Stracciatella means ‘shredded,’ and in ice cream it refers to the shards of dark chocolate scattered through a plain cream base. This recipe is pure Italian restraint: cream, skim milk, sugar, inverted sugar, and chopped dark chocolate added at the end of churning. Five ingredients. No eggs, no vanilla, no fruit. That is a rare combination that just works, every time.
The cream gets whipped with sugar until fluffy, then the milk and inverted sugar syrup are mixed in. It churns in an ice cream maker and the chocolate goes in during the last minute. The chocolate hits the cold base and shatters into thin, irregular pieces.
Tips for Making Stracciatella Ice Cream
Whip the cream properly
The cream and sugar need to be whipped until fluffy before the milk goes in. This gives the ice cream its light, airy texture. 
If you add the milk too early, the cream will not whip and the finished ice cream will be denser than intended.
Add the chocolate at the very end
The chopped dark chocolate goes in during the last minute of churning. It needs to hit the cold base so it shatters into thin shards.
If you add the chocolate too early, it melts into the base instead of staying in pieces. The whole point of stracciatella is the shards.
Stracciatella Ice Cream
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Cool down with this creamy, dreamy stracciatella ice cream. A simple recipe for a classic Italian treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cups (237 ml) cream
- 1 cups (237 ml) skim milk
- 3 oz (90 g) granulated sugar
- 2,5 tbsp inverted sugar
- dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Whip the cream with the sugar until fluffy.
- Add the milk and inverted sugar syrup; mix until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and follow its instructions.
- Add the chopped chocolate at the end.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, use heavy cream instead of a combination of cream and skim milk.
- To prevent ice crystals, make sure your ice cream base is completely chilled before churning.
- Store leftover stracciatella ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Churning
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 20
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 40
Frequently Asked Questions
What is inverted sugar?
Inverted sugar is a syrup made from sucrose that has been broken down into glucose and fructose. It keeps ice cream softer and more scoopable at freezer temperature. You can find it at baking supply stores or substitute with corn syrup.
Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark?
You can, but milk chocolate is softer and will not shatter into the same crisp shards. Dark chocolate fractures cleanly when it hits the cold base, which creates the stracciatella texture.
Do I need an ice cream maker?
For this recipe, yes. The churning action and cold temperature are what shatter the chocolate when you add it. Without a machine, you would need to fold in the chocolate by hand into a very cold base, and the result would be different.
Have you ever tried it with agave as the sweetener?
No. In fact, here in Barcelona is quite difficult to find it, as we don’t use it. I’m thinking that maybe it could also substitute the inverted sugar. I’ll try! Thanks!
Cinta