Smooth, creamy and so delicious! This dark chocolate ice cream is some of the best homemade ice cream you’ll ever have! (And can easily be adapted if you don’t like dark chocolate.)
Dark chocolate makes me happy. I just love it. There’s something about its rich, slightly bittersweet flavor that feels a little more indulgent and grown-up than regular chocolate. I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate it into my desserts, especially when I want something that feels extra special.
This was my first time making a true dark chocolate ice cream, and I was honestly so impressed with how it turned out. The texture is perfectly smooth and creamy, and the deep chocolate flavor really shines through in every bite. If you’re a dark chocolate lover like me, this is the kind of dessert that’s hard to stop sneaking spoonfuls of.
It’s totally worth investing in an ice cream maker. I currently use this ice cream maker. Or this is another amazing, higher-end option I’ve got my eye on—I’m hoping to grab it soon!
If you don’t like dark chocolate, just use regular or Dutch cocoa powder. It’s a delicious recipe and you will love it!
Just a note about this recipe. After you make the ice cream mixture, you will refrigerate it for a couple of hours or overnight. Then, right before churning it, you will add the vanilla. Do not forget this step. Trust me. It makes a big difference! This is also a great ice cream base recipe for adding in any mix-ins you would like.
Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Dark Double Chocolate Brownies
Two Years Ago: Fudgy Homemade Brownies
Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
4.9 Stars (27 Reviews)
Ingredients
- 5 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup special dark cocoa powder, measured then sifted
- 1 cup 2 % milk or whole milk
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of the sugar (6 tablespoons). Set aside.
- In a heavy stainless steel pan, combine the cocoa powder with the remaining sugar (6 tablespoons). Whisk in about 1/4 cup of the milk to form a paste, adding a little more milk as needed to make it smooth and uniform. Whisk in the remaining milk, cream, and salt, and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
- Carefully scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture and, while whisking the eggs constantly, add it to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks. Returning to the pan of cream on the stove, use a heatproof spatula to stir the cream as you slowly pour the egg and cream mixture from the bowl back into the pan.
- Continue to cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened, coats the back of the spatula, and leaves a clear mark when you run your finger across it.
- Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer and into a clean container. Mix in the vanilla extract. Set the container into an ice bath, wash your spatula, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the base for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- To freeze: Churn in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, put the container you'll use to store the ice cream into the freezer. Enjoy right away or, for firmer ice cream, freeze for at least four hours.
Notes
Update- Recently, I have been adding about 2-4 oz. melted chocolate into the mixture at the step you add the vanilla extract, and I love it even more with this addition!
Just made this ice cream & it’s amazing!! Will be my go-to chocolate ice cream recipe. I added mini mallows & almonds to make rocky road💕
I want to try to make a darker, heavier chocolate flavor. What can I adjust to do it?
Thank you!!
Yay! That’s great to hear! You could add more cocoa powder. Maybe 1/2 a cup total. And/or add some melted semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. I’d say 2-4 oz. would work. If you try it let me know what worked for you!
what size freezer is this recipe for? ours is a 4 qt. electric freezer
Ice cream maker? Mine is 2-quart size, so 4 qt works great!