Published: by Chef Dennis Littley
4.64 from 100 votes
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Lemon gelato is an amazingly refreshing frozen dessert that will tantalize your tastes with fresh lemon flavor and the creamy texture of ice cream made with milk and heavy cream so the flavors shine through.
All you need to make my lemon gelato (which can be made in your ice cream maker) is lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, heavy whipping cream, milk, and a dash of salt. No egg yolks needed!
Gelato isn’t that much different than ice cream, the big difference is that milk is used instead of all cream, which actually makes the flavors of what you’re using stand out even more, and if you find the right balance between cream and milk, you still get that rich creamy texture that Americans have come to love about our ice cream!
Table of Contents:
What ingredients do I need to make Lemon Gelato?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make lemon 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.
*I originally made this gelato with Meyer Lemons so either variety are good.
How do I make Lemon Gelato?
It’s really easy to make my version of Lemon Gelato. All you need are a few simple ingredients to make this gelato / ice cream recipe.
- Add the cream, milk, lemon juice, zest, sugar, and salt together. Using a wire whip, mix until the sugar dissolves and is completely incorporated. (the mixture should thicken some)
- Pour the lemon mixture into a gelato or ice cream maker.
- Allow the mixture to freeze.
- When the gelato mixture has sufficiently frozen, place into a container and allow the lemon gelato to completely freeze.
Can I Use an Ice Cream Maker to Make a Gelato Recipe?
Yes, you can. The difference between the two machines is gelato is churned at a much slower rate than ice cream, incorporating less air and leaving the gelato denser than ice cream.
Of course, if you don’t have a gelato maker you can easily take my recipe for Lemon gelato and use your ice cream maker to make super creamy and delicious ice cream.
So when life hands you lemons, make gelato. Your friends and family will be oh so happy that you did. Just be prepared for all the compliments and requests to make it again and again.
These are the Gelato Makers I recommend
Recipe FAQ’s
What is the difference between gelato and ice cream?
Ice cream has a higher butterfat content which masks some of the natural flavors, where the creaminess of the ice cream is more of the star than the added flavor. Italian gelato uses less butterfat and also doesn’t whip the mixture as quickly, adding less air into the gelato. This makes the gelato denser and packs the flavor into each spoonful because of the density.
What ingredients do I need to make gelato?
Five basic ingredients are needed to make gelato. Heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt, and the flavoring you’ll be adding. Fresh fruit is my favorite added flavor when I make gelato, but you can easily make pistachio, chocolate, or any flavor you can imagine.
Do I need eggs to make Gelato?
No, you don’t. You can of course, make a custard-type base for your gelato using eggs, but that will require cooking the custard and allowing it to cool before freezing. The eggs will make the base richer, but eggs are not necessary for amazing gelato.
More Gelato Recipes You’ll Love!
- The Best and Easiest Strawberry Gelato Recipe You’ll ever Make!
- Blueberry Cheesecake Gelato and Very Cherry Gelato
- Grilled Peaches and Cream Gelato
- Blackberry and Mango Gelato Recipes
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Lemon Gelato
You'll love the creamy texture and tart flavor of my lemon gelato. The recipe is easily made in a standard ice cream maker and is gaurunteed to amaze your family!
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time0 minutes mins
0 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 300kcal
Author: Chef Dennis Littley
Ingredients
- 1 cup Lemon Juice about 6 lemons
- zest from one lemon very fine
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Using a micro-planer or a very fine grater, zest one Lemon
Cut lemons in half and juice them, straining out all the seeds.
Add the cream, milk, lemon juice, zest, sugar and salt together and using a wire whip, mix until the sugar is dissolved and completely incorporated. (the mixture should thicken some)
Pour the mixture into a gelato or ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions.
See AlsoHomemade Lemon Gelato RecipeYield will be about 1 quart of lemon gelato
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 132mg | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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More Dessert Recipes
- Italian Cream Cake
- Easy Lemon Bars
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
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.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Kaycee
BEYOND AMAZING!! Delicioso! Thank you so much!
I am glad I doubled this recipe. After enjoying your Strawberry Gelato I already knew the Lemon one would be awesome.
Doubling the ingredients fit perfectly in my 2 qt. Cuisinart Ice Cream maker.
A couple of improvisational things:
–I was 1/2 cup short of fresh lemon juice, so I added bottled juice.
–And I defrosted skim milk (frozen into cubes) and used that with the same amt. of heavy cream and the results are amazing.The only slight quibble I have is the 30 minute prep time listed. It took far longer than that just to zest and squeeze the lemons for juice. Next time I will make this in 2 steps…prepping the fruit juice/zest one day and finishing it the next.
This is well worth the effort, and far less expensive than a trip to Italy!Reply
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my lemon gelato, it’s always been my favorite and definitely cheaper than a trip to Italy!
Reply
Natasha
Can I use half & half instead of heavy cream?
Reply
Chef Dennis Littley
yes you can.
Reply
j
excellent and easy so refreshing after a spicy meal (had a pizza party) my friends were so happy! thank you chef dennis 🙂Reply
Me
Amazing tart and sweet.Reply
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the gelato.
Poonam Java
Can I make the gelato without an icecream maker/gelato maker
Reply
Chef Dennis Littley
you can place the mixture in a bowl set into a bowl filled with ice or an ice bath and whip it by hand.
Reply
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