Made with cocoa powder AND real chocolate, this Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream is deeply rich in flavor, and creamy and fudgy in texture.
This homemade chocolate ice cream recipe is super simple as there’s no scalding milk or tempering eggs. Just mix everything together and heat.
Chocolate is of course the yin to vanilla ice cream’s yang. It’s the second most popular ice cream flavor in the world for a reason. It’s a classic for a reason.
BUT, I haven’t always been the biggest fan of store-bought chocolate ice cream. They always feel like they are lacking in something. Lacking in substance, lacking in that rich, deep chocolate flavor.
Chocolate ice cream is not something I want to be “light as air”. I prefer my chocolate ice cream with a deep chocolate flavor, and a rich, creamy texture that doesn’t instantly melt into nothingness in my mouth. Unfortunately though, that’s what most standard chocolate ice cream recipes taste like.
This is where this Classic Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream recipe stakes its claim to distinction. This delicious ice cream recipe ticks all the right boxes.
- Rich, deep chocolate flavor.
- Just the right amount of sweetness, without tasting sugary.
- Creamy, but with a little fudginess.
So why is this chocolate ice cream recipe so fudgy?
You’ll find that most chocolate ice cream recipes are made with just cocoa powder, and sweetened with sugar. The end result is an ice cream that tastes like sweetened chocolate whipped cream, that’s been frozen – more like soft-serve. Don’t get me wrong, I do like chocolate soft-serve, but I also want my chocolate ice cream to have more character.
So this homemade chocolate ice cream recipe has cocoa powder, but it also has real chocolate! That real chocolate, along with the egg yolks make for a richer, thicker custard that makes a richer, fudgier, and altogether more delicious chocolate ice cream!
It’s PERFECT on its own, but you’ll find that this chocolate ice cream also makes the best chocolate shakes too! 🙂
How to make this chocolate ice cream recipe
Just like my other ice cream recipes that I’ve shared recently, this recipe is also super easy to make.
- No heating or scalding the milk.
- No “tempering” eggs.
- Just mix together and heat.
The first step is to whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until you have a thick, smooth paste. To make things even easier, you can add the cocoa powder and whisk it with the egg yolks too. This will remove any lumps in the cocoa powder as well.
Next, whisk in the milk and cream in a slow stream, to make sure the egg yolks are mixing in well with the milk. Also whisk in the vanilla and salt. Vanilla and salt further enhances that rich chocolate flavor.
Then finally, you heat the base to make the custard.
Once the custard is cooked, you let it cool down and chill in the fridge (for at least a couple of hours).
Then the chilled chocolate ice cream base is churned in your ice cream maker. I churn my chocolate ice cream in a cuisinart ice cream maker with a compressor, but you can use a freezer bowl ice cream maker too.
This recipe tastes like a deep, fudgy chocolate soft serve straight out of your ice cream maker. But freeze the ice cream in your freezer a little longer, and you’ll have that best homemade chocolate ice cream you’ve ever had!
I sometimes top it with whipped cream or nuts, or even a shot of espresso for a mocha affogato. Irresistible! 🙂
Chocolate ice cream variations
Here are some great ideas to upgrade your classic chocolate ice cream into something ever more exciting! Simply swirl in these add-ins during the last few minutes of churning to create even more spectacular flavors!
- Crushed Oreos – Chocolate cookies and cream ice cream
- Chocolate chips – Double chocolate chip ice cream
- Chocolate fudge sauce – Fudge swirled chocolate ice cream
- Roasted hazelnuts – Hazelnut and chocolate ice cream
- Raspberry coulis – Chocolate raspberry ice cream
- Crushed candy bars – Chocolate candy ice cream
- Mini marshmallows, peanuts and raspberry jam – Rocky road ice cream
- Mini marshmallows and crushed graham crackers – S’mores ice cream
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If you liked this recipe, then you may also like,
Vegan Cardamom spiced coconut ice cream
Amazing chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream
EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE
ICE CREAM MAKER – An inexpensive freezer bowl ice cream machine will be perfect for the average cook/baker. I have used & recommend this Cuisinart model. If you do constantly make ice cream in summer, then I would recommend investing in an ice cream maker with a built in compressor. These machines do not require to be pre-chilled and you can make many batches of ice cream over and over again. I currently own, and recommend this Cuisinart model.
THERMOMETER – An inexpensive Cooking thermometer or a more expensive instant read thermapen.
