Chocolate Ice Cream
intro
Ultra-smooth, rich homemade chocolate ice cream with deep cocoa notes, made with a classic custard base for perfectly scoopable, creamy results.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep chocolate base
Place finely chopped 70% cacao dark chocolate and 2 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder in a large heatproof glass bowl. Heat 1 cup (240ml) whole milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until it just begins to steam (do not bring to a rolling boil). Pour half the hot milk over the chocolate mixture, let rest 2 minutes, then stir with a wooden spoon until completely smooth, set aside.
Cook egg custard
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk 4 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt for 1 minute until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Slowly stream in the remaining hot milk while whisking nonstop to prevent egg curdling. Place the pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula for 5-7 minutes, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula back (a clear line will remain when you run your finger through the coating).
Blend ice cream base
Pour the warm thickened custard through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the bowl of melted chocolate mixture to catch any curdled egg bits. Stir until fully combined, then mix in 2 cups (480ml) cold heavy whipping cream and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is a uniform glossy dark brown with no streaks, then let cool to room temperature for 20 minutes.
Chill custard fully
Cover the bowl of chocolate base with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a tough skin from forming as it cools. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours (or up to 24 hours for best results) until the base reaches 40°F (4°C) or lower, completely cold to the touch.
Churn the ice cream
Remove the fully chilled chocolate base from the fridge. Pour it into a pre-frozen ice cream maker canister, then churn per the manufacturer’s instructions for 20-25 minutes, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, holding soft peaks when lifted with a spoon.
Freeze to set
Transfer the churned soft ice cream into a lidded, freezer-safe airtight container. Smooth the top evenly with a spatula, then press a sheet of parchment paper directly onto the ice cream surface to block air and prevent ice crystal formation. Seal the lid tightly and freeze for 2 hours until the ice cream is firm enough to scoop into clean, rounded portions.
Tips
2.If you do not own an ice cream maker, pour the chilled base into a 9x5 inch metal loaf pan, place in the freezer, and stir vigorously every 30 minutes for 3 hours to break up ice crystals until fully set.
3.Add mix-ins like mini chocolate chips, toasted chopped hazelnuts, or fudge swirls during the last 2 minutes of churning; adding them earlier will cause them to sink to the bottom of the container or freeze too hard.
OMG this custard-style chocolate ice cream is a total game changer! I made it for my kids’ end-of-school potluck last weekend and every last scoop was gone before I even got a second helping. It’s so rich and creamy, no weird icy texture like the no-cook recipes I’ve tried before. Worth every minute of the chill time for real!
Really solid chocolate ice cream, way better than the store bought stuff I usually grab for family movie nights. My only note is that I messed up the tempering step the first time and ended up with tiny scrambled egg bits in my custard – oops. Had to strain it twice but it still turned out great, my wife said it tasted like the premium stuff from the fancy creamery downtown.
SO good!!! I added a handful of mini dark chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of churning and it was *chef’s kiss*. Perfect balance of deep chocolate flavor and that creamy custard mouthfeel, not too sweet either. Already planning to make a double batch for our 4th of July cookout next month.
I was intimidated at first because I’ve never made a custard base before, but the instructions were so straightforward! I prepped this on Sunday night and it was ready to enjoy all week for post-dinner treats. The medium difficulty rating felt totally fair, just take your time on the stove and you’ll be fine. Way more affordable than buying premium ice cream for the whole family every week.
Flavor was great, but my batch came out way harder than I expected straight out of the freezer, I had to leave it on the counter for like 15 minutes before I could scoop it. Did I do something wrong? I followed the measurements exactly, used whole milk and heavy cream like the recipe said.
Took this to a friend’s dinner party in Brooklyn last night and everyone was begging for the recipe. I used 70% cacao dark chocolate instead of the semi-sweet the recipe calls for because that’s what I had in the pantry, and it gave it such a deep, luxe chocolate flavor that felt super fancy. 10/10, will be in my regular summer recipe rotation from now on.
Really tasty ice cream, my whole extended family loved it at our Father’s Day gathering. Only knock is that 6 hours of freeze time felt like forever when I forgot to plan ahead and had to rush to get it done before everyone showed up! Next time I’ll make the base the night before so I don’t stress about it being fully frozen in time. Flavor is unbeatable though, that rich custard chocolate taste beats every grocery store brand I’ve tried.