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    Home » Recipes » Frozen Desserts

    The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You’ll ever Make!

    Published: Jul 16, 2021 · Modified: Jun 23, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    4.4K shares
    • Facebook864
    • Yummly
    4.82 from 102 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    pinterest image for strawberry gelato

    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

    scoops of gelato in the gelato container with the scooper

    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.

    overhead view of bowl of scoops of strawberry gelato next to scooper of gelato

    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.

    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?

    overhead view of ingredients needed to make strawberry gelato

    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?

    four images showing how to prep strawberries for gelato
    • 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.
    four images showing to make the gelato mix
    • 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.
    four images showing how to make strawberry gelato

    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).

    overhead view of 2 bowls of scoops of strawberry gelato next to container of frozen gelato

    Serve up this amazingly delicious gelato and

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

    • Lopie 1.6 Qt
    • Breville Smart Scoop

    Both machines can be set to make a variety of frozen treats including Gelato.

    More Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Meyer Lemon Gelato 
    • Grilled Peaches and Cream Gelato
    • Clementine (Tangerine) Gelato and Colada
    • Blueberry Cheesecake and Very Cherry Gelato 

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    scoops of gelato in the gelato container with the scooper
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    4.82 from 102 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 mins
    Cook Time45 mins
    Total Time1 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 Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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!
    pinterest image for strawberry gelato

    More Frozen Desserts

    • lemon gelato in a bowl with a wedge of lemon
      Easy Lemon Gelato Recipe (Lemon Ice Cream)
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      Tangerine Gelato Recipe
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      My Eleven Favorite Gelato Recipes for your dessert table
    • Blueberry Cheesecake and Very Cherry Gelato
      Double Your Pleasure with Blueberry Cheesecake and Very Cherry Gelato

    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of 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. The BoYo

      July 16, 2022 at 2:37 am

      5 stars
      it was very tasty as well as very easy to make. I had a great experience.

      Reply
    2. Ailse

      June 01, 2022 at 1:09 pm

      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

        June 01, 2022 at 1:27 pm

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

        Reply
    3. Debra Elliott

      May 21, 2022 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      Easy, delicious and refreshing. A keeper for hot summer days and nights:)

      Reply
    4. L.S. Bligh

      May 11, 2022 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      Straight off the page, and so simple. Used it for mangoes, too. A reall keeper, and many thanks.

      Reply
    5. Grace Lim

      March 13, 2022 at 9:03 pm

      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

        March 13, 2022 at 9:30 pm

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

        Reply
    6. Brianna May

      July 19, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      Yum!!

      Reply
    7. Sunrita

      July 18, 2021 at 8:29 am

      5 stars
      Wow! Who thought homemade strawberry gelato was so easy to make.

      Reply
    8. Swathi

      July 18, 2021 at 1:28 am

      5 stars
      This strawberry gelato looks delicious my favorite.

      Reply
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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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