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Ultra creamy and rich with pure chocolate flavor, this is the BEST Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream. Made with whole ingredients and easy to whip up, this will be your go-to chocolate treat all year long.
I know this is a bold claim but I made the BEST Chocolate Ice Cream ever….if you haven’t gathered that from the title. Chocolate Ice Cream is, by far, my favorite flavor ever.
And when it’s done right…there’s just no turning back.
I mean, chocolate helps me stay sane. Just a little square can melt away enough stress to allow me to proceed with my regular scheduled program for the remainder of the day. So…if you’re one of those who gave up chocolate…or ice cream…or dessert for that matter…Pin this one for later!
There’s a creamery in Strasburg, PA right smack in the middle of Lancaster County Amish Country that makes their own ice cream (and waffle cones…but we’ll talk about that another day). When you walk down the street you can smell the sugar caramelizing on the waffle irons and you just kind of get sucked into the little shop.
You have no self control at all and you MUST order a double dipped cone. And some say it’s a tourist trap but I say it’s a must visit establishment if you want to try the best ice cream ever made that’s not made in your own kitchen.
Their from scratch Chocolate ice cream is incredibly sinful in the best sense of the word. Rich, creamy and simple, that’s what I strived for in my very BEST Chocolate Ice Cream recipe.
How To Make Chocolate Ice Cream
Making homemade chocolate ice cream is really simple to do but for the best ever recipe some practice in patience must be exercised.
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the milk, cream and cocoa powder. Bring the mixture to a simmer over med-low heat and then turn the heat off. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla until the chocolate has melted.
- Add 3/4 cup of the sugar to the milk mixture and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining sugar and egg yolks until the mixture is slightly thickened and light in color. Slowly, add 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to the eggs while whisking constantly. Continue adding the milk to the egg mixture 1/4 cup at a time until all the ingredients are combined.
- Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and place a medium bowl in the ice bath. Place a fine mesh stainer over the bowl.
- Transfer the cream mixture to a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard into the bowl and allow to cool.
- Refrigerate the custard until cold or overnight.
- Pour the custard into the freezer can of an electric ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve. Transfer to an airtight storage container and freeze.
We’ve been using this Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for over 20 years. It’s not a space hog in the kitchen and makes the best ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato and sorbet.
Ingredients for Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
The best Chocolate Ice Cream starts with the BEST ingredients. Exploding with pure chocolate flavor is the direct result of high quality products like:
- cocoa powder
- chopped semi-sweet chocolate
- milk
- eggs
- sugar
- vanilla
That’s it. And it’s simple to make….BUT you do need to work ahead because coaxing out the best flavors ever does take time.
So, allow the base to chill out overnight as I did with my fabulous Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and THEN, after churning, allow the ice cream to freeze overnight. Or not…I know…it’s hard but the best flavors develop over time. And you will be rewarded…I promise. But if you’re really in a hurry you can totally try this easy Snow Ice Cream recipe….that’s if you have actual snow on the ground.
And after all is said and done….and the very BEST Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream in the whole world is ready to dig into…take a seat. Because that first bite will make your knees buckle…and your heart flutter….and all your worries will melt away….because that first bite is a doozy.
And if you really did the unthinkable and gave up chocolate for lent like a crazy person….you should try this Vanilla Chai Ice Cream or this amazing Strawberry Ice Cream that tastes like summer in a bowl…or a cone…however you roll.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
- A seasonal favorite I love all year long, Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Coffee Ice Cream might be your new favorite breakfast
- Lavender Vanilla Ice Cream only sounds fancy
- Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream made with fresh cherries is FAB!
Looking for more fun and easy recipes? Follow along over on Instagram!
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Equipment
- 1 ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, I always use Hershey’s
- 2 ounces finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the milk, cream and cocoa powder. Bring the mixture to a simmer over med-low heat and then turn the heat off. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla until the chocolate has melted.
- Add 3/4 cup of the sugar to the milk mixture and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining sugar and egg yolks until the mixture is slightly thickened and light in color. Slowly, add 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to the eggs while whisking constantly. Continue adding the milk to the egg mixture 1/4 cup at a time until all the ingredients are combined.
- Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and place a medium bowl in the ice bath. Place a fine mesh stainer over the bowl.
- Transfer the cream mixture to a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard into the bowl and allow to cool.
- Refrigerate the custard until cold or overnight.
- Pour the custard into the freezer can of an electric ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve. Transfer to an airtight storage container and freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hands down, the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever made, and not just chocolate but the BEST ice cream I’ve ever made. And trust me, I have made a lot of homemade ice cream recipes. So thick, rich, and creamy, it’s like a drug! I did use this new incredibly rich German cocoa powder that I recently discovered called Droste, which is available on Amazon. This ice cream is spectacular! Love it with every fiber of my being. Thanks so much.
I love your comment! Thank you so much, I’m so happy you liked it. It is other level amazing and I’m happy you found it to try out.
Has anyone made this in a ninja creami?
I haven’t but I’m sure it would work well.
is there any other ingredients to replace heavy cream?
You could use milk but then it’s not as rich or creamy.
can I delay the final step? I mean the results are not immediately put into the freezer, but wrapped in plastic for 1 week and then put in the freezer
You can skip that step, but it allows the flavor to intensify before transferring to a storage container.
The best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever made! Take note of the amount of cocoa in this recipe. Use your favorite as it dictates the flavor. I used Rondelle Cocoa. Yum! The second time I made this I marbled it with homemade marshmallow fluff and sprinkled roasted salted walnuts over the top. I didn’t know ice cream could be that good!
Love the addition of marshmallow and walnuts! YUM!