Bursting with fresh fruit and juicy fruit puree, this cherry ripple gelato is the best treat to enjoy on a hot summer day.
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This is my favorite way of making gelato this time of year. This cherry ripple gelato is bursting with fresh fruit and juicy fruit puree, making it an elegant dessert–and the best treat to enjoy on a hot summer day.
Helpful Tips for Making Cherry Ripple Gelato
Use the ripest cherries you can find—or pick up a bag of frozen ones
Plump cherries that feel soft to the touch are the juiciest and deliver the most aromatic flavor in this cherry ripple gelato. Although this frozen treat is perfect for celebrating cherry season—early June to mid-August—you can also make this gelato with frozen cherries. Frozen fruits are generally packaged at their ripest, so you can be sure gelato produced with frozen cherries will be delicious. Bonus points: frozen cherries come pitted!
Invest in a cherry pitter
If you love cherries, you simply need a cherry pitter. Let’s all be honest here: pitting cherries is a pain. I should know—I’ve probably halved and pitted thousands of cherries in my time. It’s not that hard, but a few years ago, I succumbed to the lure of a cherry pitter. The purchase was motivated by both a hungry toddler and an impulsive want for a shiny new kitchen gadget (because I deserve it! haha). The Oxo cherry pitter had been on my Amazon wish list for years and let me tell you, it was worth every penny. Like all Oxo gadgets, it’s sturdy, comfortable to use, efficient, and easy to clean. And at about $15, it’s pretty affordable too. From the first cherry I pitted in less than a second, I haven’t looked back! I promise Oxo did not sponsor me for telling you this. I’m just a huge fan and I promise you: if you’re as serious a cherry lover as I am, this gadget won’t gather dust at the back of your drawer.
Plan Ahead
As with all gelato flavors, you should start the cherry ripple gelato-making process a day in advance. Both the cherry puree and the gelato base need to be refrigerated to cool completely before being combined and churned together. Gelato custard mustbe very cold before churning: this will produce the smoothest, silkiest texture.
Bring Cherry Ripple Gelato Back to Room Temp Before Serving
Always remember to bring this cherry ripple gelato to room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving.That will not only make it easier to serve—gelato’s lower fat content means it freezes rock hard—but also soften it to a consistency closer to what you would enjoy at a gelati bar, waking up the flavors and giving it the luxurious texture that is so easy to fall in love with.
WATCH MY GELATO MASTERCLASS
Never made gelato before? Curious about what makes gelato different from ice cream? Check out my colorful masterclass! In it, you’ll find out what makes gelato different from ice cream, how to make a versatile gelato base you can turn into various flavors, and all my secrets and tips to churn and serve outstanding gelato. I even share how to make dairy-free, vegan gelato! In short, it’s a very thorough, colorful class that will quickly turn you into a gelato master.
This masterclass was previously hosted behind a paywall on an educational site where thousands of students rated it 5 STARS! It’s now available to all gelato lovers worldwide, absolutely free. Watch Now!
More Delicious Homemade Gelato Recipes
Love gelato? Then you need to give these irresistibly fruity, homemade gelato recipes a try.
- Basil and Strawberry Gelato
- Cherry Ripple Gelato
- Rhubarb Gelato
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Cherry Ripple Gelato
Bursting with fresh fruit and juicy fruit puree, this cherry ripple gelato is the best treat to enjoy on a hot summer day.
Prep Time:20 minutes mins
Cook Time:10 minutes mins
Cooling + Freezing Time:4 hours hrs
Servings 1 quart (4 cups/1L)
Author Marie Asselin
Ingredients
US Customary / Metric
For the gelato base
- 1 batch Sicilian-Style Gelato Base (preferred) or Classic Gelato Base (omit the vanilla bean)
For the cherry puree
- 2 cups pitted cherries, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
To assemble
- ½ cup pitted cherries, diced
- 1 tbsp cherry liqueur (also called Cherry Heering) or kirsch (cherry brandy) (optional, helps keep gelato at a softer texture even when fully frozen)
Instructions
For the gelato base:Make the gelato base of your choice, then strain it into an airtight container. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The gelato base must be very cold before churning: this will produce the smoothest, silkiest texture.
To make the cherry puree:Place the cherries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the cherries are soft and the mixture has thickened. Puree using astand blender, astick blender, or afood processor. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until completely cool.
Measure out 1 cup (250 ml) cherry puree. (Keep remaining puree, if any, to add to smoothies or serve over cake.)
Pour ½ cup (125 ml) of the cherry puree into the gelato ustard base and whisk to thoroughly combine. Transfer the cherry custard to the bowl of anice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Stop the machine when the gelato is icy but still soft.
To assemble the gelato:Spread a third of the frozen gelato over the bottom of an airtight container or a loaf pan. Drizzle a third of the remaining cherry puree, and sprinkle with a third of the diced cherries. Add another layer of gelato, then drizzle with another third of the cherry puree and a third of the diced cherries. Top with the remaining gelato, then drizzle the top with the remaining cherry puree and sprinkle with the remaining diced cherries.
STORAGE: If you used a loaf pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap, or cover if you used a container. Freeze the cherry ripple gelato until firm, at least 2 hours.
Cherry ripple gelato is at its creamiest and best if enjoyed within 2 weeks. Past that, some ice crystals will inevitably start forming (especially if the gelato is kept in the freezer section of a regular fridge, as opposed to a chest freezer) and the texture won't be quite as smooth. The gelato will still be perfectly edible for up to 2 months, but my advice is: enjoy it as quickly as possible after churning.
SERVING:Always take cherry ripple gelato out to room temperature 20 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop. This will also allow you to enjoy the treat at its ideal temperature and texture.
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE:When making the gelato base, substitute lactose-free milk oroat milkfor the regular milk, and lactose-free heavy cream orsoy creamfor the regular heavy cream.
MAKE IT VEGAN:Get my recipe and instructions for making vegan gelato.
Did you make this?
Tell me how you liked it! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it with @foodnouveau on Instagram.
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