The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Chef Dennis Littley

4.86 from 128 votes

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What could be better than Strawberry Gelato? Try my easy-to-make and oh so delicious Strawberry Gelato Recipe and decide for yourself.

*It also works well in an ice cream maker

The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (1)

When I was in Italy, I just couldn’t get enough Gelato! I don’t care what time it was, or how cold it was, it was always time for gelato, but when I’ve tried it in the states (with very few exceptions) it just didn’t taste right.

The flavor might have been there, but the texture was wrong, it was just never quite right.

The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (2)

Over the years I have attempted to make my own gelato always blaming the fact that it didn’t come out right on my ice cream maker. The truth is it was the recipe I was using.

And yes I did also buy a gelato maker…..boys and their toys..sigh.

Table of Contents:

Whyn Is Gelato Different than Ice Cream?

Technically speaking “Real Gelato” is made differently than Ice cream. It’s denser and creamier, and the flavors are more intense than regular ice cream. The reason for this is due to a very important ingredient – air.

American ice cream can contain up to 50% air. This results in a lighter airier texture. And to compensate for this lighter airier texture we tend to like our ice cream richer getting more of the taste sensation from the cream.

When making gelato, air is prevented from blending into the mixture. This creates the denser and more intense flavors that gelato is so popularly known for.

To keep the intensity of the flavors, traditional gelato is made using more milk than cream. Some recipes won’t include cream and some even use part water. So when I worked on my recipe I decided to blend milk with some cream to get the consistency I wanted while not sacrificing the intense gelato flavor.

I also found recipes with eggs, and while I do love a good custard-style ice cream, this was Gelato not ice cream and the addition of eggs only seemed to complicate the recipe and detract from the gelato flavor.

What ingredients do I need to make Strawberry Gelato?

The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (3)

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Strawbery Gelato. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Can I Use an Ice Cream Maker to Make a Gelato Recipe?

I used the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker attachment to recreate my original recipe when I redid this post and was very happy with the results. So don’t feel you need to go out and buy a gelato maker. Your regular ice cream maker will work well too.

How do I make Strawberry Gelato?

The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (4)
  • Place the strawberries, lemon juice and the sugar in a food processor and process until liquefied.
  • Add the milk and run the food processor until all the mixture is smooth.
The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (5)
  • Whip the cream with a wire whisk until it begins to thicken slightly and becomes the consistency of buttermilk.
  • Mix the cream and strawberry mixture in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (6)

Pour the mixture into a gelato or ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions. When the mixture is thickened and frozen, move it to a freezer-safe container and allow it to fully freeze (2-3 hours).

The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (7)

Serve up this amazingly delicious gelato and

If you’re looking for a gelato maker, these are the three I recommend.

More Recipes You’ll Love!

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  • Blueberry Cheesecake Gelato and Very Cherry Gelato
  • Blackberry and Mango Gelato Recipes

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The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (12)

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4.86 from 128 votes

Strawberry Gelato

Everyone loves Strawbery Gelato and this easy to make fool proof recipe will work in your ice cream maker too!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 8

Calories: 181kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh strawberries
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup whole milk (water, 2% or skim milk can be used)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Remove the stems and leaves from the strawberries and rinse in cold water.

  • Place the strawberries, lemon juice and the sugar in a food processor and process until liquefied.

  • Add the milk and run the food processor until all the mixture is smooth.

  • Whip the cream with a wire whisk until it begins to thicken slightly and becomes the consistency of buttermilk.

  • Mix the cream and strawberry mixture in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

  • Pour the mixture into a gelato or ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions.

  • Place the finished gelato into a freezer safe container and allow to fully freeze before serving (2-3 hours).

Notes

**To avoid ice crystals try making your mix ahead of time and refrigerating it for 12 -24 hours to get it very cold. Also, chill the canister that the ice cream is being made in if possible by placing it in the freezer for 24 hours. Then place the finished ice cream in the coldest part of the freezer.

