Chocolate Ice Cream

Indulge in summer’s favorite frozen treat with my easy Chocolate Ice Cream recipe. This homemade ice cream is smooth and creamy with a rich chocolate flavor. It’s easy to make with minimal ingredients. It’s the perfect refreshing dessert for warm weather and beyond.

If you love chocolate ice cream, this recipe is the one to make! The homemade custard combines with melted chocolate, sugar, and vanilla extract to create the decadent base. Pour it all into your ice cream machine and let it churn to a soft-serve consistency. Scoop it out and serve immediately, or place it in the freezer for later.

Kids and adults love chocolate ice cream. It’s the perfect frosty sweet treat for summer. Made with an ice cream churn, this recipe eliminates the long wait time until you can enjoy this chilly, sweet treat. You can even up-level this basic recipe with your favorite mix-ins to make it even more irresistible!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Uses minimal ingredients
• No special skills in cooking are needed
• Creamy texture
• Deep chocolate flavor
• Customizable

Ingredients

Unsweetened Chocolate – forms the ice cream’s base. Use chopped baking chocolate bars rather than chocolate chips for a richer flavor.
Whole Milk – Use whole milk for the fat content, which helps produce a thicker and creamier base
Eggs – help form the custard base
Sugar – to sweeten the ice cream
Heavy Cream – to create the rich and creamy custard
Vanilla Extract – to flavor the ice cream
Salt – a seasoning to enhance all the flavors

Directions

STEP 1: In a double boiler, melt the chocolate over hot water until smooth. Slowly add the milk, whisking to combine. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
STEP 2. Beat eggs with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar and continue mixing until blended.
STEP 3. Add cream, vanilla, and salt, blending until combined. Stir the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture.
STEP 4. Pour into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
STEP 5. For firmer ice cream, transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.

Can I Melt The Chocolate In The Microwave?

Although I do recommend using the double-boiler method for a better texture in the chopped, melted chocolate, you can use the microwave instead. You’ll need to melt it in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring in between. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. It’s better to melt it just enough, then let it sit while stirring to help it melt completely and avoid burning it.

Mix-In Ideas

The homemade chocolate ice cream is the perfect canvas for customizations with mix-ins. Here are a few ideas.

• Chopped Nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios)
• Mini Marshmallows
• Crushed Cookies (Oreo, nutter butters, graham crackers)
• Chocolate Chips (or butterscotch or white chocolate)
• Chopped Candy ( peppermint, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Snickers)
• Jams/Butters (strawberry, raspberry, peanut butter, almond butter – dollop on top of ice cream once in the container and then swirl through with a knife before freezing)
• Fruit (blueberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries)

Topping Ideas

• Hot Sauces (fudge, caramel, strawberry)
• Sprinkles
• Finely Chopped Nuts
• Shaved Chocolate
• Whipped Cream

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy this chocolate ice cream on its own in your favorite bowl or cone, or get a little fancy with these suggestions.

Brownie à la Mode – Use my easy brownie recipe and then top a brownie with chocolate ice cream. Drizzle with hot fudge or caramel topping, then sprinkle with nuts and serve.

Chocolate Milk Shake – add 3 scoops of chocolate ice cream to a blender, add a dash of milk and a dash of chocolate syrup, and blend. Add more milk or ice cream until the desired consistency is reached. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream, if desired.

Ice Cream Sundae – Add 3 scoops of ice cream (vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate) or 1 of each flavor to a large glass or bowl. Drizzle with hot fudge, sprinkle with chopped nuts, add a dollop of whipped cream, and place a maraschino cherry on top.

Pro Tips

• Once churned, freeze the ice cream for a few hours before serving. Technically, you can serve it immediately after churning if you want a soft-serve texture, but I found that the ice cream benefits from a few hours in the freezer.
• Freeze the container that you’ll be storing the ice cream in before you transfer the freshly churned ice cream into it. This will help keep ice crystals from occurring when you store it in the freezer.

Storage

Store in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 10 days.

More Easy Ice Cream Recipes

Vanilla Ice Cream
Oreo Strawberry Ice Cream Bars
No-Churn Mocha Chip Ice Cream
Banana Split No-Bake Pie
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Coffee Vanilla Ice Cream Pie
Ice Cream Bread