Gelato vs Ice Cream: How Are They Different?

In the scorching heat of summer, or during holidays and festivals, a cold and refreshing treat like ice cream is loved by people all over the world.

Both ice cream and gelato have to be churned to develop their flavor, but the churning speed and the amount of air worked into the mixture are different.

Gelato is churned more slowly than ice cream, which makes it denser. With less air in the mix, it rises less and has a smoother, more elastic body.

But why do some shops call their ice cream 'gelato'?

In Italian, gelato literally means 'frozen' and is the everyday word for ice cream. Even so, Italian-style ice cream differs greatly from ordinary ice cream in texture, flavor and even how it is made. Compared with American-style ice cream, gelato uses more milk than cream.

It also contains only around 25–30% air and less fat, which gives it a silkier texture than ice cream. Most importantly, gelato focuses on fresh ingredients and is usually free of artificial additives and preservatives.

So although ice cream and gelato are similar (it would not be wrong to call gelato the Italian version of ice cream), the two actually have clear differences. Let's look at them one by one.

Differences in Ingredients

The two main ingredients in both ice cream and gelato are milk and cream, and their proportions are what set these frozen desserts apart. An easy way to remember it: ice cream contains more cream than milk, while gelato is made with more milk than cream. Eggs are another distinguishing ingredient. Ice cream can include egg yolks, whereas gelato (in most cases) avoids them.

Differences in Production

It is not just the ingredients but the method, too. What they have in common is that both must be churned to develop their flavor. However, the churning speed and the amount of air incorporated into the mixture differ.

Gelato is churned more slowly than ice cream, which makes it denser. Because it holds less air than ice cream (gelato contains about 25–30% air), it rises less and is smoother and more elastic. That dense, stretchy body makes gelato hard to serve with a standard ice cream scoop, so a flat paddle called a gelato spatula is normally used instead. Ice cream, by contrast, can contain as much as 50% air.

Once made, ice cream and gelato are each stored at a suitable temperature. Ice cream is typically served frozen at around 0°F (about -17.7°C), while gelato is usually stored and served slightly warmer, at around 15°F (about -9.4°C). This means gelato is not fully frozen, giving it a softer, silkier texture than ice cream, which tends to be icier.

Flavor and Texture

The differences in composition and storage both affect how they taste. Because gelato has less fat and is served warmer, you can taste its ingredients more clearly, while still enjoying a smooth, velvety texture. This is why gelato culture favors fresh ingredients, creating a kind of deliciousness that is distinct from ice cream.

Ice Cream vs Gelato at a Glance

So on a hot day, which one wins? Each has its own charm, and both are equally refreshing in summer, especially in the heat of Thailand, where they are a perfect way to cool down.

Credit: The Standard / topspicks