Olive Oil Stracciatella Ice Cream

A recipe for Olive Oil Stracciatella Ice Cream! This ice cream with a creamy olive oil base is packed with little pieces of dark chocolate for a fun and refreshing treat.

I originally came across the idea for this Olive Oil Stracciatella Ice Cream from Savory Bites’ Olive Oil Ice Cream topped with a drizzle of chocolate. Instead of just having the chocolate over the top, I incorporated my favorite gelato flavor, Stracciatella, by slowly pouring a small stream of melted dark chocolate directly into the ice cream maker while churning.

The result is a light and fruity ice cream packed with little pieces of dark chocolate for quite the refreshing and fun treat. I sometimes drizzle a little dark chocolate-flavored balsamic vinegar over the ice cream for a bold contrast in flavor. 

A Few Ice Cream Tips

All of the flavor for the ice cream base comes from the olive oil, so use the best quality available.

I melted about 6 ounces (170 grams) of dark chocolate for the ice cream. This amount can be adjusted more or less based on personal taste. Of course, if you are like my husband and have a strong dislike of chocolate, then just leave it out altogether.

After adding the eggs to thicken the cream, take care to not increase the heat to try to speed up the process. Stir constantly and heat just until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Otherwise, you may end up with cooked, curdled cream. If the mixture does curdle, I have been able to save ice cream by blending it until smooth in a stand blender or with an immersion blender as a last resort. 

I usually skip this step, but to help get a creamier texture and chill the mixture faster you can place the bowl of custard over an ice bath for a few minutes right after it is removed from the stove and blended with the olive oil. Be careful not to get water into the custard. Stir occasionally if you want to speed up the process a bit.

I used a fork to thinly drizzle the chocolate into the ice cream maker. You can also transfer the chocolate to a pastry or plastic bag with a small piece of the corner snipped off.

Looking for more olive oil-based recipes?

Try my

• Olive Oil Doughnuts with Dark Chocolate Glaze
• Twabaa (Algerian Lemon and Olive Oil Cookies)
• Panini All’Olio (Italian Olive Oil Rolls)

Olive Oil Stracciatella Ice Cream Recipe

Adapted from Savory Bites

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5 from 5 votes

Olive Oil Stracciatella Ice Cream

A recipe for Olive Oil Stracciatella Ice Cream! This ice cream with a creamy olive oil base is packed with little pieces of dark chocolate for a fun and refreshing treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine N/A

Keyword chocolate, dessert, ice cream, olive oil, stracciatella

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Resting Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes

Servings 4 Cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups (473 milliliters) whole milk
• 1 cup (237 milliliters) heavy cream
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• Pinch salt
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (118 milliliters) olive oil
• 6 ounces (170 grams) dark chocolate chips or chopped

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, sugar, and pinch of salt over medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs.
• Once the milk mixture is steaming, but not yet at a boil, slowly pour about 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) into the eggs while constantly whisking.
• Once incorporated, slowly stream in and whisk another 1/2 cup (125 milliliters). Slowly pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium-low heat while whisking. Cook while continuing to stir until just thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 170-180˚F (77˚C-82˚C). Be careful not to overcook or it will curdle.
• Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth.
• Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours to overnight.
• Transfer the chilled olive oil ice cream to an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's instructions until thickened and creamy.
• While the ice cream is churning, melt the chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals or in a double boiler on the stove until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly without hardening again.
• During the last 5 minutes of churning, slowly drizzle all but two tablespoons of the chocolate into the ice cream maker in a small, thin stream. The amount of chocolate can be adjusted more or less to personal taste.
• Once incorporated, transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe bowl. Top with a drizzle of the remaining two tablespoons chocolate. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.