Holiday Peppermint Bark Gelato
A silky Italian-style gelato infused with fresh peppermint and studded with shards of dark chocolate, capturing the festive flavor of peppermint bark candy. The base is made from a simple custard enriched with both cream and milk, then churned to the characteristic smooth, dense texture of authentic gelato. Serve slightly softer than ice cream for the best flavor and mouthfeel.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Wait
- 8 hr
- Total
- 8 hr 35 min
- Makes
- 1 quart (4 cups) gelato
Steps
Before you start
- Chill the gelato machine bowl in the freezer for at least 12 hours (or overnight) before churning
- Make sure your ice cream maker's paddle and dashers are also completely frozen
- Chop the dark chocolate into small shards (roughly pea-sized) so pieces stay suspended in the gelato
- Have the chocolate pieces ready to add during the final stages of churning
Infuse peppermint into cream
- Pour the heavy cream (1.25 cups / 300 ml) into a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan.
- Tear the fresh peppermint leaves (1 cup / 15 g, loosely packed) slightly with your fingers and add them to the cream.
- Set the pan over medium heat and bring the cream to a gentle simmer—you should see small bubbles around the edges, but it should not boil.
- Once steaming, remove from heat and let the peppermint steep for 10 minutes so the cream absorbs the bright, fresh flavor.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cream is steaming and small bubbles form at the edges; peppermint has released its oils into the cream (you'll see a light green tint)
Tip: Do not boil the cream—high heat will scald it and make the gelato base taste cooked. A gentle simmer is all you need.
Strain peppermint and reheatOven 160°F / 70°C
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a clean 2-quart saucepan.
- Pour the peppermint-infused cream through the strainer to remove all peppermint leaves, pressing gently on the leaves to extract as much flavor as possible.
- Discard the leaves.
- Pour the whole milk (1 cup / 240 ml) into the saucepan with the strained cream and stir to combine.
- Return the pan to medium heat and warm the mixture until steaming again (about 160°F / 71°C on an instant-read thermometer), but do not allow it to boil.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The mixture is steaming and registers 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer
Tip: Warming the cream-milk mixture before adding egg yolks helps temper the yolks evenly and prevents scrambling.
Create custard with egg yolks
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks (5 large) and granulated sugar (0.75 cup / 150 g) until the mixture is pale and thick, about 2–3 minutes of vigorous whisking.
- While whisking constantly, add the hot cream mixture to the egg-sugar mixture in a slow, thin stream (not all at once).
- This tempers the yolks gradually so they don't scramble.
- Once fully combined and smooth, whisk in the peppermint extract (0.5 teaspoon / 2.5 ml) and fine sea salt (0.25 teaspoon / 1.5 g).
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The custard is pale, smooth, and homogeneous; no streaks of cream or egg visible
Tip: Pour the hot cream slowly and whisk constantly—this prevents the eggs from cooking into chunks. If you pour too quickly, the custard will be grainy.
Cook custard to safe temperatureOven 170°F / 75°C
- Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and set it over medium heat.
- Whisk constantly to prevent the bottom and sides from scrambling.
- Heat the custard until it reaches 170°F (77°C) on an instant-read thermometer and coats the back of a spoon with a thin layer (you can draw a line through it with your finger and the line holds).
- This should take 8–12 minutes.
- Do not let it bubble or boil.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Custard reaches 170°F (77°C) and coats the back of a spoon; a line drawn through the coating stays clear
Tip: A thermometer is crucial here—undercooked custard risks food safety, and overcooked custard becomes grainy and breaks.
Strain and chill custard
- Pour the warm custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg.
- Transfer the custard to an airtight container (or cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap) and refrigerate until completely cold—at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
- A cold custard base churns more efficiently and produces smoother gelato.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Custard is chilled to below 40°F (4°C)
Tip: Do not skip the chilling step—warm or even room-temperature custard will not freeze smoothly in the gelato machine.
Churn gelato
- Remove the gelato machine bowl from the freezer and assemble the machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Pour the cold custard into the chilled bowl and start churning.
- After about 15–20 minutes of churning (or when the gelato has thickened to soft-serve consistency and reaches about 25°F / −4°C), add the chopped dark chocolate shards (4 oz / 115 g, finely chopped into pea-sized pieces).
- Continue churning for another 3–5 minutes to evenly distribute the chocolate throughout.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Gelato is thick and creamy (soft-serve consistency), and registers about 25°F (−4°C) on a thermometer; chocolate is evenly dispersed
Tip: Add the chocolate shards during the final stages, not at the beginning—they'll distribute evenly and stay suspended rather than sinking. If you add them too early, they may clump.
Freeze and set gelato
- Transfer the freshly churned gelato to an airtight container and place it in the freezer for at least 2 hours (or up to several hours) to firm up to the proper serving consistency.
- Gelato is best served slightly softer than traditional ice cream—around 10–12°F (−12°C), which is firmer than soft-serve but creamier than hard-packed ice cream.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Gelato is firm enough to scoop with slight resistance but still creamy; a thermometer reads about 10–12°F (−12°C)
Tip: Unlike ice cream, gelato is meant to be softer and more intensely flavored. Do not over-freeze it, or it will become hard and lose its silky texture.
Good to know
Tips
- Invest in an instant-read thermometer—it ensures the custard reaches the safe temperature of 170°F (77°C) and helps you avoid overheating, which makes the gelato grainy.
- The quality of your peppermint matters: use fresh peppermint from a farmers' market or garden if possible. Store-bought dried peppermint from the spice aisle can taste stale. Culinary peppermint from a specialty spice supplier is better than tea-grade peppermint.
- Gelato freezes harder than ice cream because it contains less fat and no air. This is why it needs a slightly softer serving temperature (10–12°F / −12°C versus 0–5°F / −18 to −15°C for ice cream). Remove it from the freezer 5–10 minutes before serving for the silkiest texture.
- Do not skip the overnight chilling of the custard base. A cold base churns faster and produces a smoother, denser texture that is the hallmark of authentic gelato.
Make ahead
The gelato base (custard) can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the freezer; simply thaw it in the refrigerator before churning. Once churned and frozen, the finished gelato keeps for up to 2 weeks in the freezer.
Storage & reheating
Store finished gelato in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. To serve, remove from the freezer 5–10 minutes before scooping if it has frozen very hard; this allows it to soften slightly for easier scooping and better flavor release. The gelato will not scoop well if it's too cold from the freezer. Cover the surface with parchment paper before sealing to prevent freezer burn.
Substitutions
- fresh peppermint leaves → 1 tablespoon (3 g) dried culinary peppermint leaves. Use high-quality dried peppermint from a spice supplier. Dried leaves are more concentrated, so you need less. Steep for 8–10 minutes as in the main recipe.
- pure peppermint extract → 0.25 teaspoon candy cane flavoring or 0.5 teaspoon crème de menthe liqueur. Candy cane flavoring adds sweetness and a subtle vanilla note; reduce sugar by 1 tablespoon if using it. Crème de menthe adds alcohol and a silkier mouthfeel but may slightly slow freezing.
- dark chocolate (60–70% cacao) → 4 oz (115 g) white chocolate or milk chocolate, chopped. White or milk chocolate will make the gelato sweeter and creamier. Dark chocolate provides a bitter contrast that enhances the peppermint flavor.
- large egg yolks → 3 tablespoons (45 ml) pasteurized egg yolk product (sold in cartons). Use pasteurized egg yolks for food safety without cooking. Mix well into the sugar before adding the hot cream. The texture may be slightly less dense.