This will speed up the freezing process which should help reduce the ice crystals.

***adding an ounce of alcohol will also help reduce the ice crystals.

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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About Chef Dennis

Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home.For more details, check out his About page.

Reader Interactions

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  1. Tasqeen Macchiwalla

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (18)
    Super easy and super delicious, Chef Dennis. Will try it with mangoes next time since summer is round the corner.

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my gelato recipe. It works well with just about any fruit, you’d like to try it with.

      Reply

  2. Alison Ufkin

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (19)
    This is an extremely easy and delicious gelato. We went to Italy in Sept. and ate a lot of gelato. This is so similar and fresh tasting. I’m so glad I stumbled on your site. My next recipe is your alfredo sauce recipe. Looks so good!

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my gelato. After my first trip to Italy I knew I had to recreate the deliciousness and I thought mine was pretty darn close.e

      Reply

  3. Maria

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (20)
    Compliments to Chef Dennis for an excellent gelato recipe!

    The color of my strawberry gelato is gorgeous. The flavor outstanding and the texture perfect.

    I used organic strawberries, organic whole milk (while you could use water, 2% or skim milk, I think doing so would compromise the richness and mouth feel.) I also used pure pasteurized, but NOT hom*ogenized, heavy whipping cream. By “pure,” I mean fresh cream from a local dairy that did not contain carrageenan, other emulsifiers or additives.

    Using this basic recipe, I’m looking forward to making a dark chocolate raspberry gelato next!

    Reply

  4. Suzanne

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (21)
    Made strawberry/blueberry gelato from some strawberries and blueberries Ihad left over and froze together! Used a tablespoon of Campari and used my Krups Icecream maker. A side trip to Italy in my kitchen!

    Reply

  5. Janice

    Hi. I’m definitely going to try this recipe, since I bought beautiful field- ripened strawberries today. Two questions, please: (1) my Cuisinart ice cream maker does not have a gelato setting, so do I still churn the gelato mixture for the 20-25 minutes the manufacturer suggests for ice cream? (2) What flavour of liquor would you suggest I use to help minimize ice crystals??

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      Using your ice cream maker will work and I would follow their recommendations for freezing. Keep an eye on the process and let it go longer or shorter as needed.
      As for which alcohol to add, I would add a tablespoon of vodka. It won’t alter the taste as some other flavored alcohols will.

      Reply

      • Janice

        Thank you very much for your speedy response!!! Will try this today.

  6. Winnie

    Recipe looks great but if you have no machine to do the whipping and freezing what do you do?

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      you need something to whip it while its kept almost freezing. You’d have to keep the bowl of ingredients in ice while you whip it by hand.

      Reply

  7. The BoYo

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (22)
    it was very tasty as well as very easy to make. I had a great experience.

    Reply

  8. Ailse

    How about a plain vanilla one that if I wanted I could add different types of fruit to the final churn plz and ty

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      you can use the base recipe and swap out whatever fruit you want for the strawberries.

      Reply

  9. Debra Elliott

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (23)
    Easy, delicious and refreshing. A keeper for hot summer days and nights:)

    Reply

  10. L.S. Bligh

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (24)
    Straight off the page, and so simple. Used it for mangoes, too. A reall keeper, and many thanks.

    Reply

  11. Grace Lim

    what percentage fat is the heavy whipping cream?
    I recently whipped double cream (47%) and I could not get a good emulsion as the fat separated.

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      heavy cream found in grocery stores is usually 36%, Restaurants usually use a 40% heavy cream.

      Reply

  12. Brianna May

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (25)
    Yum!!

    Reply

  13. Sunrita

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (26)
    Wow! Who thought homemade strawberry gelato was so easy to make.

    Reply

  14. Swathi

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (27)
    This strawberry gelato looks delicious my favorite.

    Reply

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The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You'll ever Make! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to gelato? ›

There isn't really a “secret” ingredient in gelato – the magic lies in the process. However, what sets gelato apart from its frozen dessert counterparts is the quality of the ingredients used and the low amount of air incorporated during the slow churning process.

