Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

This smooth and creamy no-churn chocolate ice cream recipe is full of fudgy flavor and easy to make without an ice cream maker. Add chocolate chips for double the chocolate!

Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

As many of you know, my kids both have severe food allergies. My little lady is allergic to all nuts, and my son is allergic to nuts and sesame. Ice cream is one of the most difficult foods to find a safe option for them. Ice cream shop visits in the summer are pretty much out of the question. Those fun fro-yo bars where you can add your own toppings? Not a chance. 

It makes me feel sad, like they’re missing out on some part of their childhood, but it is what it is and we just make the best of it. One of the things I can do is make homemade ice cream as a fun treat, and this no churn chocolate ice cream couldn’t be easier to make.

There is no missing out on anything with this rich creamy homemade ice cream. My kids are obsessed with all the chocolate flavor. It’s the best taste of summer I can give my kids. 

Oh, and I don’t have to haul out my ice cream maker. Since I’m slightly lazy, that’s a win-win. 

Why This Recipe Works

I make this no churn chocolate ice cream in the same way that I make my other no churn ice cream recipes: vanilla ice cream, Oreo ice cream, and this yummy cinnamon ice cream.

They all start with two basic ingredients: heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk. You don’t even need to add sugar because the sweetened condensed milk has plenty of it. 

You don’t need any special equipment apart from an electric mixer. It will only take you about 15 minutes to whip it up but allow several hours for freezing your ice cream.

I’ll run through the basics here and give you some extra tips. Look for the printable recipe card near the end of the post for complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.

What You’ll Need

You need only 4 ingredients to make this ultra-rich and creamy homemade chocolate ice cream. I also like to throw in chocolate chips (because, why not?), but that’s totally up to you.

• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Look for this canned milk near the baking supplies. Don’t confuse it with evaporated milk, another canned milk product. They are very different and can’t be substituted for each other.
• Heavy Cream: Look for cream that is 36% milk fat. This is important. Half & half or light whipping cream won’t work as well. Make sure the cream is well chilled because very cold cream will whip up more easily.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Often used in baking, cocoa powder is made from crushed cocoa beans that are processed to remove the cocoa butter. It is high in antioxidants and is actually quite good for you. If your cocoa powder has hard lumps in it, sift before using it.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: This extract adds sweet vanilla flavor to the ice cream.
• Mini Chocolate Chips: For double chocolate ice cream, mini chocolate chips are stirred in. Save some and use the extra for topping the ice cream. You can choose to skip the chocolate chips if you like.

How To Make Chocolate Ice Cream

You’ll need a loaf tin or a similarly sized pan to freeze the ice cream. A loaf tin works well because it’s compact and easy to fit in your freezer, much like a carton of ice cream.

Mix the ingredients. Let’s get started! In a small bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla. You’ll find that the milk is very thick so it’s fairly easy to blend in the cocoa.

Whip the cream. Next, in a large bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream with an electric mixer or stand mixer. Beat the cream until it will stand up in stiff peaks. That means they don’t droop over when you lift out the beaters. It will take about three minutes.

Combine. After, carefully fold in the milk mixture. Use a very light touch; you don’t want your whipped cream to deflate. Mix it in just until combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips. The whipped cream mixture should be pretty thick so you can safely add all those chocolate chips without worrying about them sinking straight to the bottom of your container. 

Freeze. Lastly, transfer the mixture to the loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips, if desired. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and freeze your ice cream for 6 hours or overnight.

This ice cream is the perfect summer treat; I hope you guys try it and love it! 

Tips for the best no-churn ice cream

Keep these tips in mind when making chocolate ice cream from scratch:

• Before whipping the cream, chill the bowl and beaters for fifteen minutes or so ahead of time. To colder the tools, the better the cream will whip.
• Stir in the chocolate chips gently. You don’t want to overmix the ice cream base, as this can deflate the air pockets needed for light, creamy ice cream.

FAQs

The world is your oyster! What would you put in this ice cream?

How to Store Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Store your ice cream airtight in the freezer for up to two months. For best results, line the loaf pan with parchment paper before freezing the ice cream. Once frozen solid, lift the ice cream out of the pan with the parchment paper and transfer it to a resealable container. It helps to put a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on top of the ice cream so it stays fresh and free from freezer burn.