Make Ahead

Avocado Gelado or Gelato

by:
June 16, 2012
4.5
4 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves a tub of gelato
Author Notes

Years and years (and years and years) ago I worked at a Brazilian restaurant where we served a rich avocado shake. I had never had a sweet avocado anything but was instantly sold. This gelato's roots start there, and evolve with amazing vanilla beans I got at the market in Aix, big beautiful farmer's markets eggs, milk and cream. It is impossibly rich and creamy and I think fairly irresistible. And yes, I misspelled it on purpose because rhyming is fun! —aargersi

Test Kitchen Notes

Aargersi's Avocado Gelado is not "fairly" irresistible as she says in her headnote, its absolutely and completely irresistible. Creamy, rich and delicious. I never dreamed that making ice cream without heavy cream could yield such a creamy frozen treat but the avocado did the trick. The ice cream came together beautifully and the only change I made was that I used lime instead of lemon (ran out of lemons) I loved it with lime and I know it would be fantastic with lemon also. What a treat this was, notice I said WAS as in past tense because there is nothing left after making a shake and an avocado gelado hot fudge sundae. This recipe will definitely be in my "gelado" rotation. —sdebrango

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Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups perfectly ripe avocado cut in about 1/2" cubes
  • juice from 1 large lemon
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Directions
  1. Cut a slit down the vanilla bean. Put it in a saucepan and add the milk. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat and let it cool / infuse for at least 30 minutes, until the milk is at least cooled to room temp (if you have something to do you can stick it in the fridge and continue later)
  2. Take the vanilla bean out and use a paring knife to scrape out all of the little seeds - put those back into the milk. Add the pod back in too - don't want to waste one iota of that great flavor. Whisk in the egg yolks and sugar, then gently bring it back to a simmer - whisking right along - until a thick custard forms. Cool this again - once it's cool enough put it in the fridge to chill.
  3. Measure your avocado then squeeze the lemon over. Put it in the blender with the cream, then get the custard out. Fish out that vanilla bean and scrape off the custard - finally, sadly discard it. Add the custard into the blender too and blend the whole thing until it is very smooth.
  4. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. When it first comes out it will be like soft serve, you can put it in a container in the freezer to firm up a bit if you like.
  5. Serve! It's rich so try not to eat TOO much. Good luck with that.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: aargersi

Country living, garden to table cooking, recent beek, rescue all of the dogs, #adoptdontshop

31 Reviews

markmanxscorp March 23, 2023
I want to make this, what if I can’t find a vanilla bean? how much vanilla extract do I use and will the making process change?
Eleni P. July 9, 2017
I used xylitol and stevia for this recipe, no sugar at all. It turned out super nice but not so green.
Richard R. October 1, 2016
I serve this recipe followed to the letter and topped with lime zest and turbinando sugar. It seems to be the only thing guests remember about the meal--no matter how good the meal was! :-/
aargersi October 1, 2016
What a nice compliment!! Thank you!
Paul September 18, 2015
In the Philippines when I was growing up, we only know Guacamole from books and TV shows. Our avocados were always used as fruit snack or dessert. For breakfast, we cubed avocados and add milk and sugar or prepare them as ice cream.
Anja A. June 13, 2013
This was a success with my guests. Correct spelling is "Gelato", not Gelado. ;)
aargersi June 13, 2013
I am glad you enjoyed it! I misspelled it on purpose as noted in my headnote :-)
Bevi June 13, 2013
The spelling might be a play off the word "avocado"
Janet @. May 29, 2013
My kids are going to be thrilled. I can't wait to make it.
Rafatz May 5, 2013
Gelado???? Is this Spanish from Russia? Or Italian from North Korea?
eboyd March 17, 2013
I was thinking of making a coconut gelato this week to serve after a dinner of spicy yam nuea... I may do this instead, but instead of whole milk, use the coconut milk. Any thoughts on how that substitution would work?
aargersi March 17, 2013
Hi eboyd - I think it SOUNDS delicious and I bet it would work, I would for sure use full fat coconut milk. If you do it please post results - then I may do it too!!!
myteachermsfleming March 2, 2013
I made this with my middle school students in our cooking class. They loved it so much!! They all have special needs, and one student has significant physical impairments. She was able to operate the ice cream maker using an adapted switch. Even she liked it (and she's usually very picky, to the point where she has to be tube-fed). My students told me how nice I was for finally bringing my ice cream maker in and letting them use it to make something new. Most of them came back for seconds and thirds. This recipe also saves well, and was still delicious a week after the class. Thank you so much for posting this great recipe and for exposing my students to something easy to make that they'll never forget!
aargersi March 3, 2013
THAT is so great - thank you for sharing that story and also for trying my recipe - this really made my day
myteachermsfleming March 3, 2013
Thank you for posting it. I was telling the kids how I went to Chinatown for Chinese New Year and I got an avocado smoothie, and they said, "ew, gross," and I promised to change their minds :) We had a lot of fun. Thanks again. I should mention that I've tried a lot of avocado ice cream recipes and this is by far the best one I've found. Thank you again for posting it.
Maedl January 5, 2013
This sounds so good--I have been thinking about an avocado ice cream, and voila!. Based on a Moroccan flavor-combination, I would love to try adding a bit of rose water.
giuia.grady July 14, 2012
This is delicious and tastes just like the avocado ice cream we Filipinos grow up eating.
Cheazza July 10, 2012
We made this last night. I love anything avocado, but was having a tough time imagining these flavors. SO delicious! Less sweet than we expected, but much richer. I loved it.
aargersi July 13, 2012
Oh good I am so glad! I am starting a batch right now. I shy away from super sweet stuff ....
Midge July 5, 2012
YUM. I don't think I can hold off on an ice cream maker any longer.
arielleclementine July 5, 2012
congrats on the CP!! i can't wait to try this!
fiveandspice June 19, 2012
This looks beyond lovely Abbie! Perfect all summer long, I do believe!
aargersi June 19, 2012
or post 13.1 mile run? Hint hint
arielleclementine June 18, 2012
yes!! any chance you have some of this left in the freezer for our next poolside luncheon??
aargersi June 19, 2012
I gave the rest to my neighbor but I have the technology to make another batch :-)
gingerroot June 17, 2012
Love this, A!!
Bevi June 16, 2012
This is fabulous and it looks luscious too.
Madhuja June 16, 2012
This looks so, so good! And that bowl is just too cute for words! :)
hardlikearmour June 16, 2012
Holy wow! This sounds AAH-mazing!!