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Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
What You Need:
- Ice Cream machine
- Cooking thermometer
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 5 egg yolks add up to 2 more to make it extra fudgy
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder you can use natural cocoa powder or dutch cocoa powder (35 g)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup cream 35% fat content
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate chopped or chocolate chips (115 g)
Instructions:
- Add the 5 egg yolks into the saucepan, along with the ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt and ⅓ cup cocoa powder.
- Whisk until you have a creamy, smooth and thick paste (with no lumps in the cocoa powder).
- Add about ½ cup of milk first and whisk to mix well. Add the rest of the milk and 1 cup cream and whisk to combine. Add the semisweet chocolate into the saucepan too.
- Heat over medium heat while whisking frequently. Allow the chocolate to melt in the milk while whisking. Heat the custard until the temperature registers between 165 - 170°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, then heat the custard until it steams. This takes about 10 - 12 minutes. Do NOT let it come to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature. Whisk occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on top.
- Chill the custard base in the fridge for at least a few hours (or overnight) until completely chilled.
- Strain the custard to remove any lumps, and transfer into your ice cream maker.
- Churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the churned ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 - 4 hours until the ice cream is completely frozen.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Becki says
How long can the custard sit in the fridge for?
Dini says
Hi Becki
I wouldn’t leave it longer than 24 hours, because I want the custard to still be fresh when I make ice cream. Technically custard can last for about 4 days, but I always make the custard after an overnight chill.
Erin says
I know the word rich was in the description but I still wasn’t prepared for just how rich this would be! It was delicious and such an easy recipe to whip up but I may cut the chocolate down a tad next time. Overall a great recipe!
Allie Patt says
This recipe is sublime! I did not use cream, only milk and oil. It did not sacrifice the texture. I only use smaller amount of yolk and added some gums. It took longer to freeze. I had to chill it almost 24 hours.
Jenny Ludemann says
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was infinitely better than the last recipe I tried which only called for cocoa powder. I noticed that the finished product got a little grainy, especially after a few hours in the freezer. Do you have any idea how I could prevent that in the future?
Thank you also for your response about BLM! It was beautifully said.
Dini says
Hi Jenny!
Thank you 🙂 I really appreciate it!
With the ice cream, the graininess can come from the cocoa powder. I use callebaut cocoa powder that becomes really smooth once “cooked”. Some cocoa powders may not dissolve properly, resulting in a grainy texture. I hope that helps!
Timmy Bodner says
I know you said it’s a recipe without tempering, but if I want to temper, can I? Just to be sure that I don’t get scrambled eggs custard?
Dini says
Hi Timmy
Yes, if you’d like to temper the eggs, that will be fine. The method here is easier, but if you’re more comfortable with tempering, you can do that too!
Hope that helps
Victoria says
HI! honestly it didn’t work out for me. I followed this recipe to the T and when I put the custard on my ice cream maker it didn’t thickened it stayed mostly runny , no matter how long it churned. I left it on the freezer that way waiting how it will turn out.
I gave it the benefit of the doubt thinking it was the machine, but yesterday I made a salted caramel ice cream and it was perfect.
Slightly bummed because the custard flavour was on point
Dini says
Hi Victoria
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. I’ve made this recipe many times during summer and have had no trouble with the ice cream churning. In fact this churns much faster than my vanilla ice cream because the custard is thicker than the vanilla to begin with!
However, I do find that with my freezer bowl ice cream machine, I sometimes can’t churn ice cream because even though it’s “frozen”, it’s not frozen enough, but letting it freeze for another day or two helps my ice cream churn better.
Jimmyfox says
Seriously? I have to see a BLM ad on this? This is for ice cream. Not political! I’m sick of this! How dare you allow this.
Dini says
Hi Jimmyfox,
Thank you so much for your comment. To clarify, I didn’t just allow it, I intentionally enabled the display of BLM ads and PSAs on my blog posts because BLM is a social issue, a human rights issue. Not a political issue. I didn’t need any convincing to run ads and PSAs that support equality for all human beings. Really, that’s less than the bare minimum I could do.
So many people would love to be sick of just seeing a BLM ad. Instead, they are sick of being the target of centuries of systemic racism, prejudice, discrimination and oppression.
So the more awareness we can raise, the better it will be for all of us. Even a chocolate ice cream tastes better in a world where less and less people have to deal with systemic racism! 🙂
Cheers!
