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Strawberry Gelato

Strawberry gelato with dense, intensely flavored fruit and a vivid pink-red color made with a custard base. This Italian strawberry gelato is chilled, churned for a silkier, denser gelato texture, and finished by freezing briefly for scooping.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

fresh strawberries
  • 2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled
granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar, divided
lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
whole milk
  • 2 cup whole milk
heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
egg yolks
  • 3 egg yolks
cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Strawberry puree
  1. Blend the hulled strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar and the lemon juice until completely smooth; strain to remove seeds and set the puree aside with a vivid, thick texture.
Cook the custard base
  1. Heat the whole milk and heavy cream together until steaming, but not boiling, so small bubbles form around the edges.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and the cornstarch until smooth and glossy, with no visible lumps.
  3. Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper it, using steady additions for a silky consistency.
  4. Return everything to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened like pudding—about 5 minutes—then remove from the heat.
Finish, chill, and churn
  1. Stir the strawberry puree and vanilla into the hot custard until evenly blended into a vivid pink-red color.
  2. Cool the mixture completely over an ice bath, stirring until it feels cool to the touch and the surface looks smooth.
  3. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (chilling) until very cold for best churning results.
  4. Churn in an ice cream maker on the lowest setting until dense and gelato-style, then serve soft for immediate scoops.
  5. For firmer texture, transfer to a container and freeze 1-2 hours, until scoopable while still dense.

Notes

For the brightest strawberry flavor and a smoother texture, strain the puree thoroughly so the seeds don’t create graininess. Store leftovers covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; for best scoopable texture, let stand 5 minutes at room temperature before serving. Freezing is recommended for final texture (yes). For a dairy-light option, use lactose-free whole milk and lactose-free cream (the method stays the same).