Orange ricotta ice cream: A short vacation in Italy
Orange ricotta ice cream is the perfect combination of Mediterranean freshness and creamy richness. The light acidity of sun-ripened oranges meets Ricotta and produces an ice cream that tastes both refreshing and pleasantly creamy.
Especially in spring and summer, orange ricotta ice cream is an elegant alternative to heavier varieties. The natural sweetness of the orange harmonizes wonderfully with the gentle milk note of the ricotta. A hint of zest in the ice cream mixture or blood orange oil further intensifies the flavor and provides a delicate citrus note that lingers on the tongue for a long time.
This recipe is suitable for both the ice cream machine and for preparation without a machine and is ideal if you are looking for a creamy but not too thick type of ice cream.
Content
Ingredients and instructions
Last updated on 2026-05-23 / Affiliate links / Images from the Amazon Product Advertising API
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Orange ricotta ice cream
Equipment
- Ice machine or freezer compartment
Ingredients
- 106 g Cream
- 85 g Milk
- 425 g Orange juice Freshly pressed
- 5 g Lemon juice
- 170 g Ricotta
Dry ingredients
- 62 g Dextrose *
- 42 g Dry glucose *
- 31 g Skimmed milk powder *
- 64 g cane sugar *
- 8 g Inulin *
- 1 g Guar gum *
- 1 g Locust bean gum *
- 0,25 Piece Vanilla *
Instructions
Preparing the ice cream mixture
- If the ricotta has separated any liquid, drain it in a sieve for approx. 30 minutes.
- Weigh out the listed dry ingredients and mix well. If any of the ingredients are lumpy, pass them through a sieve. Weigh out small quantities with a fine scale.62 g dextrose, 64 g cane sugar, 42 g dry glucose, 31 g skimmed milk powder, 8 g inulin, 1 g guar gum, 1 g locust bean gum
- Squeeze the oranges or measure out the freshly squeezed juice.
- Place the cream, milk and scraped vanilla seeds in a pan.106 g cream, 85 g milk, 0.25 piece vanilla
- Heat slowly while stirring until the mixture is just before boiling. Then continue stirring for a few minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Then stir in the dry ingredients with a whisk until everything is dissolved. If necessary, add a little orange juice if the liquid is not enough to dissolve.
- Leave to cool and when the ice cream mixture is about lukewarm, add the (remaining) orange juice.425 g orange juice
- Stir in the ricotta.170 g ricotta
- Leave the ice cream mixture to infuse in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Before or during the freezing process
- Switch on the ice cream maker and leave it to cool for a few minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and beat the ice cream mixture well again. Then start the freezing process.5 g lemon juice
- Optional: Add glycerine or Cointreau shortly before the end of the freezing process to maintain the creaminess of the ice cream in the freezer compartment.20 g glycerine, 1 shot of Cointreau
Notes
Last updated on 2026-05-23 / Affiliate links / Images from the Amazon Product Advertising API
Tips and tricks for orange ricotta ice cream
- Preparing ricotta correctly - Ricotta often contains excess whey. Drain it in a sieve for at least 30 minutes before processing. The less water it contains, the creamier the consistency will be and the fewer ice crystals will form.
- Fresh orange juice - Freshly squeezed orange juice adds flavor. You can either squeeze it yourself or find a supermarket that sells freshly squeezed juice. If possible, the juice should not be heated or only heated enough and for a short time to allow the sugar to dissolve. This results in a much fresher ice cream.
- Fine orange zest - If you have used unsprayed oranges, you can grate some zest over your ice cream with a grater. Only use the orange peel (without the white layer). The zest contains essential oils that greatly enhance the flavor. It is best to grate the zest over a zest grater ( e.g. Microplane Zester Kitchen... from € 16.99 )* .
- Interesting aroma with blood orange oil - Blood orange oil ( e.g. BloodOrangeOil Organic Sic... from € 9.10 (€ 910.00 / l) )* brings a more intense orange flavor to the ice cream. It should be of organic quality and suitable for food. I also use blood orange oil for other types of orange ice cream, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.
- Serve at the ideal temperature - Take the ice cream out of the freezer about 20 minutes before serving and put it in the fridge. Due to the high fat content, the ice cream becomes firmer in the freezer. It develops its full creaminess when slightly thawed. Alternatively, glycerine or alcohol can help to prevent freezing. Orange liqueur or Cointreau ( e.g. Cointreau orange liqueur... from € 16.90 (€ 24.14 / l) )* also support the orange flavor.
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