Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Come summers, come the time for ice creams! And it’s not “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream,” but much more than that when its specially the Chocolate Ice Cream. This is just that easy-peasy, fuss-free, creamy, smooth and scrumptious Chocolate Ice Cream recipe that you must give a try at home.
About Chocolate Ice Cream
I had been getting recipe requests for adding ice creams since a long time. So, I worked on a few of them and to be honest, this Chocolate Ice Cream recipe was a personal favorite. Not just that, even at home everyone loves it.
This Chocolate Ice Cream does not need a special ice cream maker and gets done without getting whipped twice or thrice. Just make once, freeze and then enjoy. A similar ice cream is this Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
That’s really saving sometime for you and the best part is you can dive right into a decadent yet gluten-free bowl of ice cream, much faster!
Another good thing about this Chocolate Ice Cream is that this recipe does not form any ice crystals while setting. Prepare and serve this ice cream whenever required.
This Chocolate Ice Cream recipe yields a large block which you can use to make gorgeous sundaes or sinful desserts too.
How to make Chocolate Ice Cream
Make Chocolate Mixture
1. First, take all the ingredients listed below:
- 2 to 2.25 cups whipping cream (30% to 50% fat)
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup tightly packed brown sugar – note that you can opt to use regular sugar or equal portions of both regular sugar and brown sugar.
2. Now, take ¼ cup of the milk in a pan and add ½ cup tightly packed brown sugar. Remember to use whole milk or else the milk may separate or curdle.
3. Keep this pan on a stovetop on low heat and with a whisk or spoon, stir continuously till the sugar dissolves.
Note: Do not boil or heat this mixture too much as this may lead to curdling or separating of the milk.
4. Once all the sugar is dissolved, keep the pan on the kitchen counter-top.
Remember not to boil or heat the milk too much. Once all the sugar is dissolved remove the pan from the stove-top and set aside.
5. Add ½ cup cocoa powder.
6. Mix very well.
7. Add the ½ cup sweetened condensed milk.
8. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
9. Mix very well and keep this mixture aside. Let this chocolate mixture cool at room temperature.
Whip Cream
10. Take 2 to 2.25 cups of the chilled whipping cream in a stand mixer and begin to whip it on high speed. You can also use an electric beater to whip using a bowl.
Make sure to refrigerate the bowl so that it is cold.
11. Whip till you get stiff peaks. The cream will increase in volume and when you turn the bowl down, the cream shouldn’t fall.
Or when you take the whipped cream in a spatula or spoon and turn it down, the cream shouldn’t fall.
Make Chocolate Ice Cream
12. Then, add the prepared chocolate mixture.
13. Now, gently and with light hands, fold the chocolate mixture in the whipped cream. Do not mix, just fold it.
14. The cream should not loose its peaks or volume and fall flat. So, fold gently and slowly.
15. Fold very well.
16. Now, add the ice cream mixture in a container or box.
17. Close the container or box tightly with a lid and keep it in the freezer.
18. Freeze for 8 to 9 hours or overnight or till the ice cream is set.
19. Before serving, remove the ice cream box from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Then, scoop out Chocolate Ice Cream with an ice cream scooper.
If you are not able to scoop the ice cream easily, then let the ice cream be at room temperature for 5 to 6 minutes. If its too hot where you live, then a couple of minutes is fine.
20. Serve Chocolate Ice Cream in bowls or cups. If you want, you can also drizzle some chocolate sauce on top.
Expert Tips
- You have to whip the cream till stiff peaks. The cream should increase in volume and shouldn’t fall from the bowl, when turned upside down. Another way to check is: Take the whipped cream in a spatula or spoon. When you turn it, it shouldn’t fall.
- This recipe uses whipping cream which is 30% fat and does whip till stiff peaks. If using 25% fat cream, then you can whip it till soft peaks. If you add icing sugar in this cream, then you can whip till stiff peaks.
- You can use the homemade clotted cream (malai) from milk to make the whipped cream. Remove the clotted cream from freezer and thaw it for some hours.
The cream should be chilled before you start whipping. Take everything in the blender jar and whip with the whipping blade till you get smooth cream.
If needed, you can add some water while whipping. To use immediately, keep whipping till stiff peaks are formed. If not, then refrigerate the smooth, flowing cream, whip later and use as required.
The whipping cream from homemade clotted cream is extremely rich because of high fat content. This results in whipped cream within minutes. - The same recipe can also be made in an ice cream maker and can be made with regular sugar too instead of the brown sugar.
- You have to fold the chocolate mixture with the whipped cream gently. Don’t mix it as this might cause the cream to fall flat after losing its peaks.
