Classic Vanilla Bean Gelato

Name: Classic Vanilla Bean Gelato
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, cold; ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, cold; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, divided into two equal portions of 75 g (6 tablespoons) each; 1 whole bean (3 g) vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out (keep the pod); ⅛ teaspoon (0.8 g) fine sea salt; 5 yolks (90 g) large egg yolks, at room temperature, whites saved for another use

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Dense, silky Italian-style gelato built on a milk-forward custard with just enough cream and egg yolk for richness. A real vanilla bean gives it a deep, floral flavor, and slow churning keeps the texture smooth and scoopable.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 7 hr 7 min
Total: 7 hr 47 min
Makes: About 1 quart (950 ml), 6 servings of ½ cup

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Steps

Before you start

Freeze the canister of your ice cream maker for at least 24 hours (or follow your machine's instructions) so it is rock solid.
The custard must chill at least 4 hours before churning, so start early in the day or make it the night before.
Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set a medium heatproof bowl inside it before you start cooking.
Have an instant-read thermometer ready. Taking the custard to 170°F (77°C) is the key to a thick, safe, non-scrambled base.

1
Set up ice bath
- Fill a large bowl halfway with ice and cold water.
- Nestle a medium heatproof bowl inside it, and set a fine-mesh strainer on top of the medium bowl.
- Have your spatula and thermometer within reach.
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Ready when: The medium bowl sits securely in the ice with the strainer ready above it.
Tip: Setting this up now means you can chill the custard the instant it is done, which stops the eggs from overcooking.
2
Heat and steep milk
- In the saucepan, combine the milk, cream, 75 g (6 tablespoons) of the sugar, the salt, the vanilla seeds, and the scraped pod.
- Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes, until steaming with small bubbles around the edge (about 175°F / 80°C).
- Do not let it boil.
- Remove from the heat, cover, and steep 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Milk is steaming with tiny bubbles at the edge, and the vanilla seeds are dispersed throughout.
Tip: If the milk boils, remove from the heat right away and let it settle; boiling can cause the milk to scorch on the bottom.
3
Whisk the yolks
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 75 g (6 tablespoons) sugar for about 2 minutes, until thick, pale yellow, and the sugar has mostly dissolved.
- Set the bowl on a folded damp towel to keep it from sliding.
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Ready when: The mixture is pale and falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon.
Tip: Whisk the sugar and yolks right before tempering, since sugar left sitting on yolks can create small hard specks.
4
Temper the yolks
- Return the steeped milk to low heat just until hot again (about 2 minutes).
- While whisking the yolks constantly, slowly pour in about 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot milk in a thin stream.
- Then pour the warmed yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking as you go.
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Ready when: The mixture is smooth with no streaks of yolk or lumps of cooked egg.
Tip: Pour slowly. Adding the hot milk too fast cooks the yolks into little scrambled bits.
5
Cook the custard
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and corners with the spatula, 6–8 minutes, until the custard reaches 170°F (77°C) on the thermometer.
- It should coat the back of the spatula so that a finger drawn across it leaves a clean line.
- Do not let it boil.
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Ready when: 170°F (77°C), and a clean line holds when you swipe a finger across the coated spatula.
Tip: Take it off the heat immediately at 170°F (77°C); above about 180°F (82°C) the yolks can curdle.
6
Strain and chill
- Immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl set in the ice bath.
- Press the vanilla pod against the strainer to squeeze out the seeds and liquid, then discard the pod.
- Stir every few minutes for about 20 minutes, until the custard is cooled to room temperature or just below.
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Ready when: Custard feels cool, not warm, to the touch (under about 70°F / 21°C).
Tip: Straining catches any tiny bits of cooked egg so the gelato is perfectly smooth.
7
Age in the fridge
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight, until completely cold (below 40°F / 4°C).
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Ready when: The custard is very cold and slightly thickened.
Tip: A fully cold base churns faster and has smaller ice crystals, which means a creamier result.
8
Churn the gelato
- Set up the ice cream maker with the frozen canister and turn it on.
- Stir the chilled custard, pour it in, and churn for 20–25 minutes, or according to your machine's directions, until it looks like thick soft-serve and holds a soft peak.
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Ready when: Thick, smooth, soft-serve consistency that clings to the paddle.
Tip: Pour the custard in with the paddle already turning to prevent it from freezing to the canister wall.
9
Freeze to firm
- Quickly transfer the gelato to the freezer-safe container, smoothing the top.
- Press a piece of parchment directly on the surface, cover with the lid, and freeze 2 hours, until firm enough to scoop.
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Ready when: Firm throughout, with no soft liquid center when pressed with a spoon.
Tip: Pre-chill the container in the freezer so the gelato doesn't melt when transferred.
10
Rest and serve
- Let the container sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
- Scoop with a spoon or scoop warmed in hot water, and serve in chilled bowls or cones.
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Ready when: The surface looks slightly glossy and a scoop goes in easily.
Tip: Gelato is best served a little warmer than ice cream, so don't skip the short rest.

Good to know

Tips

Use an instant-read thermometer for the custard; 170°F (77°C) is thick enough and below the point where yolks curdle.
Do not skip straining. It removes any cooked egg bits and gives the silkiest texture.
Gelato is churned slowly and holds less air than ice cream, so it will be dense. Do not over-churn into a whipped texture.
For a flavor variation, steep a strip of lemon zest or a cinnamon stick with the vanilla, and remove before tempering.

Make ahead

"The custard base can be made, strained, and refrigerated up to 2 days before churning. The finished gelato can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept frozen."

Storage & reheating

"Freezer: store in an airtight container with parchment pressed on the surface for up to 1 week for best texture (up to 2 weeks acceptable). Not suitable for room-temperature storage; serve within about 10 minutes of removing from the freezer. Fridge: custard base only, up to 2 days. To serve from frozen, rest at room temperature 5–10 minutes (or in the fridge for 15 minutes) until scoopable."

Substitutions

vanilla bean → 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract. Stir it into the cooled, strained custard instead of steeping. The flavor will be a little less complex and you will not have the vanilla specks.
vanilla bean → 1 tablespoon (15 g) vanilla bean paste. Add it with the milk in step 2 for visible specks and good flavor.
heavy cream → Additional whole milk (120 ml). Produces a lighter, more traditional gelato that is slightly icier and less rich.
granulated sugar → Superfine sugar, same weight. Dissolves a little faster; do not use brown sugar or honey unless you accept a different flavor and softer set.