Sarah Ridenour | Pastry Chef | Doki Doki Ice Creamery
Photo Credit: Sarah Ridenour
Let the Fruit Lead
Here’s a question some ice cream makers hear a lot: What’s the difference between ice cream and gelato? At Doki Doki Ice Creamery, the question becomes how plant-based gelato can have the same rich texture.
Doki Doki is a Japanese-inspired dessert shop in Savannah’s historic district serving house-made ice cream, gelato and soft serve in 40-plus classic flavors and rotating seasonal one-of-a-kind creations. Pastry Chef Sarah Ridenour says gelato is more dense and creamy than ice cream because it’s churned at slower speeds. Gelato also typically has half the butterfat of ice cream, which by U.S. law must contain at least 10 percent butterfat. Soft serve is even lighter and airier and dispensed at a warmer temperature for its signature creamy swirl.
Sarah’s dairy-free gelato has the same rich texture as the traditional recipe. The goal, she says, is not to imitate dairy but to create a balanced base that lets each flavor shine while maintaining the dense, silky texture that defines gelato.
Sarah blends single-note purées like The Perfect Purée Lychee and Mango with plant-based fats, vegetable fibers, natural sugars and a stabilizer. She avoids nut and coconut flavors that might compete with the flavor. “For me, a great vegan gelato is all about balance,” Sarah says. “A great vegan gelato should have excellent texture and enough richness to feel indulgent without masking the primary flavor.”
High-quality fruit purées help Sarah achieve consistency because Doki’s vegan gelato base is more delicate than its dairy base. “My biggest advice is to let the fruit lead,” Sarah says. “Start with a balanced base that doesn’t contribute too much flavor of its own, then adjust sweetness, acidity and solids around the fruit rather than forcing the fruit to fit the base.” She chooses fruit with strong natural flavor and acidity such as passionfruit, raspberry, yuzu, mango and guava, whose bright colors complement the shop’s exuberant vibe.
Where Play Meets Precision
‘Doki Doki’ is Japanese for that heart-fluttering feeling of anticipation that comes with something exciting, like ordering ice cream. It’s owned by the Savannah-based restaurant group Southern Cross Hospitality, which operates several other Savannah hotspots including The Collins Quarter, The Fitzroy and Ukiyo and The Deck on Tybee Island.
As Marketing Coordinator Marley Davis explains, owner Anthony Debreceny wanted to create a concept for the storefront downstairs from the company’s offices. His young daughter suggested an ice cream shop, and a playful idea that channels childhood imagination opened in 2023. Southern Cross partnered with students from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) on brand strategy and a retro design in shades of bubblegum pink, turquoise, orange, and gleaming white.
In a town famous for ice cream, Doki Doki’s playroom-meets-laboratory design mirrors the way it approaches gelato, with equal parts experimentation and precision. Behind the scenes, Doki Doki serves as a production hub for Southern Cross Hospitality, supplying ice cream, gelato, and other desserts to its sister restaurants.
Trend Observation: Unexpected by Design
The dense, creamy nature of gelato lends itself to inclusions like decadent Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates or crunchy shards of chocolate in Stracciatella, a popular Italian flavor. There’s also a corn and a popcorn flavor as part of a larger trend towards novelty in the frozen dessert industry. “We’re seeing a lot of people gravitate towards fun and unique flavors,” Marley says. “What people like and what stands out is something unexpected.”
Sarah agrees people are becoming more adventurous. The most successful products tend to balance familiarity with discovery, giving customers something recognizable while introducing them to a new favorite flavor. With better taste, improved texture and growing demand for dairy-free options, plant-based alternatives are becoming a first choice, not a fallback. “I’m seeing increased interest in globally inspired flavors, cleaner ingredient labels and fruit-forward options that showcase real ingredients,” Sarah says.