This authentic Italian gelato recipe features a bold espresso flavor with the perfect hint of sweetness. You'll love this recipe if you're a fan of espresso based desserts.
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After going to culinary school in Italy, I've become obsessed with making gelato. If you're not in Italy, it can be hard to find gelato that actually tastes good.
So, I decided to use my skills from school to recreate the creamy and delicious gelato we all know and love from our travels to Italy.
While I've created a variety of recipes, like fior di latte, stracciatella, and chocolate red wine, there's something especially unique about this coffee gelato.
This recipe highlights the bitter notes of coffee with just the perfect hint of sweetness. If you love espresso-based desserts (like tiramisu), then I guarantee that you're going to love this gelato recipe.
There are a few specialty ingredients you'll need in order to make truly authentic Italian gelato, along with an at-home ice cream or gelato machine. Trust me though, it's worth all of the effort!
Jump to:
What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- The ingredients you'll need to make authentic, Italian gelato.
- Step-by-step photos to guide you along the process of making coffee gelato.
- Tips for churning and storing the gelato.
Don't forget to grab all of my favorite, go-to Italian gelato recipes, plus my best tips for making gelato at home.
Ingredients You Need
There are some specialty ingredients you need in order to make authentic Italian gelato. I've linked where you can buy these ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Dextrose: This is a type of sugar that helps to reduce both the perceived sweetness and the freezing point of the gelato.
- Guar gum and locust bean gum: These are both types of stabilizers, and they're used to thicken the gelato. These are imperative if you're making gelato at home since an at-home ice cream machine will whip too much air into the gelato without the addition of these stabilizers.
- 2% milk: The milk helps with the texture and taste of the gelato. Since milk has a high water content, it's also the reason the gelato base can freeze.
- Espresso: You'll need freshly brewed espresso for this recipe. No need to allow it to cool since we're heating it with the milk.
- Granulated sugar: This is the second type of sugar used in the recipe. The ratio of sugar helps to determine how quickly the gelato will melt as well as lowers the freezing temperature of the gelato base.
- Skim (nonfat) milk powder: The powdered milk is important to help thicken the gelato and provide the correct texture.
- Heavy cream: You may see this ingredient labeled as heavy whipping cream at the grocery store. The cream provides a great taste and mouthfeel.
Check out the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make This Recipe
If this is your first time making Italian gelato at home, here's a helpful step-by-step guide so you know what the gelato base should look like along the way.
1. First, whisk the dextrose, guar gum, and locust bean gum in a small mixing bowl.
2. Cook milk and espresso in a heavy bottom saucepan (to ensure the gelato doesn't burn) over medium heat until it reaches 105°F (40°C) on an instant read thermometer.
3. Once it reaches temperature, whisk in granulated sugar and nonfat milk powder, followed by the dextrose mixture.
4. Continue cooking the gelato base over medium heat, stirring often to ensure it doesn’t burn, until it reaches 195°F (90°C) on an instant read thermometer.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then whisk in heavy cream.
6. Strain the gelato base and then allow it to cool in an ice bath until it has stopped steaming. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the gelato (to prevent a skin from forming on top) then cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
7. Pour the gelato base into an ice cream or gelato maker and process for about 20 - 25 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's directions. The gelato will still be on the soft side, so you'll need to place it in a storage container and then into the freezer to harden or "cure" for a few more hours.
Expert Tips
- Give the gelato base a full 24 hours to sit in the refrigerator. Not only will this allow the mixture to fully cool, but it will also give the gelato flavors a chance to marry together.
- If you don't have a gelato or ice cream machine with a built-in freezer compressor, be sure to place the bowl in the freezer for at least 24 hours before churning the gelato.
- To properly serve gelato, use a gelato spatula to swipe the gelato, then smash out the air before serving.
Recipe FAQs
No, since the flavor of drip coffee will not be as strong as espresso.
Yes, it's easy to go to a coffee shop and ask for straight espresso (no additional milk or ice) so you can make this recipe.
Store the gelato in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. It's best to keep the gelato in a freezer that's not often opened and closed. Every time the temperature of the gelato increases and then refreezes, there's more of a chance for the gelato to become icy/grainy. If you notice the gelato is icy or grainy, it has gone past its prime.
Yes, this recipe requires you to have a gelato or ice cream machine to churn the mixture. I use this Whynter machine.
More Gelato Recipes
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Italian Coffee Gelato
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon dextrose
- ¼ teaspoon guar gum
- ⅛ teaspoon locust bean gum
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 cup freshly brewed espresso
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons nonfat milk powder
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with ice to use later as an ice bath. Place an empty bowl on top of the ice. Set aside. Place a storage container in the freezer to chill.
- Whisk dextrose, guar gum, and locust bean gum in a small mixing bowl.
- Cook milk and espresso in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 105°F (40°C) on an instant read thermometer. Once it reaches temperature, whisk in granulated sugar and nonfat milk powder. Once dissolved, whisk in dextrose mixture.
- Continue cooking the gelato base over medium heat, stirring often to ensure it doesn’t burn, until it reaches 195°F (90°C) on an instant read thermometer.
- Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk in heavy cream.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over the empty bowl on top of the ice bath. Strain gelato base.
- Chill gelato base until it has stopped steaming. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the gelato (to prevent a skin from forming on top) then cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Pour the gelato base into an ice cream maker and process for about 20 - 25 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's directions. The gelato will be on the soft side.
- Transfer churned gelato into chilled storage container. Place gelato into the freezer to "cure" or harden up for a few hours. To serve, swipe the frozen gelato with a flat paddle. Smash the gelato on the side of the storage container to push out some of the air. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Store gelato in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Tammy
Obsessed with this recipe! The coffee flavor is amazing!!
Kariam
I love this recipe. It's sooo delicious!
Jessica Mode
Kariam, thanks so much for trying the recipe! I'm glad you loved it 🙂