Lemon Gelato

There’s nothing like gelato made in Italy! It’s an essential part of any trip to the country, in our opinion. Here’s our attempt to bring back memories and make lemon gelato at home! What we love about this recipe: Now, this isn’t just any lemon gelato. This is tangy, intense, lip-puckering lemon, with just the right hint of sweetness that doesn’t taste a bit sour. It’s so intense and refreshing, you’ll absolutely love it!

Our lemon gelato research

Gelato is an essential part of a trip to Italy, at least for the trips we take. This fluffy, Italian-style ice cream is so intensely flavorful that it’s hard to pass up, especially when there’s a shop on every corner. On our recent trip to Rome, we spent one afternoon visiting five different gelato shops to sample flavors (I mean, we had to find out which was best!). I usually go for chocolate flavors if I have the choice. But surprisingly, Alex and I found that our favorite gelato flavor was not a rich chocolate, but lemon. It was tangy, intense, lip-puckering lemon, so intense and refreshing that we ordered it frequently. Here’s our attempt at recreating it at home!

Tips for making lemon gelato

This lemon gelato recipe is laughably simple, but that’s what makes it so wonderful! Interestingly, we found it was best made with milk, which gives it a slightly creamy consistency. Here’s what you’ll need for lemon gelato:

Lemons Milk Sugar

First, you’ll need to heat the milk and sugar on the stove just until the sugar dissolves. Then stir in the lemon juice and pop that into the fridge to chill for at least three hours. Once chilled, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker (read the manufacturer’s instructions for this part). For a soft serve consistency, serve the lemon gelato immediately. For a scoopable texture, freeze it for a few hours to harden it.

Give it a try and let us know if you’re transported to Italy, or if you have a favorite gelato flavor or recipe!

More frozen desserts

Outside of this lemon gelato recipe, here are our favorite frozen dessert, including ice cream recipes, sorbet recipes, and sherbet recipes:

Try Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Chocolate Ice Cream or Cookie Dough Ice Cream Mix up Easy Strawberry Sorbet, Raspberry Sorbet or Lemon Sorbet