Macapuno is no ordinary coconut - it’s the strange, jelly-like cousin that feels more like a secret than an ingredient. This isn’t the loud, beach side coconut you already know; this is coconut in whispers - mellow, tender, and just a little unexpected. A frozen spoonful that tastes like nostalgia melted into luxury.

What is the difference between ice cream and gelato?

At first glance, gelato and ice cream seem interchangeable - both creamy, both frozen, both irresistible. But their differences live in the details. Ice cream is made with higher proportion of cream and egg yolks, whipped with more air during churning. The result is rich, fluffy, and indulgent. Gelato, on the other hand, leans on more milk than cream with less or no egg yolks. It’s churned more slowly, which means less air and denser, smoother texture. Even its serving temperature is slightly warmer than ice cream, which lets flavors bloom on the tongue instead of being muted by the cold.

What is macapuno?

Macapuno looks like a coconut, but isn’t quite the coconut most people know. It’s naturally occurring mutation of the fruit, prized in the Philippines for its rarity and its texture. Instead of firm white flesh, macapuno has a soft, jelly-like interior that fills almost the entire shell. It’s tender, translucent, and subtly sweet - more custard than coconut, more silk than crunch. Traditionally, it finds its way into sweets; preserves, candies, halo-halo, and cakes. Its rarity makes it feel like a treasure, but its texture is what makes it unforgettable. When folded into desserts like gelato, macapuno transforms the familiar idea of “coconut” into something unexpected - delicate, chewy, and hauntingly smooth.

Why is churning important?

Churning is what turns a mix of simple ingredients into something as luxurious as gelato. Without movement, the mixture would freeze solid, more like an ice block than a dessert. Churning keeps everything in motion, breaking up ice crystals as they form so the texture stays smooth instead of icy. It also decides how much air sneaks in: ice cream is churned quickly, making it lighter and fluffier, while gelato is churned slowly, leaving it denser and silkier.

How to make macapuno gelato?

Put ice cream maker tub in the freezer. In a medium pot stir together 4 1/2 cups whole milk and 12 oz macapuno, bring to simmer. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, occasionally stirring. In a small bowl whisk the eggs. Take 1 cup of the hot milk mixture. While continuously whisking, slowly drizzle in the hot milk, then drizzle the egg/milk mixture in the pot while whisking. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes while whisking. Add 1/8 tsp salt. Pour the gelato base in a heat proof bowl and cool to room temperature. Then transfer it in the ice cream maker tub and churn until the consistency is similar to soft serve, about 35 minutes. Transfer the gelato in a freezer safe container and freeze over night.

Tips

Put the tub from your ice cream maker in a freezer a day or two before starting this recipe.
Make sure your container is freezer safe - not all types of glass are fit for freezer and may break.
When tempering the egg yolks pour the hot liquid in a small stream while constantly whisking to prevent them from scrambling. If poured too fast the yolks will end up chunky and scrambled instead of smooth.
Churning is an important step in ice cream making to incorporate air into the ice cream base during the freezing process for a smooth texture and to control the size of crystals, but over churning ice cream can cause emulsion breakdown (fat and water components to separating).