Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 ounces high-quality dark chocolate bar (70-75% cocoa), finely chopped
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Tip: If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate gelato, use milk chocolate!
Flavorings:
- Almond
- Peppermint
- Orange
Alternative high-quality ingredients:
- Whole Milk – Almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk
- Heavy Cream – Full-Fat coconut cream, plant-based heavy cream
- Egg yolks – Cornstarch, arrowroot powder
- Granulated sugar – Honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, Stevia, Erythritol
- Chocolate – unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch-processed or natural), milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, chocolate chips, cocoa nibs
Instructions
- Take a medium saucepan and add the milk, heavy cream, and half of the sugar to it, then place it on medium-low heat and bring the mix to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Use a separate medium bowl and whisk together the raw egg yolks, heavy cream, and the rest of the sugar and whisk until the egg mixture is pale and thick.
- Gradually add some of the hot milk mixture (not all) from step 1 into the egg yolks, while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mix.
- Place the saucepan on low heat and let it simmer while you’re stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard mix thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon without running off like water – this should take around 4-5 minutes, just make sure you don’t let it boil or the eggs will curdle and it won’t have the custard texture but more of a scrambled eggs one.
- Now, remove the saucepan completely from the heat and add the cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt – stir the melted chocolate until it’s fully melted and the mix is smooth.
- To remove any lumps from the hot chocolate mixture and get a smooth gelato, use a fine-mesh strainer and add the mix through it into a clean large bowl. Then allow the gelato mixture to cool off at room temperature before you cover and refrigerate it until it’s completely chilled for at least 4 hours, though overnight works too.
- With Ice cream maker: If you have an ice cream maker, churn the gelato mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions and until it reaches a soft-serve consistency – then transfer the mix into an airtight container and freeze it until it’s firm.
- Without ice cream maker: If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can do it manually by placing the mix into the freezer, then after 30 minutes take it out and blend it. Keep repeating these 30 minute intervals about 2-3 times before you transfer it to an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze it until it’s firm.
Lastly, let the Gelato go at room temperature for a few minutes to thaw – enjoy with your favorite toppings, if any!