Jul 14 2026

Gelato Recipe

Time12h
Serves12

GF 13 chocolate chocolate chip - sea salt caramel, vanilla bean - strawberry - nutella

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Ingredients

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Chocolate Chocolate Chip (Sea Salt Caramel Filling)

Method

Chocolate Chocolate Chip (Sea Salt Caramel Filling)

  1. 1

    Prepare chocolate base

    Warm the milk and cream: In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream over medium heat. Add 1 cup granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons invert sugar, whisking until sugar dissolves. Heat until steam appears and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil).

  2. 2

    Bloom cocoa and chocolate

    Whisk 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder into about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to make a smooth paste, then whisk that back into the saucepan. Remove pan from heat and add 6 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and fully melted.

  3. 3

    Make custard

    In a bowl, whisk 6 egg yolks. Slowly temper the yolks by adding about 1/2 cup of the hot chocolate milk mixture while whisking constantly. Gradually pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan.

  4. 4

    Cook to nappe

    Return saucepan to medium-low heat and stir constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon (nappe), reaching about 175–180°F (80–82°C). Do not boil.

  5. 5

    Finish and chill

    Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any solids. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until completely chilled.

  6. 6

    Churn and mix-ins

    Churn the chilled chocolate gelato base in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until thick and creamy. During the last minute of churning, add 1 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks so they are dispersed but not fully melted.

  7. 7

    Layer with caramel and freeze

    Spoon a third of the churned gelato into a freezer-safe container. Drizzle with some of the prepared sea salt caramel (about 1/4 cup). Add another third of gelato, more caramel, and finish with the last third. Use a spatula to create gentle swirls, leaving some visible caramel ribbons. Cover and freeze at least 4 hours to firm up.

Vanilla Bean

  1. 8

    Infuse milk with vanilla

    In a saucepan combine 3 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon invert sugar, and the scraped seeds plus the split vanilla bean pod. Warm over medium heat until steam rises and small bubbles form; do not boil. Remove from heat and let vanilla steep 20–30 minutes for stronger flavor.

  2. 9

    Make custard

    Remove vanilla pod. In a separate bowl whisk 4 egg yolks. Slowly temper yolks with 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture, whisking constantly. Return tempered yolks to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard reaches 175–180°F (80–82°C) and coats the back of a spoon.

  3. 10

    Finish and chill

    Remove from heat, add a pinch of salt, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until fully chilled.

  4. 11

    Churn

    Churn the chilled vanilla base in an ice-cream maker per manufacturer directions until thick and creamy. Transfer to a container, smooth the surface, and freeze at least 4 hours to set.

Strawberry

  1. 12

    Make strawberry purée

    Place 2 cups chopped strawberries, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until fruit softens and releases juices, about 6–8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then purée with an immersion blender or in a blender. Taste and adjust sugar or lemon if needed. Cool completely.

  2. 13

    Prepare custard base

    In a saucepan, warm 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream with 1 tablespoon invert sugar and a pinch of salt until steaming. In a bowl whisk 3 egg yolks. Temper the yolks by adding a little warm milk, then return to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until it reaches 175–180°F (80–82°C) and thickens.

  3. 14

    Combine and chill

    Remove from heat and strain custard into a bowl. Stir in the cooled strawberry purée until fully combined. Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until chilled.

  4. 15

    Churn and finish

    Churn the chilled strawberry base in an ice-cream maker until thick. For a fruit-forward texture you can reserve 1/4 cup small chopped strawberries and fold them in after churning. Transfer to a container and freeze at least 4 hours to firm.

Nutella

  1. 16

    Warm milk and dissolve Nutella

    In a saucepan warm 3 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon invert sugar until steaming. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 cup Nutella until smooth and fully incorporated.

  2. 17

    Make custard

    In a bowl whisk 4 egg yolks. Temper the yolks with about 1/2 cup of the warm Nutella-milk mixture, then return the tempered yolks to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens to nappe (175–180°F / 80–82°C).

  3. 18

    Finish, chill, churn

    Remove from heat, stir in a pinch of salt, and pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. If desired, fold in 1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts during the last minute of churning. Transfer to a container and freeze at least 4 hours to firm.

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