People ask us this across the counter most days. Here’s the honest answer.
The three real differences
Air. Ice cream is churned fast, which whips air into it. It can be up to half air by volume. Gelato is churned slowly and holds much less. That’s why a scoop of gelato is heavier than a scoop of ice cream the same size, and why it tastes denser.
Fat. Ice cream is made with a lot of cream. Gelato uses more milk and less cream, so there’s less fat. Fat carries richness, but it also coats your tongue and mutes flavour slightly.
Temperature. This is the one nobody mentions, and it might matter most. Ice cream is served at around −18°C. Gelato is served warmer, closer to −12°C. Cold numbs your tongue. Warmer gelato is softer, and you taste more of it.
What that adds up to
Less air and less fat mean more actual flavour in every mouthful. Warmer serving means your tongue can detect it. So gelato tastes more intensely of whatever it’s meant to taste of — the pistachio tastes more like pistachio.
The trade-off is that gelato doesn’t have that light, airy, fluffy quality good ice cream has. Some people prefer that, and that’s a fair preference rather than a mistake.
What gelato is not
It isn’t automatically healthier. Less fat, yes. But gelato often has more sugar, and “healthier dessert” is a stretch for either of them.
It isn’t automatically better. Badly made gelato is worse than well made ice cream. The label tells you the technique, not the quality.
It isn’t just Italian ice cream. It’s a different recipe and a different process, not a translation.
How to spot good gelato
Look at the colour. Pistachio should be a dull brownish green. Mint should be white or pale. Bright colours mean colouring.
Look at how it’s stored. Gelato piled into tall colourful peaks has usually been stabilised to hold that shape. Traditional gelato sits flat, often under a lid, because it’s softer and doesn’t hold a sculpture.
Ask where it was made. A shop that makes its own will be pleased you asked.
And sorbet?
A third thing again. Sorbet is fruit, sugar and water, with no milk at any point. Lighter and sharper than either. We keep around five in the cabinet.
Come and taste the difference
We make ours here in Labrador, in small batches, with Maleny Dairies milk and cream — around 16 to 24 flavours at a time.
In 2026 our pear and ginger gelato was judged Champion Flavoured Ice Cream or Gelato of Show at the Royal Queensland Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet Awards, a competition that judges both.