11 Mouthwatering & Delicious Gelato Recipes

Gelato with Blueberries

Now that you own a gelato machine, what do you do next? 

Here are some tried and true recipes along with some quick tips that will have you crafting gelato to please you and your family in no time.

Making homemade gelato can be lots of fun. Here are some tips when making gelato from home:

Gelato-Making Tips

One of the main differences between gelato and ice cream is in the preparation.

Gelato is made in a custard form first, heating it up, and then chilling it before putting in the ice cream maker.

Be sure to stir the custard slowly (do not whisk) to prevent too much air from being incorporated.  This will produce smaller ice crystals and a better gelato.

Gelato is churned slower than ice cream, making it more dense and intensifying the flavors.

When making gelato, it is best to stop the ice cream maker at soft serve consistency, then put it in a container in your freezer to harden.

This fosters a more delicate flavor and texture that differentiates gelato from ice cream. However, this can depend on your gelato machine. If you’ve got one of the best gelato machines, you can achieve pro-grade consistency and texture.

Now, on to the recipes!  We’ll start with a couple of basic recipes that you can flavor to your desire, then move on to some more flavorful ones.

Best Gelato Recipes for Homemade Gelato

We hand picked the best Gelato Recipes from around the web check them out below:

Basic Gelato Recipe

Here’s your gelato base.  Now have fun flavoring it however you can imagine.  Try adding vanilla, your favorite fruits, or shaved chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, mix milk and cream. Warm until foam forms around the edges. Remove from heat.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return mixture to saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture gels slightly and coats the back of the spoon. If small egg lumps begin to show, remove from heat immediately.
  3. Pour the mixture through a sieve or fine strainer into a bowl. Cover, and chill for several hours or overnight.
  4. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a sealed container, and freeze until firm. If the gelato is too firm, place it in the refrigerator until it reaches the desired consistency.

Apricot Milk Gelato

Simple. Yummy. Apricots.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 7 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 TBS apricot preserves

Directions

  1. Bring the cream and 2 cups of the milk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, dissolve sugar and cornstarch in the remaining milk in a small bowl.
  2. Remove pan from heat and stir in milk-cornstarch mixture. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in preserves, strain into a bowl, and set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, 2-3 hours
  3. Process mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

Strawberry Gelato

Strawberries are always a great go-to for gelato. Just the perfect mixture of sweetness with a hint of tart.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb. fresh strawberries
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Wash strawberries and remove stems.
  2. Place the berries and the sugar in a food processor and blend until puréed. Add the water and lemon juice and continue blending until all the ingredients are mixed together thoroughly.
  3. Whip the cream with a whisk until it begins to thicken and acquires the consistency of yogurt. Add the puréed strawberries and mix thoroughly.
  4. Pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Serve right away or store, tightly covered, in the freezer. It should keep for several days before ice crystals begin to form.

Makes about one quart.

Blueberry Lemon Gelato

The color of blueberry mixed in with lemon, it’s to die for. Blueberry Gelato has such wonderful color, and it tastes great, and you feel good because Anti-oxidants, right? Seriously though, making your own treats without all the preservatives beats out the stuff you get in a box somewhere.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup blueberry jam
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 cups 2 % milk
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Preparation

Combine the 1st 4 ingredients in a sauce pan, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.  Place mixture in a blender, process until smooth.

Beat the sugar and the egg yolks in a small bowl until thick and pale.  Heat the milk over med-high heat in a small saucepan until mixture reaches 180 degrees or until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan, stirring frequently, make sure not to boil.

Add 1/3 of the hot milk mixture to the yolk mixture, stirring.  Gradually add the remaining hot milk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.   Cook over med-low heat until mixture coats back of the spoon ( about 6 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Stir in blueberry mixture and cool completely.  Stir in the juice and zest.

Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Lemon Gelato

Lemon gelato can have just the perfect little zing you’re looking for, and it’s super easy to make!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 3 TBS grated lemon peel
  • 3/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

  1. In a saucepan, heat milk to 175°; stir in sugar until dissolved. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Add lemon peel. Cook over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in lemon juice.
  2. Quickly transfer to a large bowl; place bowl in a pan of ice water. Stir gently and occasionally for 2 minutes. Stir in cream. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
  3. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. (Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Transfer ice cream to freezer containers, allowing headspace for expansion. Freeze 2-4 hours or until firm. Repeat with remaining ice cream mixture. Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.

