Is gelato harder than ice cream?

Ice cream typically has a higher fat content than gelato, thanks to a higher ratio of cream to milk. It also has an airier, fluffy texture from the faster speed at which it’s churned. On the flip side, gelato often has more milk than cream in the base and may be described as denser, softer, more intense in flavor, and even elastic. Ice cream is generally made with a base of heavy cream, milk, sugar, and sometimes eggs and/or egg yolks. The base is churned in an ice cream maker before mix-ins are added. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ice cream must contain at least 10% milk fat by weight, though most brands will have a fat percentage of 14 to 25%. Gelato has a lower milk fat content than ice cream, usually 4 to 9%, yielding a softer, denser texture and smaller ice crystals. That’s a result of the base, which typically includes less cream and more milk, as well as a slower churning process that introduces less air into the final product. Gelato contains less milk fat than ice cream, is churned at a slower rate, and is typically served at a warmer temperature, introducing less air to the dessert and yielding a softer and denser texture. Frozen custard, meanwhile, is always made with egg yolks, and is most often made in a machine that introduces very little air, resulting in a denser, richer texture.