Chocolate Ice Cream
You don’t need an ice cream machine to make the creamiest chocolate ice cream! Melted chocolate and cocoa powder give this recipe a rich chocolatey flavor that makes it taste like it came straight from your local ice cream shop.
Homemade chocolate ice cream doesn’t get better (or easier!) than this. There are no eggs in this recipe, which means there’s no need to stand over the stove tempering anything.
Instead, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream do most of the heavy lifting, creating a super smooth and creamy ice cream base. A combination of melted chocolate and cocoa powder is what gives it a bold chocolate flavor.
This recipe comes together in about 20 minutes and you don’t even need an ice cream machine to make it. It’s delicious in waffle cones, sundaes, milkshakes, and so much more!
Watch The Full Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes
Heavy Cream
Look for heavy cream that contains at least 36% fat since we’ll be using it to make whipped cream. It should be labeled as either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
This is a super thick, syrupy, sweet milk product that’s typically sold in cans. Don’t confuse it with evaporated milk, which is much thinner and will not work in this recipe.
Chocolate
I recommend using a bar of chocolate, my personal favorites are Bakers and Ghirardelli. I don’t recommend using chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers and don’t melt down as smoothly.
Cocoa Powder
You can use either natural or Dutch process cocoa powder. I personally prefer to use Dutch process because it gives the ice cream a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. If you’re curious about the difference between the two, I have a post explaining natural vs. Dutch process cocoa powder.
How To Whip Cream To Stiff Peaks
Folding whipped cream into the no-churn base is how we can incorporate air into the mixture without a machine. This mimics the churning process of an ice cream machine, so you end up with a light and creamy texture.
Let’s discuss how to whip heavy cream correctly:
First things first, heavy cream is easiest to whip when it’s super cold so keep the carton in the fridge until you’re ready to get started. While you’re at it, go ahead and place your mixing bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer too. This helps the cream thicken up faster and gives it even more volume!
When whipping the cream, add it to your mixing bowl and keep your mixer set to low at first to avoid splashing it everywhere. Once it starts to increase in volume, increase the speed of your mixer to medium-high and keep mixing until stiff peaks form (i.e. you remove the beaters and the cream stands up straight without folding over). If the peaks fold over, you need to mix a little longer. Just make sure not to over mix or it will start to curdle!
Tips For A Creamy Chocolate Ice Cream
- Use full-fat heavy cream. Don’t replace the cream with a lower-fat alternative like half and half or whole milk. The fat is what helps the cream whip up to stiff peaks and makes the ice cream super smooth and creamy.
- Don’t let the chocolate base sit too long before you fold in the whipped cream. As soon as you mix it together, it’s time to fold in the whipped cream. If you let it sit too long, it will start to thicken up like fudge. If that happens you can reheat it gently in the microwave, just make sure it’s not too warm when you fold in the whipped cream.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream. Start by folding in just ⅓ of the whipped cream. This helps lighten the mixture and make it easier to fold in the rest of the whipped cream without over mixing it. You can use your mixer for this step, just make sure to set it to low speed and don’t over mix!
- Cover it tightly. I like to press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming. I do this both for the initial freezing period as well as long-term storage.
Different Mix-In & Topping Options
Consider this chocolate ice cream a blank canvas for your favorite mix-ins. You can fold in chopped Oreos, crushed graham crackers and mini marshmallows, toasted coconut, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips or M&M’s, finely diced brownie pieces, or even chunks of edible cookie dough.
You can also swirl the ice cream with some Nutella, peanut butter, or salted caramel sauce before freezing.
Any of the mix-ins and swirls I just mentioned could also double as toppings. I love spooning strawberry sauce or a combination of hot fudge and sprinkles over the top!
I mean, just look at that ice cream! I truly hope you and your family love this one as much as we did!
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment below letting me know how it turned out. Happy Baking!
Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (1 pint; 480 ml)
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate roughly chopped (113 grams)
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural or Dutch process cocoa powder (22 grams)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, add the heavy whipping cream. Start mixing on low speed. Once the mixture starts to increase in volume, increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing until stiff peaks form. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill.2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined and set aside.1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste,⅛ teaspoon salt
- Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring well between each increment, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- Whisk the melted chocolate into the sweetened condensed milk mixture, then sift in the cocoa powder and whisk until fully combined. Note: Don't let this mixture sit too long before you fold in the whipped cream because it will start to thicken up. If that happens, gently reheat in the microwave and make sure it's not too warm before adding the whipped cream.¼ cup unsweetened natural or Dutch process cocoa powder
- Remove the whipped cream from the fridge. Add about ⅓ of the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk and mix it in on low speed. Add the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
- Scoop the ice cream into a 9×5 loaf pan and smooth it out into one even layer.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream and transfer it to the freezer to freeze overnight (or for at least 8 hours).
