Name: Homemade Lemon Gelato
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 5 h 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 5 egg yolks; 1/2 cup sugar 100 g; zest from 1 lemon; 3/4 cups lemon juice 175 ml; 2 cups milk 500 ml

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By Rebecca St.Clair

This homemade lemon gelato is full of bright, bold flavour. This frozen dessert recipe brings the flavours of Italy right into your kitchen with its silky texture and refreshing burst of fresh citrus. It’s naturally gluten-free and incredibly simple to make!

This dreamy homemade lemon gelato is a celebration of summer fresh citrus. Inspired by the traditional Italian recipes, it uses only fresh lemons, milk, egg yolk, and sugar to create a dessert that’s perfect for summer or anytime you need a little sunshine.

A stone pan with lemon gelato inside. There is whipped cream and sliced lemons at one end.

Bright, refreshing, and irresistibly creamy, the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Whether you’re cooling off on a hot day or craving something sweet after dinner, you’ll want to make this recipe on repeat! A perfect make-ahead dessert for dinner parties or a backyard barbecue.

A small glass cup with a scoop of lemon gelato inside.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Real ingredients – Made with only whole food ingredient for the best taste and texture.
Simple – This recipe only requires 4 simple ingredients.
Traditional – This sweet treat is a traditional Italian favourite that you can make at home!
Refreshing – Cool and silky meets a bright citrus punch for the perfect refreshing treat.

A homemade ice cream cone with lemon gelato inside.

How to store homemade lemon gelato

Freezer

Since this is a frozen product, it must be stored in the freezer. Keep the gelato in an airtight container stored in the freezer. For best results, use the homemade lemon gelato within 2 weeks.

Homemade lemon gelato can be stored frozen for up to 2 months but you may notice sugar crystals forming which could alter the smooth texture.

For best results allow the frozen gelato to soften at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. This will allow you to easily scoop and serve it.

A stone container filled with lemon gelato. There is a spoon scooping some of the dessert.

Homemade Lemon Gelato Substitutions

While this is a classic Italian recipe for homemade gelato, you can feel free to change it to suit your own taste and preferences.

The milk in the gelato can be substituted for full fat coconut milk.

The sugar in this recipe can also be replaced by you favourite sugar alternative. Since not all sugar has the same level of sweetness, use this chart below to get the proper ratio when replacing sugar.

A sugar conversion chart one column is green and one is pink

A woman is holding up a white spatula with lemon gelato.

What is the difference between gelato and ice cream?

While gelato is thought of as the Italian version of ice cream. There are some differences that set it apart.

Fat content – Gelato is made using milk, where as ice cream is made using cream. The cream gives ice cream a higher overall fat content per serving.

While this gives ice cream a richer mouth feel, the lower fat content in gelato allows the full flavour profile of the ingredients to shine through. This gives gelato a more full-bodied flavour.

Thickness – While you might think with the heavy cream, ice cream would be heavier. However, ice cream contains more air bubbles throughout the mixture making it lighter by weight. This gives it the ability to be scooped and served at a lower temperature.

This also tends to give gelato a richer more velvety feel in the mouth.

Temperature – If you buy a scoop of gelato versus a scoop of ice cream at an ice cream parlour, you will notice that ice cream is served much colder. It is served with an ice cream scoop and is very tight and hard when served.

Gelato is normally served at a higher temperature. It is normally served with a paddle and has a softer whipped appearance when served.

Ingredients – Typically, Italian gelato is made with fresh, local, quality ingredients like fresh fruit and nuts. This results in the best tasting gelato.

Homemade lemon gelato in a stone pan. There is a homemade ice cream cone beside.

Ingredients

Egg yolk – Provides richness and thickens the initial custard.
Sugar – Mixed with the egg yolk to make and sweeten the custard.
Milk – Milk is used in place of cream to make this frozen treat.
Lemon – The flavouring for the gelato. Use the juice and zest for the best flavour.

How to make Homemade Lemon Gelato

Separate 5 egg yolks and add them to a large sauce pot over medium heat.
Add in 1/2 cup of sugar and the zest from 1 lemon.
Whisk with the egg yolks until light and creamy.
Whisk in 2 cups of milk.

A white sauce pot with a egg yolk and sugar mixture inside.

A sauce pot with egg yolk, sugar, and milk inside.

5. Stir until the liquid starts to steam and the mixture starts to thicken. This should take about 10 minutes.

6. Do not bring the mixture to a boil, once you see a few bubbles from it beginning to simmer, remove it from the heat.

7. Stir in 3/4 cups of lemon juice.

8. Set aside and allow it to cool.

A glass measuring cup filled with lemon juice.

A large glass measuring cup filled with a liquid lemon gelato mixture.

9. Place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

10. Place the mixture into an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturers instructions.

11. Transfer the mixture into a sealable, freezer-safe container and allow it to chill in the freezer 3-4 hours or until set.

12. Serve cold in a bowl or cone.