Nutella Gelato is a creamy, smooth indulgence on hot summer days. Unlike many frozen desserts, it doesn't get rock-hard or grainy in the freezer. It's easy to make, absolutely delicious, and the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
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Gelato versus Ice Cream
Is gelato the same as ice cream? Not really, even though the Italian gelato translates to ice cream. While both gelato and ice cream are frozen desserts, gelato has a creamier texture and is smoother than ice cream.
Like ice cream, different gelatos have different styles. Some gelatos are custard-based with eggs, and some are egg-free, like Philadelphia-style ice cream.
However, gelato has a higher proportion of milk to cream than ice cream. Because of this, gelato has a lower fat content than ice cream. This lower fat content results in more pronounced flavors in gelato.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
I used the following ingredients in this perfect treat
- The Custard: I used whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract for the custard base.
- Nutella: It shouldn't be surprising that I also used Nutella!
Making the Custard Base - Step-by-Step Directions
- First, I combined the milk, cream, and ¼ cup of sugar in a saucepan. I heated the mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
- While the milk mixture was heating, I beat the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar until they were thick and very pale. This took about 4 minutes.
- Next, I tempered the egg yolks by stirring in about ½ cup of the heated milk mixture. The tempering is important because it prevents the egg yolks from cooking when added to the hot liquid.
- Once the hot milk mixture was fully incorporated into the egg yolks, I poured the egg yolk mixture into a saucepan.
- I cooked the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it was thick enough to coat the back of my wooden spoon and leave a trail when I ran my finger along the back. This took about 10 minutes.
- Once the custard was ready, I poured it through a strainer set on an 8-cup measuring cup. Staining the custard was to keep any bits of egg yolk out of the gelato. As it turned out, there weren't any bits of yolk in the custard mixture!
Finishing the Nutella Gelato
Now that the custard was ready, I finished it off by adding the Nutella and vanilla extract. I whisked the mixture until the Nutella was dissolved into the warm custard.
Then, I covered the measuring cup with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to get cold. I could have also put it in the freezer. Basically, I wanted the gelato mixture to cool to somewhere close to the freezing point - between 36° F and 40° F.
When the ice cream mixture reached 39° F, it was ready to be transferred to my ice cream machine. I carefully poured the gelato mixture into the ice cream maker with it running.
After about 25 minutes, the Nutella Gelato had firmed up and was ready to be removed from the ice cream maker.
I transferred the Nutella Gelato to a freezer-safe container and covered it. I put the airtight container in the freezer. The chocolate taste was subtle, and the texture was smooth and creamy, making this a mouthwatering dessert.
The Master Taste Tester commented that even though the texture was different, it tasted like the chocolate blancmange that his grandmother used to make when he was a little boy.
Nutella Gelato is the perfect indulgence for a hot summer day. If you're a fan of chocolate, you have to try this homemade treat. It's delicious in homemade vanilla cones or in a bowl on its own. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
One way to make this gelato creamier is with the addition of alcohol such as Godiva chocolate liqueur. The Godiva liqueur imparts a luxurious chocolate taste. In addition, the impact of alcohol is to lower the freezing point resulting in a reduction in the formation of ice crystals.
To prevent curdling, temper the egg yolks by slowly adding a small amount of the hot milk mixture to the beaten yolks while whisking continuously. Then, gradually add the tempered yolks back into the hot milk mixture.
If you like this gelato, you should also consider trying one of these awesome recipes.
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Recipe
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Nutella Gelato
Ingredients
- 2 cups (16 ounces, 473 ml) whole milk (See Tip 1)
- 1 cup (8 ounces, 237 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (3.5 ounces, 99 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 4 egg yolks (See Tip 2)
- ½ cup Nutella
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together milk, cream, and ¼ cup of sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- While the milk mixture is heating, beat egg yolks and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar on high with an electric mixer until the eggs are thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour ½ cup of the warm milk/cream mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs, and stir to combine the ingredients. (See Tip 3)
- Add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes. (See Tip 4)
- Pour custard mixture through a wire strainer set over a large measuring cup. (See Tip 5)
- Add Nutella and vanilla extract; whisk until Nutella dissolves. Chill the mixture to between 36° F and 40° F. Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker; follow the manufacturer's instructions to freeze. (See Tip 6)
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Tips/Notes
- I used whole milk. I've not made this with low-fat or skim milk. However, I suspect that it would lose some of its creaminess.
- With the leftover egg whites, consider making Meringues Chantilly or Macarons.
- The goal of tempering is to slowly increase the temperature of the eggs without scrambling them. If you omit the tempering, you will end up with scrambled eggs in your gelato.
- I like to take my finger and run it on the back of the wooden spoon. If it leaves a track, your custard is done.
- Even with tempering, you may end up with bits of cooked eggs in your custard. The reason for straining the custard is to remove any bits of cooked egg from your custard. Also, I used an 8-cup measuring cup. The reason for using a measuring cup was that with the spout, it would be easier to pour the gelato mixture into the ice cream maker.
- It's important that your custard mixture be very cold and that the bowl of your ice cream maker be deep frozen. That means that you should leave the bowl in the freezer for at least 24 hours before using it to make the gelato, or ice cream for that matter.
Matt says
Just got ice cream maker and this is the first recipe I chose to make, and very glad I did. Followed the recipe exactly and was delighted with the results, as were all those who got to eat it. Can't wait to make it again thanks for sharing!
Chula King says
Matt,
Congratulations on our ice cream maker! I love mine. I'm so pleased that the Nutella gelato was a success for you!
Chula
Ena Goldberger says
Excellent flavour and consistency. As a novice ice cream/gelato maker, this recipe was easy to make, and delicious to eat. I agree using whole milk results in a creamier texture, but discourage using lactate free whole milk. I tried both, and the lactate free version was not nearly as tasty or creamy. Inferior results with 2% milk as well. Stick with full fat regular milk and the gelato will be stupendous. I am whipping up yet another batch as I write this comment.
Chula King says
Excellent! I agree that sometimes one needs to splurge and use whole milk!