Authentic Vanilla Gelato

Creamy vanilla ice cream scoops in a waffle cone, close-up shot.

A true egg-yolk custard base — tempered, strained, chilled overnight, and churned slow for that dense, silky gelato texture.

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Recipe by - Tabetha Klein

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Chilling & Freezing Time 6

Total Time 6 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings servings

Calories 251 kcal

Equipment

Saucepan
Whisk
Fine-Mesh Sieve
Thermometer
Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract - or ½ vanilla bean, scraped

Instructions

Heat milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming - you want small bubbles around the edge, not a rolling boil.
In a bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolks together until the mixture turns pale yellow and slightly thick, about 2 minutes.
Temper the eggs: slowly ladle the hot milk mixture into the yolks a little at a time, whisking constantly. This is where scrambled eggs happen if you rush it - go slow.
Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until it coats the back of the spoon. This is your anglaise. Pull it at 170-175°F if you have a thermometer.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate until completely cold - at least 4 hours, overnight is better.
Churn in your ice cream maker per manufacturer instructions, usually 20-25 minutes.
Transfer to a container and freeze at least 2 hours before serving. For proper gelato texture, let it sit at room temperature for 3-5 minutes before scooping.

Notes

Makes about 1 quart. Don't rush the temper, pull the custard as soon as it coats the spoon, and never churn a warm base - it has to be fully cold or the gelato won't set properly. Straight from the freezer it'll be too hard: those few minutes on the counter before scooping are part of what makes gelato, gelato.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 45mgPotassium: 138mgSugar: 30gVitamin A: 585IUCalcium: 118mg

Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated from the listed ingredients, and provided as a courtesy.

Keyword authentic gelato, gelato custard base, vanilla gelato recipe

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