Homemade Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
on Aug 21, 2012, Updated Jun 28, 2024
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This homemade dark chocolate ice cream is so creamy and luxurious that you’ll never go back to the store-bought kind!
I’m one of those people who is happy to eat ice cream whether it’s the middle of July or the middle of a blizzard. I say just put a sweater on and keep scooping! Ice cream is all at once a love language, a mood booster, and one of the best sweet treats out there in my opinion, and it doesn’t get much better than a classic dark chocolate ice cream made at home.
Homemade ice cream is one of our favorite treats to make on the weekend or with friends, there’s just something magical about it! This dark chocolate ice cream is forever a favorite as well as cheese cake ice cream recipe and this simple recipe for homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. No matter the flavor, you can’t really go wrong!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Balance of Sweetness: The contrast between the deep flavor of dark chocolate (in this case cocoa powder) and sweetness from the sugar is so good. It’s rich but not overly sweet.
- Easy to Make: Some recipes requires a bunch of steps and tons of ingredients, but this recipe is straightforward and easy to follow.
- Impressive Dessert: Even though you’ll know it’s easy, there’s just something so impressive about your guests homemade ice cream.
Ingredients
- Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder: you can sub another cocoa but Dutch-Process is going to give you better flavor so I definitely recommend it. It’s easy to find, just look for packaging that says Dutch Process on it when you visit the grocery store.
- Granulated Sugar
- Dark Brown Sugar: it has more molasses in it and will give the ice cream a deeper flavor. Light brown sugar will work in a pinch
- Salt
- Whole Milk: The extra fat in whole milk gives you smoother ice cream but you can substitute a different variety in a pinch.
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla Extract
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Popular Substitutions or Variations
- You can vary the recipe by adding mix ins right at the end of churning. Chocolate ice cream goes will with chocolate chips or chunks, fruit like strawberries or raspberries, caramel, toffee bits, cookie pieces, and so many more.
How to Make Homemade Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
Step #1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugars, and salt.
Step #3. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer directions.
Step #2. Whisk in the milk and cream, and continue stirring until the cocoa is fully dissolved and there are no lumps. Stir in the vanilla.
Step #4. Serve or freeze as desired.
Recipe FAQs
Miraculously, with my ice cream maker this recipe comes together in just 30 minutes! However, if you want that firmer consistency akin to the store-bought kind, make sure to freeze it for at least a couple hours, which adds to the total time.
Too much sugar can make ice cream clumpy or runny. Meanwhile, too much milk can make it harder because milk is mostly made of water, which freezes into ice crystals. I’ve found this recipe makes a nice, creamy, just-thick-enough consistency, so be sure to measure well!
Higher fat content creates a creamier ice cream. That’s why I like to use half cream and half milk — the combination creates a rich, creamy, and decadent consistency.
My favorite is this Cuisinart ice cream maker because it’s low maintenance and FAST! And we all know, when we want ice cream, we want it ASAP. The saying isn’t, “I politely ask for ice cream.” It’s, “I scream for ice cream!” So get you a maker that delivers!
It comes out like a soft serve consistency, which is smooth and delicious. But if you like a firmer ice cream, just put it in a freezer-safe container before freezing for at least 2 hours. Set it on your counter for about 10 minutes to let it soften enough to scoop and serve. Voila! Homemade ice cream has never, ever been easier! (Not sponsored by Cuisinart, but I wanted to share a favorite product of ours!)
Expert Tips
- If you want to add swirls of fudge, caramel, marshmallow creme, or anything else like that, alternate layers of ice cream and the “swirl” as you put the ice cream into the freezer container after churning.
- Remember that you can add mix-ins right at the end of churning. If you combine swirls AND mix-ins, you can create pretty infinite kinds of ice cream.
- To prevent ice crystals, put a layer of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream before putting the lid on the freezer container and storing it in the freezer.
- When mixing the ice cream ingredients together, be sure to whisk long enough to dissolve all the sugar so that the finished ice cream isn’t grainy.
More Ice Cream Recipes to Consider
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Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dark cocoa powder, sugars, and salt.
- While whisking, add the milk and the cream. Whisk together until completely combined, and the cocoa is completely dissolved with no lumps.
- Add the vanilla and combine.
- Pour the ice cream mixture in your ice cream maker, and process according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Notes
- Hersey’s Special Dark Cocoa is what I use. It’s easy to find, so I’m sure you can get it, too.
- I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, and you just freeze the canister the ice cream is made in. It takes about 15 minutes to make ice cream with no salt and ice to mess with. I love it!
- If you like a harder ice cream, put the ice cream in a freezer container and cover. Let it freeze for at least 2 hours, and then let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before serving. The ice cream straight out of the maker is just like soft-serve. Out of the freezer, it is like store-bought.
- If you like a less “dark” chocolate, reduce the cocoa powder to 1/3 cup.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2012, and has been updated and re-photographed in August 2019.
Best Chocolate Ice Cream…BAR NONE! So easy and absolutely delicious…rich, creamy & oh, so satisfying! For the cocoa, I measured about half of the 3/4 c using Special Dark/half regular cocoa. Wow…Fabulous! Paired with my homemade pound cake, it was an “out the park” hit with my children & grands. I’ve made it twice. Put little choc chips in one batch…almond extract in the other batch. Will put some chopped almonds in the next batch. Thank you so much! Oh, and I made your Peach Ice Cream, too! DEEELISH! I’m a happy gal… I’m making both again…and again…and again!
This sounds so good! Not sure if I understood this part, if you want the ice cream to be hard, you put it in the freezer for 2 hours after using the ice cream maker, or immediately after mixing the ingredients? I don’t have an ice cream maker and was wondering if it would work without it. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’ll still need to put it in the ice cream maker… it won’t be the same without it. He’s a no machine recipe though : https://www.blessthismessplease.com/2014/07/machine-chocolate-truffle-ice-cream.html
Thanks! That sounds good too, I’ll try it. And maybe look for an ice cream maker 🙂 Btw I love your cookbook.
how many calories does this chocolate ice cream have in it?
I made this tonight and it was ahhh-amazing!!!!! I added ground hot chili peppers, scorpion to be exact, and cacao nibs….whole new level of flavor!!!
I made this today. Great texture and so very yummy and chocolatey, thanks!
Found this on Pinterest and made it with the kids today- so yummy! Thanks!
Ugh. I want an ice cream maker!
Your photos look AMAZING!
I have always wondered how people get that ice cream hard. It would make sense that you need to put it back in the freezer…but who has the patience. Have a fun year with Macey. I think it’s a great idea. You only have your kids around you for a short time.