Chocolate Brownie Bourbon Gelato (Gluten-Free)

This Chocolate Brownie Bourbon Gelato is rich and luscious with an intensity of chocolate flavor that was enhanced by the unsweetened chocolate and the final gelato took on an almost brownie-like taste. This is one ice cream you won’t be able to resist!

Chocolate gelato is one of The Artist’s favorite desserts, especially when served with freshly baked cookies. He is constantly on the lookout for new brands to try, weighing one against the other with scientific precision. When he heard that I was going to be making a batch for today’s Chocolate Monday, his smile could have lit up a moonless night!

You don’t have to wait for warm weather to make this delicious treat. American’s do consume the most ice cream per year, but you may be surprised that other countries in the top five include Norway, Sweden, and Denmark! Apparently having a long summer season is not a requirement for consuming frozen desserts, LOL.

Making ice cream, gelato, sherbet, or other frozen desserts is easy if you have an ice cream maker. There are many on the market and you don’t have to spend a fortune to get one that makes great products. If you already have a KitchenAid stand mixer, you can even buy an attachment that churns ice cream! If you love frozen desserts, if your family constantly begs you to buy them, and if you want the best tasting ice cream you’ve ever had, buy a machine and make your own. You won’t go back to pre-made.

When I thought about making chocolate gelato, it seemed a natural extension of this love affair to include Bourbon in today’s recipe. There isn’t much in it (only 2 tbsp), and it is subtly flavored, but it is definitely there. You can’t add a lot of alcohol to the mixture or it won’t freeze properly, but that doesn’t preclude you from adding a splash over the top when you serve it, one of my favorite desserts!

The original recipe I started with called for bittersweet chocolate, but I was all out so I substituted unsweetened chocolate and added some extra granulated sugar to balance the sweetness. What happened was that the intensity of the chocolate flavor was enhanced and the final gelato wound up with an almost brownie-like taste. It completely changed the gelato, making it even better! The Artist named today’s recipe with great pride, ha ha. 

There are a couple of tricks that will make your attempts at homemade ice cream a success every time. The first one is the hardest for me to remember because it requires me to think ahead – Ha! For most machines on the market, you have to pre-freeze the container. This time I actually remembered and wasn’t trying to rush the process. Success!!

The other thing is to thoroughly chill the cooked custard. Again, this takes advanced planning … not my forte. Chill it in the refrigerator or freezer, stirring occasionally to make sure all parts of the liquid come in contact with the exterior of the bowl. Also, using a thin aluminum bowl will speed the process. Having a well-chilled custard helps your machine churn it more quickly, saving wear and tear on the equipment.

Also, listen to your machine as it is churning the custard. You will notice a change in the pitch of the sound it is making as the custard begins to thicken. Without even looking you can tell when it is ready to transfer to the freezer. It will be the consistency of soft-serve at this point but will thicken perfectly when transferred to another container and placed in the freezer to finish hardening. The flavors will also continue to blend and intensify, so make this a day or two in advance of when you want to serve it for the best results.

Some people may be tempted to replace the whole milk and cream with low-fat milk, and while you can do this, please resist the temptation to reduce calories. You will wind up with a wimpy version, not worthy of the title gelato. Honestly folks, make this with the good stuff and just don’t eat as much in one sitting. This is intensely chocolatey and so good that you really don’t need much to be completely satisfied.

OK folks, it is time for you to pop into your kitchen, dust off the ice cream maker and get to work on this amazing Chocolate Brownie Bourbon Gelato. Use a small scoop and place some in a pretty serving bowl. Tuck a couple of cookies or mint sprig alongside and you have a dessert that your friends will be dreaming of and begging for!

Happy Chocolate Monday everyone!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!

 

Ingredients needed for Chocolate Brownie Bourbon Gelato:

• Whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder
• Unsweetened chocolate, egg yolks, bourbon, vanilla, salt

 

PRO Tip:

Don’t forget to pre-chill your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer and leave enough time to chill the custard before churning to make it easier on your machine.

 

How to make Chocolate Brownie Bourbon Gelato:

1. Pre-chill the bowl of your ice cream maker and make the custard a day in advance to give it time to chill fully. Set a medium bowl with a wire sieve in it next to the stove when you’re ready to make your ice cream.
2. Heat the milk, cream and 3/4 of the sugar in a 2-qt saucepan, bringing it just to a simmer and stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cocoa and chopped chocolate, whisking until smooth then pour into a 4-cup heatproof measuring cup with a spout.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the yolks with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until light and very thick. Slow the mixer to low and very slowly pour in 2 tbsp of the hot chocolate mixture, and beat for 30 seconds then add another 2 tbsp of the hot chocolate and mix it in warming the eggs gently. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the rest of the chocolate mixture and beat until smooth and glossy.
4. Pour the beaten eggs back into the 2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Keep it at about 180°F and don’t let it boil. Pour the mixture through the sieve you set up in the bowl by the stove, letting it pour through the sieve and into the bowl, and then stir in the bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
5. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least several hours or up to a day in advance.
6. When cold, pour the custard into the bowl of your ice maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s direction. Transfer the soft ice cream to covered containers and freeze. Soften it slightly before serving.

 

PRO Tip:

If you love keeping your mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen equipment for the memories they hold, there is one piece you should toss out … their old rubber spatulas. Over time they lose their flexibility and the old ones melt when near a heat source. The new silicone varieties are nearly impervious to all but the highest temperatures and can be used when frying or to stir boiling candy syrups. They are worth the investment and add a fresh bright spot of color to your kitchen!

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Ice cream maker (this is the one I have)
• Ice cream attachment for a Kitchenaid mixer
• Kitchen scale
• Chef’s knife
• Aluminum bowls
• Sieve
• 3-quart saucepan
• 4-cup measuring cup with a spout
• Stand mixer

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

This is naturally gluten free, but check the labels on your cocoa powder and chocolate to make sure.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

*NOTE: The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. But some distillers may use caramel coloring or flavorings which sometimes contain gluten. For some very sensitive people this may cause issues. If you are making this recipe for a very reactive person, or if they have Celiac disease, you can use potato vodka mixed with two teaspoons brown sugar in place of the bourbon.

 

 

 

Create a New Tradition Today!

 

Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in April 2013. The article was updated in 2023.