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

Published: · Modified: by Chef Dennis Littley

4.86 from 129 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.

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

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4.86 from 129 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.

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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!

    Reply

    • 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

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