Chocolate & Hazelnut Gelato Recipe

Toast hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread 1 cup hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast 8–10 minutes until aromatic and lightly browned. Transfer to a kitchen towel, rub vigorously to remove most skins. Allow to cool slightly.

Caramelize sugar

In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Warm over medium heat without stirring; gently swirl pan occasionally. When sugar melts and turns a deep amber (watch carefully to avoid burning), remove from heat.

Quickly add the toasted hazelnuts to the caramel and stir to coat evenly. Pour the nut–caramel mixture onto a parchment-lined tray and spread into a single layer. Allow to cool and harden completely, about 20–30 minutes.

Break the set praline into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse to a coarse crumb, then run until it begins to form a paste. Add 1 teaspoon neutral oil if needed to facilitate blending and achieve a spreadable praline. Reserve 3/4 cup of the praline, roughly chop before adding to gelato later; keep remaining for another use or extra swirl.

Warm milk and cocoa

In a medium saucepan, whisk together 2 cups whole milk, 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder until smooth. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and steaming but not boiling (about 170–175°F / 77–79°C).

Temper egg yolks

In a bowl, whisk 5 egg yolks lightly. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks in a thin stream while whisking constantly to temper. Then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, whisking to combine.

Cook custard

Return saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard coats the back of the spoon and reaches 175–180°F (80–82°C). Do not boil. This will thicken the mixture and properly cook the yolks.

Melt chocolate

Remove the pan from heat. Add 4 oz finely chopped dark chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the hot custard. Whisk until chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is glossy and homogeneous.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and ensure smoothness. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and let cool at room temperature for 20–30 minutes.

Chill

Once cooled slightly, refrigerate the chocolate base until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Chilling improves texture and slicing into the ice-cream maker step.

Churn

Set up your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Pour the chilled chocolate gelato base into the machine and churn until it reaches a soft-serve gelato consistency (usually 20–30 minutes).

Fold in praline

When churned, transfer half of the gelato into a shallow, freezer-safe container. Sprinkle about half of the roughly chopped hazelnut praline and a few tablespoons of extra chopped toasted hazelnuts (if using) over the layer. Spoon the remaining gelato on top and ripple with the remaining praline: use a spatula to gently fold a few times to create swirls—avoid fully mixing to keep visible praline ribbons.

Harden

Cover the container tightly and freeze for at least 3–4 hours to firm to scoopable gelato texture. Gelato is best enjoyed slightly warmer than ice cream, so allow to sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before scooping.

Serve scoops topped with additional chopped toasted hazelnuts if desired.