Coffee Gelato Recipe

I scream, you scream! We all scream for ... gelato? Considering the fact that, much like ice cream, gelato is a delicious, frozen treat, we think it's worth yelling over. Dietician and recipe developer Kristen Carli has shared one of her best recipes with us: coffee gelato. Imagine the delicious flavor of your favorite coffee blended into a cool, creamy gelato. This simple recipe is a delight to dish up. "I love coffee flavored gelato. It is so delicious," Carli says. "If you have an ice cream maker, this is very easy to make."

Gelato comes from "congelato", an Italian word meaning "frozen." The exact origin is unspecified, but we do know it was first served in Europe, according to Electro Freeze. And, another thing we know for certain is that you are definitely in for a refreshing treat with gelato! Whether you have a Cuisinart or Ninja, give us 10 minutes tops, and we'll show you how to churn your own creamy, refreshing coffee gelato.

To craft your delicious dessert, you'll only need a few key ingredients: ground coffee, water, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, and sugar. Sweet and simple!
We asked our developer if there are vegan substitutes. While our vegan reader's deserve sweets too, that may be for another day. "In theory, a nondairy milk would be very tasty, but since I have not tested this I would not recommend to sub as is," Carli explains. "These milks have a lower fat content which I bet would make this gelato more icy and less creamy."

To begin, we need to brew the coffee. Instant grounds are best in this step. Choose your preference of flavor (or just opt for plain coffee), and you're ready to get going. Minimal time and effort is needed here. Simply boil one cup of water and pour it over the coffee grounds. You may use either a french press or coffee maker for this. Stir the grounds into the water until they dissolve completely. Afterwards, set your coffee into the refrigerator to cool.

As the coffee cools, add your milk, whipping cream and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Whisk all the ingredients together to combine. Once the coffee has cooled, pour it into the milk mixture. Whisk them together well. "The coffee taste is prevalent," Carli says of the flavor. "Yes, it has a bit of caffeine in it, but not much per serving." Next, add your mixture into the ice cream maker. Churn it for 20 minutes. If you hope to make this often, invest in a mixer for the family. "[An] ice cream mixer is essential here because it chills the gelato as it churns it," Carli explains. Once you see a creamy consistency, remove the bowl from the machine and place the mixer bowl in the freezer. Let the gelato freeze for two additional hours.

Voila! Just like that, you have the perfect coffee gelato. Take your mixer bowl out of the freezer and scoop away. You can top it off however you'd like. "I love this as is, but if you want to top this gelato with something, I would recommend whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles," Carli told us. 

Now that you've mastered the process, you can enjoy it again and again. This method makes 10 separate servings, so you'll definitely have some to share. "This stores best in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months," Carli notes. Whip up your next batch of coffee gelato and enjoy for months to come!