Gelato

When people come into Sugarland, they are frequently flat-out gobsmacked by the beauty of our gelato case. Our gelato maestro spins our gelato daily according to authentic Italian recipes and methods. The result is a magically creamy, intensely flavored treat with less than half the fat and calories of premium ice cream.

People often ask us what the difference is between ice cream and gelato. Traditional Italian gelato is denser than American-style ice cream. American ice cream is up to 50% air. Our gelato is around 12% air. Less air means more deliciousness. Gelato is also served at a higher temperature, about 12 degrees versus 10 below for a typical American ice cream freezer, so you taste the flavor of our gelato better, since flavors and perfumes are more pronounced at warmer temperatures.

Sugarland makes a traditional Northern Italian style gelato that has a base of fresh local whole milk and pure cane sugar. That means our gelato has only 5 to 8% fat and 130-150 calories in most of our milk-based flavors. Premium ice creams and "enriched" gelato recipes have up to 30 percent fat and can have added corn syrup, gelatin, and hydrogenated fats added as texture improvers. Our fruit flavors, known as sorbetti, are water-based and vegan friendly. They average around 90 calories a serving.