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Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream is easier to make than you think and I’m going to show you how! This recipe is made with a simple no-cook chocolate base and yields a rich and decadent ice cream. It’s the perfect treat on a hot summer day. And if chocolate isn’t your thing, try my Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream or any of my other ice cream recipes!
The Ever Popular Classic Chocolate Ice Cream
It’s no secret that we have a chocoholic in our family. While I am team vanilla 90% of the time, I suppose I can make room for some chocolate ice cream in my life. Ok, FINE. Twist my arm. 😉
Creamy, decadent and oh so chocolatey, this classic chocolate ice cream recipe is FOR YOU. Bookmark, print and save it now folks because this is as easy as it gets. The chocolate base doesn’t have eggs so you just have to whisk the ingredients together and refrigerate, then churn when you’re ready. Of course because it’s kept frozen, it lasts for months and is *SO* much better than store bought.
Wait, No Eggs?
Yes, no eggs! And here’s why:
Since testing this recipe with a cooked custard-style base, a cooked non-custard-style base (no eggs, but still cooked), and a completely uncooked version, I’ve opted to publish the easiest and in my opinion equally delicious uncooked (read: eggless) chocolate ice cream base.
Because you whisk all of the ingredients into the heavy cream and milk and then let it set in the refrigerator for several hours, that sugar will dissolve quickly, giving you a really creamy finished product. The tendency is to want to cook ice cream bases to ensure that all the sugar gets dissolved, but honestly, it isn’t really needed or required.
My vanilla ice cream recipe DOES use egg yolks and is cooked because with it being a simple vanilla, it helps get a creamier flavor above and beyond plain heavy cream would. For this chocolate ice cream though, I didn’t think it was necessary and I was right!
Before We Begin: A Note About Ice Cream Machines
I used to own this Cuisinart Ice Cream Machine…you know, the kind where you have to freeze the bowl. These are probably the most common type of ice cream maker you’d be looking to buy at the store. While these work great, I’d highly recommend looking into getting an ice cream maker with a compressor. This is the one I have. It is amazing! Not only do you not have to freeze anything ahead of time, but you can make batch after batch of ice cream without having to freeze anything! It’s really truly incredible. I cannot recommend this machine enough. Yes, it’s a little bit pricey, but mama mia it’s worth it.
How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream from Scratch
Making Chocolate Ice Cream from scratch is actually a lot easier than you think. READ: only six ingredients needed! For full details on how to make chocolate ice cream with an ice cream maker, see the recipe card down below 🙂
Make Chocolate Ice Cream Base
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugars, and salt. Add the milk and beat to combine until the cocoa, sugars, and salt are dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
Churn Your Ice Cream
Turn your ice cream maker on; pour the mixture into the machine and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. If you’re using an ice cream maker with a frozen bowl, it should take 15-20 minutes. If you’re using one with a compressor, it will take a little longer. Mine took 35 minutes. See my notes below!
Freeze and Enjoy!
Transfer the ice cream to a separate container (this is the one I have that is pictured below) and freeze until solid. After it has frozen for several hours, scoop and enjoy! I like my chocolate ice cream in a bowl, but kids much prefer cones. Delicious either way…we’re not picky over here.
How to Make No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream | Without an Ice Cream Machine
Just because you don’t have an ice cream maker doesn’t mean you have to go without homemade chocolate ice cream! A lot of the ingredients for this are the same with a few minor variations with increments. I’ve bolded the differences to make it a little easier to see. All of the other stated ingredients and their amounts are listed in the recipe card. Here’s how to do it:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa and salt. Add in one can of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla then whisk until combined. (Use this in place of the sugars.)
- Whip 3 cups of heavy cream until soft to medium peaks form. Then fold the chocolate-sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream. (You are substituting the milk for more heavy cream).
- Cover and freeze until solid then scoop and enjoy! It won’t be quite the same texture as a churned ice cream, but will still hit the spot. This is how my mom made and continues to make ice cream back home and I love it!
Customizing With Mix-Ins + Toppings
Now this chocolate ice cream recipe tastes great on its own but feel free to add any mix-ins or toppings to customize the recipe to your liking. For example, I have a great Rocky Road Ice Cream Recipe that adds almonds, chocolate chips and marshmallow fluff. While the purist in me LOVES this recipe as is, I know there are many of you who would want to spice this ice cream up a little. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Mix-Ins
Simply hand mix these in before the final freezing.