- In case you can’t scoop out the set ice cream, keep it at room temperature for 5 to 6 minutes. If you live in a place where it’s too hot, then only a couple of minutes is fine.
FAQs
Why am I unable to get stiff peaks after whipping the cream?
The cream has to be chilled while you are whipping and you can whip for some more time to get the desired result. Soft peaks are also fine.
Is vanilla extract and vanilla powder same?
No. Both are different. Vanilla extract is a liquid and the other one is a powder.
What is the alternative for condensed milk in this recipe?
You can use sweetened liquid evaporated milk. In case you don’t have a sweetened one, you can add sugar.
Can I use the collected malai from milk to make the whipping cream?
Yes, you can definitely do that. Refer to the Expert Tips above to know how to go about it.
The whipping cream turns into liquid after whipping. What should I do to avoid this?
This simply means that the cream has not enough fat content to form stiff peaks. Alternatively, keep the whipping bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 to 40 minutes and then start whipping again.
In case you see liquids or buttermilk in the whipped cream, then continue to whip till you see the water (whey) and butter separate. Remove the butter with a slotted spoon and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Use this as homemade butter.
What are the alternatives in place of an electric beater or stand mixer?
In place of a stand mixer or electric beater, you can use a food processor with a whipping attachment or a blender/mixer/grinder with a round, unsharp whipping blade.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 2 to 2.25 cup whipping cream – 30% to 50% fat
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup brown sugar (tightly packed) or regular sugar or half-half of both regular sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Instructions
Making chocolate mixture
- First, prep all the ingredients and set them aside – whipping cream (30% to 50% fat), whole milk, cocoa powder, sweetened condensed milk and tightly packed brown sugar.
- Now, take milk in a small pan and add the brown sugar.
- Keep this pan on stovetop on low heat and with a whisk or spoon stir continuously till the sugar dissolves.
- Once all the sugar is dissolved, keep the pan on your kitchen counter. Remember not to boil the milk or heat it for a long time. Just lightly warm it or heat lightly to help the sugar dissolve.Do not boil or heat this milk and brown sugar mixture too much as this may lead to curdling or separating of the milk.
- When you see that all the sugar granules dissolve, remove the pan from stove-top and place it on your kitchen counter.
- Add cocoa powder and mix thoroughly ensuring that there are no lumps.
- Add the condensed milk and vanilla extract.
- Mix thoroughly again set this mixture aside. Let this chocolate mixture cool at room temperature.
Whipping cream
- Take chilled cream in a stand mixer and begin to whip it on high speed. You can also use an electric beater to whip.
- Whip till you get stiff peaks. The cream will increase in volume and when you turn the bowl down, the cream should not fall. So when you take the whipped cream in a spatula or spoon and turn it down, the whipped cream shouldn't fall.
Making chocolate ice cream
- Now, add the chocolate mixture to the whipped cream.
- Gently and with light hands, fold the chocolate mixture in the whipped cream. Do not mix, but fold it.
- The cream should not lose its peaks or volume and fall flat. So, fold gently and slowly, but very well to get an even mixture.
- Next, add the ice cream mixture in a container or box.
- Close the container or box tightly with a lid and keep the ice container or box in the freezer.
- Freeze for 8 to 9 hours or overnight or till the ice cream is set.
- Before serving, remove the ice cream box from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Then scoop out the ice cream with an ice cream scoop.
- If you are not able to scoop easily, then let the ice cream be at room temperature for 5 to 6 minutes. If its too hot where you live, then a couple of minutes is fine.
- Serve Chocolate Ice Cream in bowls or cups. If you want, you can also drizzle some chocolate sauce on top.
Notes
- Use whole milk and not toned or low-fat milk as these can split when mixing it with brown sugar.
- Instead of brown sugar you can use white sugar or confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar). You can also use both the regular sugar and brown sugar in equal proportions
- Skip vanilla extract if you do not have it.
- To make the recipe, you can use light cream with 25% fat or whipping cream with 30% to 35% milk fat or heavy cream with 40% to 50% fat.
- Scale this recipe to make a big batch.
- Note that the approximate nutrition info is for 1 medium-sized chocolate ice cream scoop.
Nutrition
This Chocolate Ice Cream recipe from the archives first published in November 2016 has been republished and updated on April 2023.
Made your chocolate ice cream. Initially I was skeptical as the quantity of cream seemed too large for the amount of chocolate mixture. But once you mix it, it is the right amount of sweetness.
Whipped my cream till soft peaks. Used some of it to make a ice cream cake for my wedding anniversary today. Cake was from another blog. Thank you for sharing such yummy recipes.
Super and thanks for this lovely feedback. Most welcome.