Audrey says
I can’t wait to try this recipe, but I had to tell you, I love your response here. Great job sticking to your guns but keeping it professional and intelligent at the same time. I will be following your page!
Dini says
Thank you so much for your lovely words Audrey, I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Tinisha R. says
What a beautiful reply! I’m making this tonight ☺️
teresa hardy says
Thank you for the comment on BLM.
Dylan Wint says
I was just looking for a recipe to make some chocolate ice cream for my wife and saw this exchange. Outstanding response! I hope Jimmyfox actually read and thought about what you wrote.
Local Veg says
This was my first time making ice cream, and it certainly won’t be my last! The ice cream had a deep fudge flavor with a creamy-ness completely unlike other ice cream. If you are in doubt over whether to make this, beware! You may never be able to go back to store bought!
Dini says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you! 😀
Peggy Pfau says
Your recipes look awesome do you have anything for sugar-free?
Dini says
Hi Peggy
Thank you for your lovely words! Unfortunately I don’t have any desserts that are sugar free though.
Ashwini says
Yummyy!!
Clara says
Can I make this dairy free
Dini says
Hi Clara
Yes you can
You can use a plant based milk instead of the milk, and you will need to use coconut cream instead of the cream.
If you can find dairy free chocolate, you can use that instead of the semi sweet chocolate as well.
I hope that helps!
Jade Kennedy says
How long would this last in the freezer….not that I expect it to sit in the freezer for very long anyway! 🙂
Dini says
Hi Jade!
I think this would last months in the freezer! 🙂 Ours finishes very quickly, so I haven’t tested how many months, but because it’s frozen, it should last a while!
Aparna says
Hi Dini, how i can adapt this recipe to one without an ice cream machine?
Thanks
Dini says
Hi Aparna
It’s possible, but you won’t have the same results. The ice crystals will be larger, and therefore the ice cream wouldn’t be as smooth as when it’s made with an ice cream maker.
To make this without an ice cream maker, you will have to place the cooled down custard in a wider, shallower dish (with plenty of room to expand). Cover it and place it in the freezer. Every 30 – 60 minutes (depending on your freezer), take it out and scrape the now-frozen edges into the custard using a hand mixer or whisk. Repeat this until the ice cream is thick and creamy. As it becomes creamier, you will need to use a hand mixer.
Once it’s very thick and has a consistency similar to soft serve, you can place it in the freezer and let it freeze for a few hours until it’s hardened. Then it is ready to be eaten.
Hope that helps!
Dimuthu says
Hi, does “cream” here refer to whipping cream? And is it possible to make the ice cream using a beater other than an ice cream maker?
Dini says
Hi Dimuthu
Cream for ice cream should be whipping cream that has at least a 35% fat content.
Using a whisk or hand beater is possible, but you won’t have the same results as it is fundamentally different from how it works compared to an ice cream maker. Once you make the custard, you will need to let it cool to room temperature. Then place it in a large, flat dish and freeze it. Every 1.5 – 2 hours, take out the ice cream and mix it with a whisk, to break up the ice crystals. You don’t want to whip too much air into the mixture. Once the base has frozen most of the way, you can switch to an electric beater or a spatula to break up the ice crystals and make the mixture smooth. This needs to be done a few times until the ice cream has the texture you like.
I hope that helps!
Em says
Amazing. Tastes like a Fudgesicle. Very easy recipe and will definitely make again.
Ryanne says
This looks amazing! I use a food processor for my ice cream (freeze your base in a 9×13, then scoop into a food processor and mix). Is there any reason I couldn’t use this recipe that way?
Dini says
Hi Ryanne
I haven’t made this recipe in a food processor before. I have made some ice creams in blenders by freezing the base in ice trays and processing the frozen ice cubes in the blender. It tastes good, but the texture isn’t the same as with an ice cream maker.
You can try to make this the same way, but I can’t guarantee the same results. I hope that helps.
Deepshikha says
I love your website so much, but can’t cook because of egg intolerance. Can you please suggest egg replacement tips?
Dini says
Hi Deepshikha
Thank you! 🙂
Unfortunately I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to egg replacements.
It would change depending on the application. For some baking recipes, apple puree can work well as a replacement, while some will do well with extra milk or almond milk. Recipes like ice cream, won’t work with apple as a replacement because egg is used to thicken the base. So, an ingredient like xanthan gum would work better for these applications.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!
Laura Bridge says
Amazing! Lovely and rich and not too sweet. Perfect.
Gala says
It’s a really yummy ice cream!!