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Fior di Latte Gelato Recipe

A simple Italian Ice cream made with just three ingredients, milk, cream and sugar. It’s also the perfect base for adding your favourite flavour to.

fior di latte gelato in a black bowl

If you love making your own Homemade Ice Cream / Gelato, then this Easy No-Churn Cappuccino Ice Cream or this Fresh Peach Ice Cream  could be exactly what you are looking for.

I have always been an ice cream lover, Chocolate Ice Cream being my absolute favourite. And I have to say Ice Cream in Canada is pretty good.

But there is nothing and I mean nothing like Gelato / Ice Cream than in Italy. And believe me I have definitely eaten my fair share.

Fior di Latte gelato is very popular in Italy, it is probably a child’s first taste of this fantastic frozen treat. It’s perfect on its own or with a slice of pie or cake.

I don’t think my freezer has ever been without a container of some sort of gelato. From my daughter’s favourite Tiramisu Gelato to my husband’s Coconut Lemon Gelato.

How to make Fior Di Latte Gelato

  • In a medium pot add the milk and sugar and heat, stirring often until the sugar dissolves.
  • Remove from heat and add the cream, let cool.
  • Once it has cooled, refrigerate it until it is very cold, about 2-3 hours.
how to make fior di latte milk and sugar in a pot and ready for refrigerating


 
  • Pour the mixture into an Ice Cream Maker ,and following the machine instructions, continue churning until desired thickness has been reached.
  • I like to freeze the gelato for about 30-60 minutes just to firm it up a bit more before serving.
how to make fior di latte mixture in the ice cream maker and made

What does Fior di Latte mean?

Fior di Latte in english mean flower of milk, which is basically the best part of the milk. Fior di Latte is also a reference to mozzarella.

What’s the difference between Ice Cream and Gelato?

  • Gelato contains less fat than ice cream, the fat content in gelato does not exceed more than 8 % and ice cream has to contain at least 10% fat.
  • Gelato is made with more milk than cream, whereas ice cream is the opposite.
  • Gelato melts faster because it contains less air than ice cream.
  • Because of the higher processing speed more air is incorporated in ice cream, therefore the product mass is increased by 25%, and up to 90% in low quality ice cream. Because gelato has a very low processing speed there is less air and a richer flavour.
  • Commercialized ice cream sometimes contains milk powder and vegetable fats whereas gelato is made from fresh cream and milk.
fior di latte gelato in a black bowl

Different combinations using Fior Di Latte Ice Cream

This is the perfect base ice cream, if you want a vanilla flavour add a teaspoon or so to the milk mixture along with the cream.

If you like chocolate chip then about 3-4 minutes before ice cream is ready add the chips, about 1/4 – 1/2 cup should do it.

At this point you could also add some chopped frozen fruit or berries or even your favourite chopped nuts.

fior di latte drizzle with chocolate in a black bowl

How to store Homemade Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream / gelato should be kept in the freezer, in an airtight container. Apparently glass or stainless steel are the best containers to use. It will keep for at least one week in the freezer. 

I hope you decide to give this Classic Italian Fior di Latte Gelato a try and let me know how you like it! Enjoy.

fior di latte drizzle with chocolate in a black bowl
fior di latte drizzle with chocolate in a black bowl

Fior di Latte Gelato Recipe

Rosemary Molloy
A simple Italian Ice cream made with just three ingredients, milk, cream and sugar. It's also the perfect base for adding your favourite flavour to.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 3 servings
Calories 311 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • cups whole milk
  • 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup whole / whipping cream

Instructions
 

  • In a medium / large pot add the milk and sugar, heat (stirring occasionally) just until the sugar has dissolved (do not boil).
  • Remove from the heat and add the cream, stir to combine, let the mixture cool then pour into a bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate for approximately 2-3 hours or until the mixture is very cold.
  • Pour into the ice cream maker and following the machine instruction churn until the gelato is firm. I like to freeze the ice cream for about 30 minutes just to make it a little firmer before serving. Enjoy.

Notes

This is the perfect base ice cream, if you want a vanilla flavour add a teaspoon or so to the milk mixture along with the cream. You could even add chocolate chips, nuts or frozen berries. Be sure to add them about 3-4 minutes before the ice cream is ready.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 206mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1072IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 177mg
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15 Comments

  1. Just made a batch and finished eating it. The measurements in grams are very very off. 3 cups of milk is definitely not 350ml and 1.5 cup cream is not 180g. The gelato taste good but very very icy.

    1. Hi Laura, thanks so much, so glad you liked it. And yes overnight in the freezer is a good idea. Although it was gone the next day! Have a great weekend.

  2. I would like to make key lime gelato. using this recipe. Would I need to adjust the recipe to compensate for the lime juice, and how much lime juice would I use. Thank you for your advice.

    1. Hi Diane, I would probably add a tablespoon of juice and the zest also. Zest will give you the lime flavour without any sourness. Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes.

  3. 5 stars
    A lockdown treat success!!! A lot of Italian Cafes near out house serve this style of ice cream and they aren’t able to currently! As a wee Scottish family we thoroughly enjoyed making and eating this!! Made plenty of ice cream for three people! Thank you!!

  4. Hello, great recipe. When you say “add the cream, stir to combine” you don’t mean “whip the whipping cream” right?

    1. Hi Connie, exactly do not whip the cream. It’s hard to know what to call cream, some people call it heavy, or whole or whipping, it can get confusing. 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    Gelato is always so vibrant and delicious and has such exceptional flavor! I’ve never tried making it myself, but you make it look easy. I think an ice cream maker is in my near future.

  6. 5 stars
    Looks great! I’d love to get an ice cream maker someday. I’d love to make homemade gelato! Yum!

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