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Honey Olive Oil Gelato Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 65 reviews

Honey Olive Oil Gelato is a rich, creamy Italian frozen dessert that combines the sweetness of honey with the unique, grassy and nutty flavor of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Made with a traditional custard base of egg yolks, milk, and cream, this gelato offers a luxurious texture and a sophisticated flavor profile, enhanced by a finishing sprinkle of fleur de sel. Perfect for those who appreciate artisanal frozen treats with a twist.

Ingredients

Scale

Custard Base

  • 8 egg yolks
  • 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar (adjust if using more honey)
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Flavoring

  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey (adjust based on sweetness of honey used)
  • 1/4 cup very fine quality extra virgin olive oil (choose fresh, flavorful: grassy, nutty, or spicy)

Finishing

  • Fleur de sel or other premium finishing salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Whisk Egg Yolks and Sugar: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until well combined. Set aside for now.
  2. Heat Dairy and Dissolve Sugar: In a medium saucepan (preferably a saucier), combine the milk, cream, fine sea salt, and the remaining sugar. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture starts to simmer.
  3. Temper the Egg Yolks: Remove the milk mixture from heat. While whisking the egg yolk mixture constantly, slowly add about one-third of the hot milk mixture to the yolks to warm them gently. Then pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture, whisking continuously to avoid curdling.
  4. Cook the Custard: Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook gently, stirring frequently, until the custard develops a viscosity and reaches 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, ensuring it is thickened but not scrambled.
  5. Strain and Add Vanilla: Remove from heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean mixing bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  6. Cool the Custard: Optionally, place the bowl over an ice bath and stir gently to cool evenly, or simply cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to chill completely.
  7. Churn the Gelato: The next day, pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.
  8. Add Olive Oil: In the last 10 minutes of churning, slowly drizzle in the high-quality extra virgin olive oil so it blends smoothly and infuses the gelato with its distinctive flavor.
  9. Freeze and Serve: Transfer the gelato to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for a few hours to firm up before serving, or enjoy immediately straight from the ice cream maker (unplug the machine first!).
  10. Finish with Salt: Before serving, sprinkle with fleur de sel or your preferred finishing salt to enhance the depth of flavors and add a pleasant contrast.

Notes

  • Adjust the amount of sugar to compensate for the sweetness of the honey you use; some honeys are much sweeter than others.
  • Choose a very high-quality, flavorful extra virgin olive oil to impact the final taste significantly. It should be fresh and have flavor notes you enjoy.
  • Cover the custard surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming while chilling.
  • Using an ice bath to cool the custard mixture helps stabilize texture but is optional.
  • For best texture, let the gelato firm up for a few hours after churning before serving.
  • Use finishing salt sparingly to avoid overpowering the delicate flavors.
  • Be cautious when adding olive oil during churning to avoid separation.

Keywords: Honey gelato, Olive oil ice cream, Italian dessert, Homemade gelato, Custard base, Artisanal gelato

Find it online: https://tastybella.com/honey-olive-oil-gelato-recipe/