Many old school gelato recipes really had 3-4 ingredients: milk, cream, sugar and eggs were the most common ones. This was because of the technology limitations back then, the fact that many ingredients were not as available as today and also because that was mostly what people had available in Italy.
These recipes are still valid today, but thanks to more modern technology and also thanks to consumers with a more refined palate new ingredients were introduced to provide a better structure and mouthfeel so that you can enjoy every last bit of it.
Keep in mind all ingredients listed here are still natural or plant/nature based therefore are to be considered improvements that are well worth it.
Many of these ingredients are not as common, and you may not really know how and why to utilize them: this is why I decided to create a mini guide with links so you know you are getting exactly what you need to make a great gelato, even at home!
Helpful sugars (to be used along with regular sucrose)
Dextrose: dextrose is a kind of sugar that will reduce the perceived sweetness and lower your freezing point twice as much as regular sugar (will make your gelato twice as soft). Use sparingly (especially in home machines), but substitute regular sugar with it (1-2%) to achieve these goals. Very useful in fruit sorbet, vegan gelato & regular gelato. Find the best price HERE.
Glucose (or corn syrup): glucose (or also corn syrup in US) is another kind of sugar that helps binding ingredients together. It is less sweet than regular sugar (so it can help you lower the perceived sweetness of your gelato) and generally lowers the freezing point just as much as regular sugar (at least when it is 38-42DE). Substitute regular sugar with glucose (2-3%) for a more stable and better structure. Find the best quality here for GLUCOSE & CORN SYRUP.
Thickeners (also called stabilizers)
These are plant based ingredients (or blends) that will do just what the name suggests..the will thicken up your gelato base by absorbing 100 times their weight in water (from the dairies or actual water in sorbetto) giving you a more stable, creamier, and richer product. These are different than the powders stabilizers full of junk that most gelato shops do use, also these do not include emulsifiers. Buy them here Locust Bean Gum - Guar Gum - Blend
Skim/fat free milk powder, low heat/instant
Very useful to trap more free water improving the structure and quality of the gelato, adds more dairy proteins to the mix which help with air incorporation and the overall warmth and mouthfeel of your product. Normally used between 2-4% of your total gelato base wight. Given how hard it is to melt, purchasing a low heat or instant one is normally a better choice. Buy a very good brand HERE.
Vegetable fibers/probiotic
Vegetable fibers are normally derived from plants and are a very good probiotic which also help bringing more solids to your traditional dairy gelato, but most importantly in sorbetti and vegan gelato. We use them especially in sorbetti (70% water, around 30% solids), vegan gelato (normally higher in water due to use of alternative milks) or low solid gelato (think espresso for example) to restore a healthy balance between water & solid content. Most commonly used is Inulin powder and also many gelato ingredient brands will offer their own blends. Get very good Inulin powder HERE.
And here you have them, some of the most unique ingredients you’ll need to craft amazing, artisan gelato! This page will probably constantly updated with even more unique ingredients so keep checking!
Hopefully this was helpful & valuable amici!
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A presto amici!
Vincenzo