Gelato Bites
Who’s ready for a cool bit of deliciousness? These Gelato Bites will make your mouth sing. When Jenn had her bakery, she would make these during the warm-weather months and they were a best-seller. No wonder! They are a cool, crunchy, chocolatey delight. A shortbread cookie topped with gelato or ice cream and dipped in chocolate. Wait a sec…need to go grab one from the freezer right now 😉
We’ve made two different flavors of Gelato Bites here and, because you use store-bought gelato/ice cream, you can make as many different flavors as you’d like! We love the fact that they are small, bite-sized treats so you can have one or you can have many…whatever your heart desires! We used the shortbread recipe from our Salted Caramel Bites and halved it for the base cookie. Our Gelato Bites can also be made with chocolate shortbread (see note in recipe below).
We hope you will try these little freezer wonders. Let us know in the comments if you do!
Jump to Recipe
Roll dough out and cut shortbread into desired shape.
Bake and cool completely before topping with gelato.
We chose Sea Salt Caramel Gelato to top the butter shortbread.
Coffee Chip Ice Cream is a great choice to top chocolate shortbread.
Gather these four ingredients for a chocolatey coating.
Make sure the coating cools to room temperature before dipping.
Work quickly, before the gelato melts!
No worries if drips of gelato begin to peek out around the bottoms, just get them in the freezer as quickly as you can!
Gelato Bites
Ingredients
- Shortbread base:
- 4.5 oz flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 oz unsalted butter 83% butter fat recommended, soft
- 1 oz confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Gelato/Ice Cream:
- One pint store bought or homemade gelato or ice cream flavor of your choice
- Chocolate coating:
- 12 oz chopped semi-sweet chocolate or 2 cups of chocolate chips
- 5 TBS coconut oil unrefined
- 1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Topping Ideas:
- Flake sea salt or flavored salt of your choice
- Colored sprinkles
- Chopped toasted nuts
Instructions
- FOR THE SHORTBREAD:
- Whisk together the flour and salt.
- In mixer, beat butter and sugar about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
- Turn out dough and form a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
- Roll out to 1/4” thick. Using 1.25” fluted cutter, cut and place on prepared sheet.
- Freeze while oven preheats to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown around edges. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.
- ASSEMBLY:
- Cover two small cookie sheet (be sure they will fit in your freezer!) with foil.
- Using a mini ice cream scoop, place a scoop of ice cream or gelato onto each shortbread. Be sure to scrape the ice cream flat to the top f the scoop, and press the flat side slightly against the shortbread while releasing the scoop so that it adheres to the shortbread. Place scoop side up on the foil lined sheet, spacing at least an inch apart. You will want to work quickly to prevent the ice cream from melting. Once one tray is full, place it in the freezer while you finish the second tray.
- Allow to freeze at least on hour.
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE COATING:
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate and coconut oil for about 1 minute until melted and smooth (use 50% power and stir at 30 seconds).
- Add cocoa powder and mix until completely smooth.
- Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Working quickly, and with one tray at a time, drop the ice cream topped shortbreads into the chocolate coating and cover completely. Use a fork to remove and tap against the side of the bowl to shake off the excess coating. Carefully slide off fork back onto foil likes sheet. Immediately sprinkle with topping of your choice before chocolate sets up.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.