Caramel, Nut and Crunch Pastes for Gelato: A Buyer's Guide

Caramel, nut and crunch pastes are concentrated flavourings dosed by weight into a complete milk base. They fall into three families: smooth caramels, roasted nuts, and caramelised-almond pralines that add crunch.

Chocolate and hazelnut may be the flavours a gelato counter is judged by, but caramel, nut and "crunch" are the ones that make a case feel complete. They're the comfort flavours — buttery salted caramel, roasted peanut, toasted almond, festive torrone — and the textured praline pastes that give a scoop a satisfying crunch. Together they round out a flavour library beyond the chocolate-and-nut core. This guide walks through the caramel, nut and crunch range: what each product is, how the smooth pastes differ from the crunchy ones, and which to reach for.

Scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with rich caramel sauce and crunchy pecans are artfully served in elegant ceramic bowls, creating an indulgent dessert presentation.

Three families: caramel, nut and crunch

It helps to think of this range as three overlapping families.

Caramel covers everything built on cooked-sugar sweetness — from a classic caramel paste to a salted "fleur de sel" version and a caramel-latte concentrate. These are smooth flavouring pastes you dose into a milk base.

Nut is the roasted-nut group beyond hazelnut: peanut, almond, and honey-and-almond torrone. Some carry real nut pieces, giving a little texture along with the flavour.

Crunch (praline) is where texture becomes the point. Caramelised-almond praline pastes like croccantino and croccangelo bring a crisp, toasted crunch that contrasts against a smooth base — plus the crunchy variegating toppings and syrups you ripple through the tub.

Keep those three in mind and the whole range falls into place.

The caramel, nut and crunch range at a glance

Product	Family	Flavour / texture	Best for
Caramel Paste	Caramel	Warm, velvety classic caramel	Everyday caramel gelato
Salted Butter Caramel Paste	Caramel	Buttery caramel with a hint of salt	On-trend salted caramel
Caramellatte Concentrato	Caramel	Concentrated caramel-latte	A deep, golden caramel scoop
Salted Peanut Paste	Nut	Sweet-salty, real peanut pieces	Crowd-pleasing peanut gelato
Roasted Almond	Nut	Deep, toasted roasted almond	An elegant nut scoop
Torrone (Honey & Almonds)	Nut	Italian nougat: honey + almonds	Festive, comforting flavour
Croccantino	Crunch	Caramelised-almond praline	Praline flavour with crunch
Croccangelo	Crunch	Crunchy praline with nut pieces	Texture against a cream base
Otto Caramel Biscotto	Crunch	Spiced caramel + crisp biscuit	A Speculoos-style crunch swirl

Choosing your caramel

Caramel is the anchor of this range, and there are three ways in. For a straightforward, everyday caramel gelato, the classic Caramel Paste gives you a warm, velvety scoop with nothing to balance. If you want the flavour everyone is ordering right now, Salted Butter Caramel lifts that buttery caramel with a gentle touch of salt — rich without being cloying. And when you want a deeper, more concentrated caramel-latte character, Caramellatte Concentrato delivers a golden, indulgent profile that pairs naturally with coffee, chocolate and nuts.

Choosing your nut flavour

Beyond hazelnut — which we cover in the separate hazelnut and gianduia guide — the nut group gives you three distinct scoops. Salted Peanut is a globally loved sweet-and-salty profile made with real peanut pieces, and it pairs beautifully with chocolate and banana. Roasted Almond is the more refined, aromatic option — deep toasted-almond character that reads as elegant. And Torrone captures the honey-and-almond flavour of Italian nougat, a comforting, festive scoop that works year-round or as a seasonal special.

Adding real crunch

This is where the range earns its name. The praline pastes fold crisp, caramelised texture into the flavour itself. Croccantino is a caramelised-almond praline with toasted-nut sweetness and a crisp character, while Croccangelo is packed with caramelised nut pieces so the crunch stands out against a smooth cream base. For a swirl-through option, Otto Caramel Biscotto ripples spiced caramel and crisp biscuit pieces through the tub for a Speculoos-style effect. As with all crunch products, swirl them in cold, as you fill the pan, so the pieces set crisp rather than softening — the same technique we cover in the toppings guide.

How to build a caramel, nut or crunch gelato

1. Pick the family — smooth caramel, a roasted nut, or a crunchy praline.

2. Dose the paste into a complete milk base, following each product's recommended dosage; caramel and nut pastes are rich, so measure by weight.

3. Balance the sweetness — caramel and torrone are already sweet, so adjust your sugar blend so the scoop stays soft without tasting flat.

4. Add crunch last — swirl praline pastes and biscuit toppings in cold at the end so the pieces stay crisp.

5. Pair thoughtfully — caramel loves chocolate, coffee and sea salt; peanut loves chocolate and banana; almond loves honey and stone fruit.

6. Hold at display temperature so the gelato stays elastic and any crunch survives the case.

How to choose — a quick checklist

1. Which family? Smooth caramel, a roasted nut, or a textured praline.

2. How sweet? Torrone and caramel run sweet; balance your recipe accordingly.

3. Smooth or crunchy? Reach for croccantino, croccangelo or a biscuit topping when you want texture.

4. Paste or topping? Pastes flavour the whole batch; syrups and variegates ripple through it.

5. Dose by weight for consistency batch to batch.

6. Ask your supplier which product suits your machine, menu and price point.

Where to buy caramel, nut and crunch pastes in Malaysia

Amrichi is a Johor-based supplier of premium gelato and pastry ingredients and a representative of the Italian brand PreGel. We stock the full caramel, nut and crunch range — classic and salted caramel, peanut, almond and torrone, and the crunchy praline pastes and toppings — with wholesale supply for cafés, dessert shops and gelaterias across Malaysia and Singapore. Browse the range on our shop, or get in touch if you'd like help choosing the right one. For the chocolate side of the menu, see our chocolate and cacao paste guide.

What gelato makers say

Here's what a maker says about the caramel crunch topping in this guide:

★★★★★ Otto Caramel Biscotto — Daniel Lim

"The caramel flavour is rich and buttery with a beautiful hint of spice, and the crunchy biscuit pieces stay crisp even in frozen desserts. Customers love the Speculoos-style profile — it's become one of our best-selling flavours."

Verified customer review from the Amrichi shop. Ratings also appear on each product page.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a caramel paste and a caramel syrup?

A caramel paste is dosed into your base to flavour the whole batch of gelato. A syrup (like the biscotto or fleur de sel syrups) is a topping you drizzle or ripple through the finished product for flavour and visual effect.

Which caramel is best for a salted caramel gelato?

Salted Butter Caramel Paste gives you the balanced sweet-and-salty profile in one step. You can push the salt character further with a fleur de sel caramel syrup swirled on top.

What is a praline or "crunch" paste?

It's a caramelised-nut paste — croccantino and croccangelo are almond pralines — that carries a crisp, toasted crunch. Croccangelo has visible nut pieces for extra texture. Swirl them in cold so they stay crunchy.

Is peanut a good gelato flavour?

Yes — salted peanut is one of the most crowd-pleasing profiles worldwide. The sweet-salty balance and real peanut pieces give both flavour and a little texture, and it pairs beautifully with chocolate.

What is torrone gelato?

Torrone recreates the flavour of Italian nougat — honey and roasted almonds. It's a warm, comforting, faintly festive scoop that works as a year-round flavour or a seasonal special.