Gelato Recipe

Warm milk and cream

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and half of the granulated sugar (reserve remaining sugar for the yolks). Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the milk and add the pod; if using extract, do not add yet. Heat the mixture over medium until it steams and tiny bubbles appear at the edge (about 175°F / 80°C). Do not boil.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While the milk heats, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened (about 1–2 minutes). This tempers the yolks and helps dissolve the sugar.

Temper yolks

Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks in a thin stream while whisking continuously to raise the yolks' temperature. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking to combine.

Cook to custard

Return the saucepan to low-medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon and scraping the bottom, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and reaches 170–175°F (77–80°C). Do not let it boil, or the eggs will curdle.

Add invert sugar and salt

Remove from heat. Stir in the invert sugar or light corn syrup (if using) and the fine sea salt. If using vanilla extract instead of a bean, stir it in now. Remove and discard the vanilla pod.

Strain and cool

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits and any pod remnants. Place the bowl in an ice bath and stir occasionally until the mixture cools quickly to near room temperature (about 20–30 minutes).

Chill

Cover the custard with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to fully chill and let flavors meld.

Prepare ice cream maker

Follow your ice cream maker's instructions (chill bowl if required). Remove the chilled custard from the refrigerator. If you added thick mix-ins like fruit purée, taste and adjust sweetness before churning.

Churn

Pour the chilled custard into the ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions until it reaches a soft-gelato texture (usually 20–30 minutes). Gelato is typically churned more slowly and to a slightly softer consistency than American ice cream.

Add mix-ins

During the last 2–3 minutes of churning, add any desired mix-ins (chopped chocolate, nuts, ribbons of fruit purée). If using delicate add-ins (like cookie pieces), fold them in by hand immediately after churning.

Firm up

Transfer the gelato to a shallow, airtight container, smooth the top, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to minimize ice crystals. Freeze for 2–4 hours to firm to scoopable consistency. Gelato is best served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream (about 6–10°F / 3–6°C warmer).

Serve

Scoop or spoon gelato into chilled bowls or cones. If frozen too hard, let sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes to soften slightly before serving.