Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup Nutella
Make the Custard Base
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and steaming, with small bubbles forming around the edges. Do not let it come to a full boil.
While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar together in a separate medium bowl. Beat them vigorously for ~2 minutes, until the mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls from the whisk in a ribbon.
Temper the Yolks
This next step is crucial for a smooth custard. While whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. This process, called tempering, gently raises the temperature of the yolks so they don’t scramble when added to the hot pot.
Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk.
Cook the Custard
Return the saucepan to the stove over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pot.
Continue cooking for ~6-10 minutes, until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon. You can test this by drawing a finger through the custard on the back of the spoon; if the line holds and doesn’t run, the custard is done.
Strain and Chill Overnight
Immediately pour the hot custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. This step is not optional; it catches any small bits of cooked egg and guarantees a perfectly smooth gelato.
Add the Nutella to the hot, strained custard and whisk until it is completely melted and the base is uniform in color with no streaks.
Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the base in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight. The base must be completely cold—ideally below 40F—before churning.
Churn the Gelato
Pour the cold custard base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Gelato is churned at a slower speed than ice cream to incorporate less air.
The gelato is done churning when it has the consistency of thick soft-serve ice cream. Transfer the gelato to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours to “ripen,” which allows it to firm up to a scoopable consistency.
Nutella Gelato
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup Nutella
Instructions
- Combine the milk, cream, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until steaming with small bubbles around edges.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar vigorously for 2 minutes until pale and thick.
- Slowly pour 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks.
- Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 6-10 minutes.
- Strain the hot custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl.
- Add the Nutella to the hot custard and whisk until completely melted and uniform in color.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Pour the cold custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches thick soft-serve consistency.
- Transfer the gelato to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours until firm.
