight is the most inaccurate variable in any calculation, including analysis by photo.
- Cow's milk protein allergy: where it hides in ingredients — The most common mistake with this allergy is looking for the word "milk" in the ingredients list.
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.