Scoop&Slush

Vanilla Bean Gelato

A true custard gelato. Egg yolks and a whole vanilla bean cook into a rich base that spins dense, silky, and flecked with vanilla.

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Vanilla Bean Gelato
Ninja CreamiPrep
15 minFreeze
24 hrMakes
1 pint · 4 servings

Why you’ll love this

Real vanilla bean flecks in every spoonful and a custard base that spins up dense and silky; it tastes calm, rich, and unmistakably homemade, the way gelato should. It suits warm pie, fresh berries, espresso poured over the top, and anyone who knows vanilla was never the plain option.

What you’ll need

A few simple ingredients for a big, delicious idea.

Egg yolks
Egg yolks
Light corn syrup
Light corn syrup
Granulated sugar
Granulated sugar
Heavy cream
Heavy cream
Whole milk
Whole milk
Vanilla bean
Vanilla bean

Vanilla Bean Gelato

Ninja CreamiPrep 15 min24 hr

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Whisk the yolks

    Put the egg yolks, corn syrup, and sugar in a small saucepan and whisk until fully combined and the sugar has dissolved. For a Deluxe pint, use 6 egg yolks, 1½ tablespoons corn syrup, and ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar.

  2. Add the cream, milk, and vanilla

    Pour in the heavy cream and whole milk and add the vanilla bean, both the scraped seeds and the pod, then stir to combine. For a Deluxe pint, use 1½ cups cream, 1 cup milk, and 1½ vanilla beans.

  3. Cook the custard

    Set the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a rubber spatula. Cook until the base reaches 165 to 175 degrees F (74 to 79 degrees C) on an instant read thermometer. Do not let it boil.

  4. Strain, chill, and freeze

    Take the base off the heat and pour it through a fine mesh strainer into an empty CREAMi pint. Set the pint in an ice bath until the base is cool, then put the storage lid on and freeze for 24 hours on a level surface.

  5. Process on Gelato

    Take the pint out of the freezer and remove the storage lid, then set the pint up in the machine and run the GELATO program. On a Deluxe machine, choose TOP, FULL, or BOTTOM first, then select GELATO.

  6. Serve it silky

    Scoop and serve immediately, while the gelato is dense and glossy.

Nutrition guide

The nutrition scoop

Per serving · 1 of 4 servings from one pint

  • Fat 67%
  • Carbs 26%
  • Protein 7%

Proper dessert energy: rich and satisfying, the way a scoop should be.

Total fat 27 g
Carbohydrates 24 g
Protein 6 g
of which sugars 21 g
Saturated fat 16 g 80% daily value
Cholesterol 295 mg 99% daily value
Sodium 50 mg 2% daily value
Dietary fiber 0 g 0% daily value
Calcium 105 mg 8% daily value
Vitamin C 1 mg 1% daily value

Where the calories live

The heavy cream brings the biggest share of the calories here, about 57 percent of the batch, with the granulated sugar next in line.

The bright spot

Most of the flavor rides on the heavy cream, and the numbers stay in treat territory rather than meal territory.

Want a lighter scoop

Swap half the heavy cream for whole milk. The spin stays creamy and every serving lands noticeably lighter.

Estimated from the ingredients exactly as written, using standard reference values for each ingredient. Your brands and swaps will shift the numbers a little. Daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Make it your own

  • Start with the base recipe, then swap one ingredient at a time.
  • Try a different topping after processing.
  • Keep notes so you can revisit your favorite combination.

Texture tips

  • A level, fully solid freeze gives the smoothest spin.
  • Freeze CREAMi bases level and completely solid.
  • For SLUSHi, check compatible liquids and minimum sugar requirements.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Deluxe pint amounts?

For a Deluxe pint: 6 large egg yolks, 1½ tablespoons light corn syrup, ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (75 g) granulated sugar, 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream, 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, and 1½ whole vanilla beans, split and scraped. The method is the same, and a Deluxe pint makes about 6 servings.

Can I use a Breeze pint?

Yes. The Breeze pint takes the same amounts as the regular pint in the ingredient list. Freeze for 24 hours and process on GELATO the same way.

Why cook the base at all?

Cooking turns the yolks, sugar, and dairy into a custard. The gentle heat cooks the yolks safely, melts the sugar completely, and gives gelato its dense, silky body. The strainer catches any little bits that overcooked along the way.

How do I store leftovers?

Smooth the top flat with a spoon, put the storage lid back on, and return the pint to the freezer on a level surface. Before serving again, set the pint up in the machine and run GELATO once more.