Chocolate gelato

Chocolate and Gelato. Can someone say mmmmmmmmmmm.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
  • 2 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup minus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 large egg yolks

Directions

  1. Coarsely chop chocolate.
  2. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan bring milk, cream, and about half of sugar just to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add cocoa powder and chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
  3. Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat yolks and remaining sugar until thick and pale.
  4. Add hot chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into saucepan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170°F. (Do not let boil.)
  5. Pour custard through a sieve into a metal bowl set in ice and cold water and cool.
  6. Chill custard, covered, until cold.
  7. Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker.
  8. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, 1 to 3 hours.

Toasted Pecan Gelato

You’ll go nuts over this recipe…in a good way.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, finely ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Place the milk, cream and 1/3 cup of the brown sugar in a small pan and cook over low heat, whisking from time to time, until it is warm, about 175°F.
  2. Place the egg yolks, 1/3 cup of the brown sugar and salt in a small metal bowl and stir until completely mixed. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk mixture to the eggs, stirring all the while. Continue adding milk to the eggs, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have added about 1 1/2 cups. Slowly, stirring all the while, return the now milk and egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the pan and continue cooking until it just begins to thicken or reaches about 185°F. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Pour through a medium fine strainer into a metal bowl. Discard the solids. Add the pecans and stir well. Set the mixture aside until it reaches room temperature. Add the vanilla extract and stir well.
  3. Cover and refrigerate until it reaches 40ºF, about 3 hours. Transfer to an ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Peachy Keen Gelato

Everything is just…

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 4 cups milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 cups peaches (if frozen – thaw them out)
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

Combine thawed peaches with juices and lemon in a blender. Puree until smooth.

In a saucepan heat milk until almost scalding. In a separate mixing bowl add egg yolks. Slowly add heated milk to egg yolks and whisk quickly to warm up the eggs. (if the eggs cook to much they will look slightly curdled. If this happens just put the mixture through a strainer before you chill it) Then return mixture to the saucepan on medium high heat stirring until it thickens (and coats back of spoon) Add puree mixture and combine. Chill mixture in refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. (Make sure its chilled through) Then put in ice cream maker.

Almond Peach Gelato

Yes, that’s right. Almonds and peaches together. It’s heaven.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 2 to 3 tsp grated lemon peel
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 package (16 ounces) frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, thawed and chopped
  • 1 cup half-and-half cream
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions

In a small heavy saucepan, heat milk to 175°; stir in confectioners’ sugar until dissolved. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Add lemon peel. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from the heat. Stir in extract. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the peaches, cream and almonds. Press waxed paper onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. When ice cream is frozen, transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.

Toasted Coconut Gelato

A little tropical flare for gelato artisans.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups plus 3 Tablespoons Whole Milk
  • 1¾ Cups Coconut Milk
  • 1 Cup loosely packed Toasted Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, plus additional for garnish
  • ½ Cup Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Coconut Extract
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tablespoons Cornstarch
  • Pinch salt

Instructions

  1. In a heavy sauce pot, add 2 cups of milk, coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a low boil on medium low heat. Be careful not to scorch. With the remaining milk, add corn starch to make a slurry. When milk and coconut milk come to a boil, add the slurry and extracts. Cook on low and stir often so that clumps do not form. The mixture is cooked when you can run a line on the back of a spoon without the mixture coming back together. Cool the mixture to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours.
  2. Add the mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions. When half the time has elapsed, slowly add the toasted coconut allowing it to be thoroughly incorporated in the mixture.
  3. Transfer to a storage container and freeze until desired firmness. Before serving, allow the gelato to sit on your counter for a few minutes for a better texture and because its easier to scoop. Serve with a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes.

Vanilla Gelato with Caramel and Chocolate Shavings

Don’t call this one plain as vanilla, because it’s anything but plain.

Ingredients

  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 cups half & half
  • 2 Tb. vanilla extract
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 5 oz. dulce de leche (or thick caramel cream)
  • 3 oz. semi sweet chocolate bar

Directions

  1. Stir the egg yolks, sugar, half & half, vanilla, and two pinches of salt together in a medium sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously, then remove from the heat.
  2. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl to remove any particles. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
  3. Once the mixture has chilled, pour it into an ice cream maker and churn for 20+ minutes to the desired consistency. Meanwhile, shave the chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler, so the pieces are very thin.
  4. Scoop a quarter of the gelato into a plastic container. Drizzle some of the caramel and chocolate shavings over the gelato, then repeat with the remaining gelato, caramel, and chocolate shavings, filling the container in layers. Cover and place in the freezer until firm.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our selection of gelato recipes.

As Gelato aficionados we’ve never had a better selection of gelato machines.

The best machines make these recipes so much easier.

If you’re looking for a Gelato Machine, or want to see what upgrades are available, checkout out our list of the three best gelato machines.

Author: sweetcakes

Share This Post On