24 ice cream, gelato, and other frozen dessert recipes

Affogato (Italian for “drowned”) features steamy espresso poured over a scoop of gelato or ice cream, with a shot of liqueur just for fun. This recipe from The Kitchn has some simple instructions, and you can learn how to make the gelato and ice cream from scratch if you read on.

As promised, here is an authentic Italian gelato recipe. It might not taste exactly like the stuff you’d get from a shop in Rome, but it’s remarkably close for something you whip up in your own kitchen. As Recipes From Italy will tell you, you’ll need an ice cream maker (also known as a gelateria) or at least a gelato container, but other than that, the only requirements are egg yolks, sugar, milk, and heavy cream.

We have a couple of different ice cream sandwiches in this list, neither of which include a soggy chocolate graham cracker exterior that will get stuck to the roof of your mouth, like the classic packaged variety. This recipe from Grandbaby Cakes is like an upgraded version of that classic sandwich, as it uses fresh-baked brownies to surround and cradle the ice cream.

Let’s follow up our authentic gelato recipe with one for the chocolate lovers. Cioccolato is a popular flavor in Italy, and this dark chocolate recipe from Food Nouveau is one of the best at-home versions we’ve seen…so don’t put that ice cream maker away just yet!

Also known as a “chipwich,” this ice cream sandwich combines vanilla ice cream with two chocolate chip cookies. Feel free to make the ice cream yourself (it’s highly encouraged!), or combine the store-bought kind with homemade cookies, as suggested in this recipe from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen.

When we first bought our milkshake machine, we went at it hard — too hard, honestly. But when we learned moderation, it became one of our favorite appliances. However, you don’t need a milkshake machine to make a good shake, as evidenced by this cookies and cream milkshake recipe from Unicorns in the Kitchen, which uses a blender. And this shake isn’t just good, it’s better than the ones at Chick-fil-A!

Orange you glad this list contains orange creamsicles? Even if you’re not a fan of these frozen orange treats, this recipe from Live Eat Learn has you covered: It also includes instructions for lemon and lime versions! (As a bonus, they all include one of our favorite foods, Greek yogurt!)

Some people claim the best summertime adult beverage is rosé. They’re only half correct, as frozen rosé, or “frosé,” is just as tasty but even more refreshing. You may have had this at your local bar, restaurant, or distillery, but now you can have it at home with this no-wait recipe from A Spicy Perspective.

Frozen bananas might be the quickest, easiest dessert in this whole list. Just cut up some bananas, freeze them, dip them in melted chocolate, coat with your favorite toppings, and enjoy. This recipe from Sugar Hero is also a fun one for the whole family to make together!

It’s no secret that we love Greek yogurt and easy recipes, which is why this two-ingredient homemade frozen yogurt recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie is right in our wheelhouse. Not a fan of Greek yogurt? No problem. Substitute plain yogurt, vanilla yogurt, or non-dairy yogurts made from cashews, coconut milk, or soy. You can also pick your sweetener of choice, including sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave, or erythritol. 

These homemade fudgesicles from Real Housemoms are billed as “[c]reamy, chocolatey, and EXACTLY like the classic treat,” but we disagree. We think they’re even better! And not only are these fudgesicles tasty, but they require just four ingredients: milk, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and cornstarch.

Straight outta Sicily, granita differs from other icy desserts because of its coarser, more crystalline texture — although varying consistencies can be found across Italy. Granita can be made from nearly any fruit, but we recommend starting with this fresh strawberry version from Allrecipes, which calls for just strawberries, sugar, water, and a tiny pinch of salt.

Hailing from the Philippines, halo-halo (or haluhalo) is made with evaporated milk, red beans, coconut, fruit, seeds, and ice cream. This Franken-dessert is incredibly popular in the island country, but you don’t have to fly halfway around the world to try one. The Spruce Eats’ recipe will save you a plane ticket, although you’ll need some of that money for the 10 different ingredients used to make this version of halo-halo.

Traditional Hawaiian shave ice uses fruit-flavored syrups poured over finely chopped ice served atop ice cream. This recipe from MyRecipes shows you how to make it two ways — with plum syrup and pineapple-mango syrup — and, as recommended, you might want to purchase a shaved ice machine. They’re surprisingly affordable!

What would this list be without traditional vanilla ice cream? Not only is this version from Barefeet In The Kitchen touted as the best, but it’s also called the easiest — and you only need heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt. 

There’s no high-fructose corn syrup in these ice pops from The Forked Spoon. They include your choice of nearly any fresh fruit, which are suspended in a frozen block of lemonade. Be sure to read the whole recipe page for some extra tips on making these refreshing treats.

Italians appear to have really cornered the frozen dessert market — but while affogato, gelato, and granita are, in fact, authentic Italian concoctions, Italian ice was actually invented by immigrants in the greater Philadelphia region of the U.S. Smoother and creamier than granita, thanks to more air being whipped into it, Italian ice can also be made at home. Skip the rock-hard premade cups sold at the store and try this Italian ice recipe from Food52 instead.

For folks who only like a hint of chocolate in their ice cream, this mint chip will hit the spot. Grab your ice cream maker, half & half, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, mint extract, two types of chocolate, and this recipe from Small Town Woman.

The Moscow mule — a cocktail consisting of vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer — is already refreshing, but it’s even better in frozen bar form. And as Tasting Table will tell you, the ingredients are exactly the same…you just need to use some sticks and molds.

Skip the syrups made with artificial fruit flavoring and try these real-fruit snow cones from Bigger Bolder Baking instead. Simply simmer your choice of fruit with sugar for 3-4 minutes, put it all in a food processor, strain it, and pour over crushed ice. You can even combine two or three flavors for that classic snow-cone aesthetic!

Vanilla and mint chip are classics, but our ice cream cravings usually involve a variety that’s chock full of add-ins, like rocky road, which is chocolate ice cream with walnuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. But you don’t need to hit the road to have some rocky road; just make it yourself with this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.

You might be wondering about the difference between sherbet or sorbet. The main distinction is that traditionally, sherbet contains milk — which gives it a richer, creamier texture — and sorbet does not. This sherbet recipe from Butter with a Side of Bread stays true to tradition with the inclusion of 3 cups of milk, but features a modern twist with the addition of Kool-Aid packets for flavoring. (It also uses an electric mixer instead of an ice cream maker!)

As you may have predicted from our sherbet entry, we’re also going to share a sorbet recipe with you. Not just any sorbet recipe, but the New York Times’ five-star strawberry sorbet recipe that’s based on a dessert served at the River Café in London. You’ll need a food processor and an ice cream maker to pull this one off, but the results are absolutely worth it.

Did the ice cream truck skip your street? You can still have one of its classic offerings — strawberry shortcake bars — by making them at home. You’ll need strawberries (both fresh and frozen), sugar, heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, melted butter, and, of course, some shortbread cookies. And as Bigger Bolder Baking will tell you, their recipe also requires popsicle molds.