- sprinkles
- fresh berries
- cookies
- hot fudge or caramel sauce
- chocolate chips
- marshmallows
- cookie dough
- brownies
- cheesecake bites
- nuts
- peanut butter
- chopped chocolate covered espresso beans
- M&M’s, Reese’s Cups, Butterfinger, Heath, etc.
Toppings
Add to your bowl or cone after final freezing.
- Nutella hot fudge sauce
- caramel sauce
- melted peanut butter
- chocolate shavings
How Long Does Homemade Ice Cream Last?
Homemade ice cream like this one, usually lasts in the freezer for about 3 months as long as you have a proper insulated ice cream container for it. This is the one I have and LOVE. It truly does make a difference in how the ice cream freezes and is kept fresh. Obviously, you can just keep it in a regular air tight container, but it won’t last nearly as long without getting a little freezer burnt (weird gritty texture, ice crystals forming on the top of it, etc.). If you plan on making this and eating it within a week or two, a regular plastic container will be great. But, if you might keep it beyond that, I’d suggest getting the proper container.
Recipe Ideas that use Chocolate Ice Cream
I have lots of ice cream recipes on my site (see below) and all of them could be incorporated in some way into these recipes!
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Homemade Ice Cream Cake
- Peanut Butter Oreo Ice Cream Cake
- S’more Sundae Banana Split
Other Ice Cream Flavors to Try!
Give me all the ice cream! Here are a few other flavors I think you might like:
That’s it! I hope you enjoy this recipe as we continue on through the hot summer months! 🙂
The printable recipe card is down below!
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugars, and salt. Add the milk and, using a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk, beat to combine until the cocoa, sugars, and salt are dissolved.
- Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
- Turn your ice cream maker on; pour the mixture into the machine and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. If you're using an ice cream maker with a frozen bowl, it should take 15-20 minutes. If you're using one with a compressor, it will take a little longer, 25-35 minutes.
- Scoop and enjoy!
Notes
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa and salt. Add in one can of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla then whisk until combined.
- Whip 3 cups of heavy cream until soft to medium peaks form. Then fold the chocolate-sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream.
- Cover and freeze until solid then scoop and enjoy!
Delicious! Julie must have done something wrong. It made about a quart and was smooth and chocolaty. Not the least bit powdery. This is a keeper for me! 😋
I’m sorry but this was not good and I love chocolate ice cream. First the recipe didn’t even make a whole container. It only made half. It was so thick and powdery tasting. I did follow directions and mixed everything well before putting in the fridge. It needs more milk to even things out. There were 7 of us who ate it and only one like it. 3 were children and they didn’t care for it.
Wow this is an exact copy of the chocolate ice cream recipe that came with my cuisinart ice cream maker.
Easy recipe. Next time I will use a lot less cocoa for more of a milk chocolate ice cream.
This is delicious!! I added 3/4c smooth peanut butter melted after about 25 min in machine. Extra delicious!!!
Thank you for sharing this.
My search is over! This is a solid recipe. I used 1/2 cup regular cocoa and 1/4 Dutch process. Added about a tablespoon of cornstarch, too. Refrigerated for 2 hours. After churning for about 20min it was done. I swirled
in some melted peanut butter as I transferred the ice cream to the container I would freeze it in. Froze it for about 3.5hrs and the consistency right now is so perfect! THANK YOU!!
I have made eggless and egg ice cream in my machine and after freezing it for several hours, they both become rock hard and gritty. I also want to be able to make lower fat ice cream without heavy cream and calories. Is it possible to have creamy homemade ice cream at all?
It sounds like something might be going wrong with your machine?! Also, are you using skim milk? If your ice cream is getting rock hard, my guess is there isn’t a high enough fat content in the ice cream base, even with the egg yolks.
This recipe is absolutely delicious extremely easy chocolatey velvety creamy made this for dad‘s 80th birthday all I can say for a man that has everything he didn’t have this chocolate ice cream absolutely delicious he loved every last spoonful …….Thanks for sharing this recipe , already made a second batch for dad