Very tasty ice cream…have made it for my family many times.
Great and thanks for letting me know.
Hi ma’am could you share a recipe for ice cream cake?
Yes will try. In my to do list.
Thank you so much Dassana for sharing your wonderful recipes. I have tried many of your dishes and they are always appreciated by my family..its my first time to try out the chocolate icecream and it’s just delicious. Loved your chocolate cake recipe too. Looking forward to trying out more homemade icecreams.
Thank you Nisha. Glad to know that the chocolate ice cream turned out good. Thanks for the feedback on the other recipes as well. Do try some more homemade ice cream recipes from the blog and you will like them. Most welcome.
I used amul cream for the chocolate ice cream but after whipping it did not form stiff peaks.please advice
the cream has to be chilled and cold. try whipping for some more time. even if you get soft peaks it is fine.
I tried this recipe with Amul fresh cream instead of whipping cream. It was excellent. My 6 year old daughter simply loved it. Thank you for posting such a easy quick and chemical free recipe.
thank you sailaja for this review and rating. glad to know that your daughter loved the chocolate ice cream. welcome.
Is venllina extract n venllia powder same?
vanilla extract is different from vanilla powder. one is a liquid and the other is in the powder form. in vanilla powder also you get artificially flavored powder which is like a white powder and a black or brown colored powder which consists of just the vanilla seeds.
Hii.. writing from Nigeria.Any alternative for condensed milk. Couldn’t find it here.
you can use liquid evaporated milk. make sure its sweetened or else you will have to add sugar.
Hi dasanna, u r my all time fav chef, u r more than awesome, too gud … Tried chocolate icecream, it was yum, my little one liked it… Thank you so much… I used amul fresh cream so the peaks were not as stiff as d one shown in d pic..
1) Can v use the collected malai (from milk)at home to make d whipping cream? If yes What s d method?
2) Can you post the sour dough bread method? I have read that it s the traditional way to make d bread n its good
thanks prema for the lovely feedback.
1. yes you can use the collected malai. i used to make cream with collected malai before. stopped as now i do not get little malai on milk after boiling. remove the collected malai from freezer and thaw it for some hours. use the whipping blade of a mixer-grinder or food processor. you can also use a stand mixer. the malai should be cold before you start whipping. take everything in the blender jar or food processor and whip till you get smooth cream. if need be you can add some water while whipping. you can stop here when you get a smooth flowing cream and refrigerate it. this cream can be whipped later to make ice creams or added to gravies. if you don’t want to stop, then continue to whip till you get stiff peaks. the cream from homemade malai is very rich and you will get whipped cream in minutes as more fat content is there.
2. i will try to add sour dough bread method. a few readers have requested for the same.
Hi dassana …..I tried ….but after whipping my amul cream turned into liquid ….what to do…..can u help me with this….please????
do you see any water in it. if water has formed then continue to whip till you see the water (whey or buttermilk) separate and the butter separate. remove the butter with a slotted spoon and keep covered in the fridge. use as butter. if no water is seen, then keep the whipping bowl with the cream in the fridge for 30 to 40 minutes and then again start whipping.
Hi Dassana tried this chocolate ice-cream recipie ,,,,only problem I faced was I didn’t have blender so I tried in a mixer but all the Amul cream turned liquid still I proceeded with the recipie ,,,,,still it’s taste was awesome as one of the branded ice-cream everybody loved ❤❤it ,,,,,I was wondering how would it taste with that stiff peak cream????????????
Thank you Dassana for this perfect ice-cream recipie
Welcome Kavita. Good to know that inspite of the fact that cream not whipping well, the chocolate ice cream still turned out good. It will taste much better if the cream was whipped well.
Hi Dassana
I have baking chocolate blocks. Can I use it for this recipe?if yes how should I add. Thanks a tonne
Regards
Ruby
ruby, you can add some milk and melt the chocolate. melt the chocolate in a double boiler and not directly on a flame. you can use 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate. add about 1/4th to 1/3rd cup of milk and melt the chocolate. instead of milk you can also add cream while melting. let this chocolate mixture come to room temperature. then add condensed milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. mix very well. then follow the recipe.
Hi Dassana
This looks delicious. What would be a good substitute for condensed milk in this recipe? I would be okay with a mildly sweet ice cream.
kate, you can use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk and add sugar as required.
Hi!
Can I skip the sugar and use only condensed milk? Wouldn’t both of them together make it very sweet?
swapnil, with only condensed milk, the sweetness is less. both of them together does not make the ice cream very sweet. its just sweet.
wow,your step by step photos are very helpful.Thanks to share your recipe.
welcome kenniceangle
Excellent recipe from an excellent chef!God bless you Dassana Ji and Amitabh Ji!
