One of my favorite parts of visiting Italy was once- or twice-daily gelato.
When you’re on vacation, you have dessert whenever you want. When you are on vacation in Italy, that dessert must be gelato!
Walking the streets of Rome, Venice, and Florence on a hot summer day with a gelato cone in hand felt like a dream come true.
While we can’t spend all of our time living the Italian vacation life, we can recreate delicious gelato right at home!
Gelato, which originates in Italy, has gained international popularity because of its creamy, silky texture and delicious assortment of flavors.
This homemade blueberry gelato is one of my very favorite gelato flavors. The fresh blueberry flavor mixed with the sweet cream makes for one delicious treat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Creamy: You just can’t go wrong with the luxurious texture and creamy goodness of gelato. It’s sweet, decadent, and refreshing all in one.
Simple: It still amazes me that you can make beautiful gelato with just a few simple ingredients! No need for anything crazy, you just need milk, cream, white sugar, and blueberries to make a flavorful blueberry gelato.
Fruity: All of my favorite gelato flavors involve fruit. There’s just something amazing that happens when sugar and dairy meet fruit! The blueberry sauce that’s mixed into this gelato adds a tangy sweetness that can’t be matched.
Beautiful Color: It’s true, food that looks beautiful just tastes better! This sweet summer treat has a lovely and unique blue hue that makes it all the more enjoyable.
What is Gelato?
Gelato is a traditional Italian frozen dessert that is similar to ice cream. It differs in that it is denser, creamier, and has a lower fat content than ice cream. Gelato is made with a higher milk-to-cream ratio than ice cream, which must contain 16% fat content. Gelato also contains less air than ice cream, resulting in a richer, more intense flavor. It is typically served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream, making it easier to scoop and giving it a softer creamy texture. Gelato comes in a wide variety of flavors, just like ice cream, and can be served in a cup or on a cone.
Equipment Needed
Ice cream machine
Rubber spatula
Two saucepans
Freezer-safe covered container
Variations
Make a blueberry lemon gelato: Up the amount of lemon juice and add lemon zest to the blueberry mixture.
Try other fresh fruit: Try this recipe with fresh strawberries, raspberries, o mango for more fun flavors.
How to Make Gelato without an Ice Cream Machine
It is possible to make gelato without an ice cream machine, but it does take quite a bit of work and the texture may be different.
To make the gelato without a machine, follow the same steps to make the gelato base, then pour the mixture directly into a loaf pan.
Pop the loaf pan into the freezer. After an hour, whisk the gelato to add air and break up any chunks. Be sure to scrape the sides of the pan well when you do this.
Return to the freezer for another hour. Whisk again, then return to the freezer.
After the first two hours, whisk the gelato every 30 minutes until it is the right consistency to enjoy. This should take another 2-3 hours.
Tips for Making Blueberry Gelato
- If you want to avoid making the blueberry puree, you can substitute blueberry jam instead. The flavor will be a little different and it will be much sweeter, but the result will be similar.
- Top with fresh berries and whipped cream to make a delicious berry sundae.
- If you prefer a smooth texture, you can pour the blueberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the skins and chunks of blueberries before adding the puree to the gelato mixture.
More Italian Recipes You’ll Love
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Best Homemade Blueberry Gelato Recipe
Ingredients
For the blueberry puree:
- 3 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh blueberries will work)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup sugar
For the gelato base:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- Place blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan and let macerate for 20-30 minutes.
- Heat the blueberries and sugar on medium heat until the liquid starts to boil. Immediately turn down to medium-low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the blueberries have broken down and the sauce has thickened. Smash the blueberries with the back of a spoon if you want smaller blueberry chunks.
- Set the cooked berries aside and combine the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat on the stove until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges. Do not boil.
- Whisk well to dissolve and incorporate the sugar. Remove from heat and add the cream, vanilla extract, and blueberry puree.
- Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until the mixture is well chilled.
- Once the gelato mixture is cool, pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn your gelato according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- When the ice cream churn is finished, transfer the blueberry gelato to an airtight container and freeze until hardened. This will take around 5 hours, but for best results, freeze overnight.
- Serve and enjoy!
