Strawberry Ricotta Gelato Fizz: Sparkling Summer Dessert Recipe

For a cool, creamy and delicious summer treat, these Strawberry Ricotta Gelato Fizz Cocktails really fit the bill; simply perfect!

Hello — I’m back! It’s been a long gap between posts, and I’m excited to share updated photos and a refreshed version of a recipe I first published a decade ago: Strawberry Ricotta Gelato Fizz. This light, elegant dessert-cocktail deserves more attention than it’s had tucked away in the archives.

Life kept me away — a knee injury, setting up a new computer with a faulty backup, and planning my summer garden (the reason for the knee mishap) — but I’m catching up. I also spent time locating photos for a beloved Baklava Cheesecake I made; after a stubborn search through a corrupted backup I recovered them and will publish that recipe soon.

Now back to the Strawberry Ricotta Gelato Fizz. The base is a lemony ricotta gelato with chopped strawberries folded in, frozen until firm. To serve, spoon the gelato into glasses and top with a bright strawberry sauce spiked with Limoncello and finished with Prosecco. The result is partially frozen, lightly boozy, effervescent and visually striking — the ideal summer treat.

Gelato tends to be lighter in texture than full-fat ice cream without sacrificing flavor. My Cabernet and Chocolate Gelato was the inspiration for experimenting with ricotta-based gelato and lighter frozen desserts. If you prefer a richer option, my Butter Brickle Ice Cream — made with heavy cream, butter and brown sugar — is an indulgent favorite.

When developing this recipe I worried about the texture of frozen strawberries. Because strawberries have a high water content they can become very hard when frozen whole. To avoid unpleasantly firm pieces, I chop the berries finely and pulse them so the bits are tiny and pleasant in every spoonful.

Recipes are sources of inspiration. I often adapt ideas to suit my own tastes and experience — that’s the joy of cooking. For this dessert I combined ricotta and lemon with Limoncello for the gelato, folded in chopped strawberries, and topped each serving with a blended strawberry sauce that’s tempered with lemon and a splash of Limoncello or vodka, then mixed with Prosecco just before serving.

The first time I tasted this finished creation I was thrilled — the creamy ricotta gelato balances beautifully with the bright strawberry sauce and the bubbles of Prosecco. It’s easy to drink too quickly, so my advice is to savor it.

Note on presentation: I photographed mine in angled champagne flutes for drama, but that required extra freezer space and leveling. If you want a simpler and more practical serving method, use a sherbet bowl or a short cocktail glass; it’s easier and just as enjoyable.

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