Thanks Pragya for your kind words and best wishes.
Thanks for perfect ice cream recipe…..????????
Welcome Avantika
Hi srnd i my query bt messg is not shwng not evn u replied
megha have already replied to your query. just refresh the page and you will see my response.
Hi dear i wana ask i i hv some cream named mavees golden mark premium dairy free topping n its a cake icing icecream so can i use this for making ice cream n plzz tel me if choclate can be used instead of cocoa powder… I hv choclate named MELLOW DARK COMPOUND…if this can be used please tel the procedure…
megha, the dairy free cream can be used a cake icing, but i am not sure if it can be used to make an ice cream. coconut cream can be used and it is also dairy free. you can google and find out if this dairy free cream can be used to make ice creams.
with dark compound chocolate, you have to melt it first and then add to the whipped cream. the melted chocolate has to be at room temperature before you add it to the whipped cream. so you can use 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate. you can here add less or more sugar as per your requirements.
I just love your blog.
Your recipes are very simple in terms of ingredients and method. The pictures make it more easy to understand.
And to my surprise, you know everything.. right from authentic local cuisines to modern cooking.
Keep it up Dassana. Best wishes.
thank you gauri. nice to read your comment. best wishes to you too.
Dear dassana… Is it mandatary to use electric beater????
shubha, have already replied to your comment. do check below.
Dear dassana is electric beater a must….if not wat else can b done…
shubha, you can use food processor with the whipping attachment or a blender/mixer/grinder with a whipping blade. a whipping blade is a round blade and is not sharp. it helps to whip cream very well.
hi dassana, i’m a huge fan. i’ve learned a lot about cooking from your recipes. going to try making ice creams now. the problem is i’m not getting whipping cream anywhere. can i substitute it with amul fresh cream? if not what else? or can i completely skip the cream? will it taste very different? as i’m a novce i don’t know what to do? please help.
thanks a lot radhika. you can use amul fresh cream. i also use amul fresh cream if i do not get whipping cream. with whipping cream, due to high fat content, the ice cream is more smoother and creamier than amul fresh cream. but even with amul fresh cream, the ice cream tastes good. also if using amul fresh cream, whip it at least for 8 to 9 minutes till you get stiff peaks.
Dassana,wow!pista ice cream & sorbets too.when it comes to ice cream my dil maange more:-)
Yes, I tell my relatives( who face snowy winters) that I’m lucky enough to enjoy scoops of ice cream even in winters
true meveera, thats the best part of living in india, especially in central, western and southern regions ?
hi dassana! thank u for sharing this wonderful recipe.since my mom is not much of a chocolate or cocoa fan i added maple syrup & pecans in place of cocoa in the first batch & saffron,pisachios to the second batch.both turned out delicious & devoid of ice crystals.
hoping to see many more flavours soon to make summers super cool 🙂
thank you meveera. lovely addition of maple syrup and nuts. in fact today only i made pista ice cream but in an ice cream maker. too good and exactly like the the branded ones. i will try to add more ice cream recipes. its not very cold where we live so ice creams and kulfis are still fine for us to have ?
Sorry I commented again as I couldn’t see my last comment and wanted ur “some” sweet reply .?
no problem deeksha 🙂
Woow soo easy. I read your blog n was so happy that u n ur hubby work so well together. Bless you both.,?
Awwee. It’s so easy.. I’ve ordered Hershey’s same box and will receive it soon. Am definitely gonna try .. btw read about your blog. Loved the way u n ur hubby work together. Bless you both. Well m just 21 to bless u both. ??
thanks deeksha for your best wishes. age does not matter. as blessings should come from heart.
substitute for condensed milk
you can use sweetened evaporated milk.
it’s really easy and tasty.i never thought it will be so easy to make.thanks.
thanks seema. there are many ways ice creams can be made. using whipped cream is the easiest method to prepare ice creams.
🙂 Lovely! I will make this next week to welcome my son home.
By the way, I’ve been following your blog for years now, and think that you are ABSOLUTELY THE BEST. I’ve followed many of your recipes and they’ve turned out perfect. Of course I’ve tweaked them the second time, and they’ve still turned out delicious. Thank you! 🙂 I love your visual step by step instructions.
I wanted to email you but didn’t find a “contact me” here.
thanks a ton vidya for this lovely feedback. its encouraging also to read your comment. thanks again.
our contact page is not working from ages 🙂 need to get it corrected.
Hello Ms. Perfectionist ??… can we use already whipped cream that i get here in the market in US?
deepshikha, you can use the ready made whipped cream. thanks for the title of ms perfectionist 🙂