Blueberry gelato is a delightful fusion of creamy, rich gelato married to an irresistible tangy fruitiness.
When you combine the smooth richness of homemade ice cream with berries or a berry sauce, the result is always a refreshing, creamy treat – and this blueberry gelato doesn’t disappoint.
Blueberry Ice Cream
If you’ve been making ice cream here with me for long, you may recall my long-time love affair with Rusconi’s blueberry chocolate ice cream. That was my introduction to the wonders of blueberry ice creams and gelatos.
I’m grateful to Chef Michael for sharing his recipe with me when we were preparing to move to Ohio. Because once I made my own batch of Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream at home, there was no turning back. Blueberry ice creams make regular appearances in our freezer now.
When I’m craving the restaurant’s ice cream and have never time nor motivation to make that custard base, this Blueberries and Cream Ice Cream has become a go-to. With no stovetop time at all and just a blender to whir it all together, you can have that one ready to churn in just minutes.
Blueberry Gelato
This blueberry gelato recipe is a cross between both of those blueberry ice creams. With a simple blueberry sauce reduction stirred into the creamy vanilla base, the flavors are more intense than when using berries alone. The result is a vibrant blueberry flavor and the color is as pretty as ice cream gets.
There’s no need for any eggs in gelato. The ice cream will be rich and creamy without them. Don’t have a gelato setting on your machine? No worries, friend. The results will still be absolutely delicious, I promise! I’ve made this several times at different settings and however we’ve churned it it’s fantastic.
Gelato is the richer, denser, and smoother version of American ice cream. In fact, the term gelato actually means ice cream in Italian. This is part of the confusion between the two and the reason why many people use the names interchangeably.
Authentic gelato is churned at a much slower rate, incorporating less air and producing a much denser frozen result than traditional airy ice cream. If you are using a standard ice cream maker, you’re going to wind up with something in between both when making this recipe.
The ingredients here follow the gelato path, with more milk than cream and no egg yolks. However, if you churn through the full cycle on a standard machine, the result will still be fluffier than traditional gelato. If you have a machine that includes a gelato setting though, you are in luck.
One more gelato note, gelato is typically served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream. So, allowing it to rest on the counter for a few extra minutes before scooping it into bowls or diving into the container with a spoon will deliver the best results.
Blueberry Gelato Recipe
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this gelato:
Blueberry Sauce Ingredients
- blueberries
- sugar
Gelato Ingredients
- milk
- heavy cream
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- kosher salt
Combine the blueberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir a few times as the berries begin to simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the berries cook, stirring occasionally. The berries will burst as they simmer.
When the mixture has thickened and reduced to about 1 cup’s worth of berry sauce, about 8-9 minutes, remove from the heat and cool completely.
Whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add ⅔ cup of the blueberry sauce and whisk to combine. (Set aside the remaining blueberry sauce to use as an ice cream topping.)
Pour into the ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions for gelato. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.
Allow the frozen gelato to warm at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Easy Blueberry Desserts
When blueberries are in season, I tend to eat them pretty much every day. They’re forever on my grocery list and I enjoy using them in desserts as often as possible. When they’re not in season? I’m happy to tell you that frozen berries will work beautifully in all of these recipes.
Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling tastes so much better than store-bought! And best of all, it’s super easy to make. Use this awesome berry sauce to top pies, cheesecakes, pancakes, or waffles. It’s delicious on ice cream too!
With a sweet, buttery, crispy, cake-like topping and a filling of sweet, warm berries, this Blueberry Cobbler is dessert perfection with a scoop of melting ice cream on top.
Blueberries and lemon pair perfectly in this Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake. It is truly worthy of any occasion. I made it for the first time over ten years ago and it remains the best blueberry coffee cake I have ever tasted.
Have you heard of a dessert called a “grunt?” This one was new to me not that long ago, but as it turns out an old-fashioned Blueberry Grunt is pretty amazing. It starts with a sweet and delicious blueberry filling that is then smothered in flaky, buttery sweet dumplings that get crispy on top with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
Fresh Blueberry Frosting is a light and creamy frosting, whipped into fluffy blueberry loveliness. A dollop of this frosting is sweet heaven on a cupcake. On a spoon, on a cracker, or on an actual cake this blueberry buttercream frosting is irresistible.
Get ready for a tasty combination of fresh fruit and cool mint in this Blueberry Mojito. You’ll find yourself hooked from the first sip!
Blueberry Gelato
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Gelato Ingredients
- 1¼ cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Blueberry Sauce Instructions
- Combine the blueberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir a few times as the berries begin to simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the berries cook, stirring occasionally. The berries will burst as they simmer. When the mixture has thickened and reduced to about 1 cup’s worth of berry sauce, about 8-9 minutes, remove from the heat and cool completely.
Gelato Instructions
- Whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add ⅔ cup of the blueberry sauce and whisk to combine. (Set aside the remaining blueberry sauce to use as an ice cream topping.)
- Pour into the ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions for gelato. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm. Allow the frozen gelato to warm at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Paul Kessinger says
What size ice cream maker is required for this recipe? What is total final volume?
Thanks,
Paul K.
Mary Younkin says
I use a 1.5QT machine and that is what this recipe makes, Paul. Enjoy!