What makes gelato so creamy? ›

Gelato is churned at a much slower speed, which introduces less air into the base—think whipping cream by hand instead of with a stand mixer. That's why it tastes denser than ice cream—it is.

What makes Italian gelato so good? ›

Less air, more creaminess

Unlike industrial ice creams, which often have high levels of incorporated air to increase volume, gelato is churned at a slower speed, preventing the formation of ice crystals and resulting in a creamier and denser treat.

What is strawberry gelato made of? ›

In a blender combine the strawberries, sugar and whole milk and puree until smooth. Add in the heavy cream and mix just enough to combine (you do not want to whip the cream). Add in the lemon juice. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

What makes the best gelato? ›

High quality gelato is made with all-natural, seasonal ingredients and little to no artificial coloring. Because of this the colors will not be vibrant, but rather dull. For example, pistacchio should never be bright green like you might imagine, but brownish.

Which milk is best for gelato? ›

Gelato Facts #1: Milk

The best type of milk for the cream flavours of gelato is whole milk (3.5%) as opposed to heavy cream (35%). The milk helps the gelato obtain a creamy and smooth texture, but it also increases its resistance to melting so you can take your time to enjoy it on a hot day.

What makes gelato smoother than ice cream? ›

Gelato has at least egg yolks in it if not whole eggs and they make it smoother/prevent tiny ice crystals that make regular ice cream a little less smooth. Why does gelato taste so much better in Italy than in the U.S.? Because it is better.

How do you thicken gelato? ›

Adding thickening agents, such as egg yolks, cornstarch, gelatin, tapioca starch, or even Junket tablets, enhances the texture and elevates the overall ice cream experience. Remember, making homemade ice cream is as much an art as it is a science.

Which is healthier gelato or ice cream? ›

The main difference between ice cream and gelato is their fat content. With only 4-9% fat to the usual 10-25% of ice cream, gelato usually is lighter and healthier. Per portion, however, the answer is clear, gelato is typically healthier than ice cream.

What is the most popular Flavour of gelato? ›

– Some of the most popular flavours of gelato include chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and pistachio.

What is authentic Italian gelato made of? ›

The base recipe is really simple: 1 cup milk to 1/2 cup cream, 1/3 cup sugar and 4 egg yolks. Heat the dairy to scalding. Beat the yolks with the sugar until thick and lemony, temper with a small amount of the hot milk, then whisk altogether.

Which country has the best gelato in the world? ›

Gelato is a culinary symbol of Italy. Pasta aside, gelato is considered to be Italy's culinary symbol. In fact, visiting the local gelateria is a way of life for Italians. “Italians convene at gelaterias and socialize,” says Britton Bauer.

Is Strawberry Gelato an indica or Sativa? ›

Strawberry Gelato is a indica-dominant hybrid weed strain made from a genetic cross between Gelato #33 and Strawberry Snow Cone. Bred by Elev8 Seeds, Strawberry Gelato is 20% THC, making this strain an ideal choice for beginner cannabis consumers.

What is a pink gelato? ›

Pink Gelato is a hybrid weed strain made from a genetic cross between Pink Kush and Gelato. Pink Gelato is 24% THC, making this strain an ideal choice for experienced cannabis consumers.

What is fruit gelato called? ›

sorbet, sorbetto, fruit ice….. all suggest a (typically) non-dairy, usually fruit-based, frozen concoction.

What gives gelato its texture? ›

The slow churn is the key. The slower the churn, the less air is gets into the mixture. This gives gelato the creamy, dense texture we all love.

What makes gelato different from ice cream? ›

Like ice cream, gelato uses milk, cream, and sugar, but it differs in proportions. Gelato uses less cream and more milk than ice cream and typically contains no egg yolks or eggs at all. Gelato is served slightly warmer than American ice cream and is also churned at a slower rate, introducing less air into the product.

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