Gorgeous Gelato Vanilla White Recipe

Prep vanilla

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife. Reserve both seeds and pod.

Heat dairy

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and whole milk powder. Add the vanilla seeds and the reserved pod. Warm the mixture over medium heat until it just reaches a simmer (small bubbles forming at edges) — about 6–8 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes to infuse maximum vanilla flavor.

Whisk yolks and sugars

While the dairy is steeping, place the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Add the granulated sugar and invert sugar (or light corn syrup). Whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale, slightly thickened, and forms a ribbon when the whisk is lifted, about 2–3 minutes.

Temper eggs

Remove the vanilla pod from the infused dairy. Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the warm dairy into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Continue adding warmed dairy in a steady stream until about half of the dairy is incorporated and the yolks are warmed.

Cook custard

Return the tempered yolk-dairy mixture to the saucepan with the remaining dairy. Cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (an instant-read thermometer should read 175–180°F / 79–82°C). This will take about 6–10 minutes.

Finish and cool

Immediately remove from heat and stir in the fine sea salt. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits and any remaining vanilla pod fragments. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator until thoroughly cold, at least 4 hours or overnight for best texture and flavor.

Churn

Once chilled, give the custard a quick stir, then pour it into an ice cream or gelato machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve gelato consistency (typically 20–30 minutes).

Transfer the churned gelato into a chilled stainless steel or ceramic container. Smooth the surface with a spatula, press a piece of parchment directly on top to minimize air exposure, and seal with a lid. For a true dense gelato texture, harden in the freezer for 1–2 hours to firm up slightly (do not freeze solid).

When ready to serve, remove from freezer 5–10 minutes before scooping to soften slightly. If desired, dust with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar. Serve in chilled bowls or cones for a gorgeous, silky white vanilla gelato.