Fresh from the Kitchen: Recipes & Food Inspiration
- Use dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder for fudgy, intense flavor; try brands like Ghirardelli or Godiva.
- Add instant coffee powder to balance sweetness and deepen chocolate flavor without making the ice cream taste like coffee.
- Heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk create a smooth, creamy texture without eggs; avoid store-bought whipped cream.
- Heat cream with cocoa and chopped chocolate, blend with condensed milk, whip remaining cream, fold together, then freeze at least six hours.
- Vegan option: use non-dairy condensed milk and cream; doubles easily; bourbon optional; store airtight up to six months, may get icy after one month.
Let me show you how simple it is to make decadent and delicious dark chocolate ice cream at home–no ice cream machine needed! This is one of my favorite summertime sweet treats, and the fact that it’s no-fuss somehow makes it taste even better.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you’ll love my strawberry vanilla ice cream, too!
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❤️ Why You’ll Love this Recipe
What You’ll Need for this Recipe
Dark Chocolate and Dark Cocoa Powder combine for fudginess and very strong flavor, plus all the benefits associated with dark chocolate. Use your favorite grocery store brand, Ghirardelli, Godiva–whatever you like!
Instant Coffee adds bitterness that balances out all the sweetness, and results in a stronger, more complex chocolate flavor. This ingredient will give the chocolate an ultra boost, enhancing the ice cream’s flavor without making it taste like coffee.
Heavy Cream and Condensed Milk are the special secret ingredients in no-churn ice cream that create a smooth, creamy texture without eggs. I don’t recommend using store-bought whipped cream because it has added ingredients we don’t need here.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Vegan Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe – Use non-dairy sweetened condensed milk, cream, and chocolate.
Double Batch – This recipe doubles easily, so it’s perfect for bigger families or gatherings, and everybody can get good, decent-sized scoops!
No Alcohol – Bourbon helps amplify the chocolate, making it taste richer, and adding subtle oak, caramel, and vanilla notes. But you can omit the whiskey and add more vanilla, if you prefer.
How to Make No-Churn Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
- Step One: Warm some of the heavy cream, cocoa powder, and dark chocolate bar until melted and bubbling. (Photos 1 and 2)
- Step Two: Stir the mixture into sweetened condensed milk, and let the mixture cool. (Photo 3)
- Step Three: Beat the remaining heavy with a mixer until fluffy. (Photo 4)
Pro Tip #1
If you don’t have a stand mixer or hand mixer, you can whip the cream in a blender or food processor for about four minutes, or by hand (with a whisk) for about 10 minutes.
- Step Four: Fold the chocolate and cream mixtures together, then spread into a freezer-safe container, and freeze until firm. (Photos 5 and 6)
Pro Tip #2
Most of my no-churn ice cream recipes are decently frozen after four hours, but I recommend letting this one freeze for at least six hours for the best eating experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to six months. Note that the texture tends to get icy after the first month.
How to Serve
Serving Vessels: Scoop it into a cone, cup, or between two peanut butter spice cookies for a next-level ice cream sandwich!
Topping Ideas: Dark chocolate goes well with raspberry, orange, and pistachio flavors, so try chopped nuts, raspberry sauce, or fresh orange zest or marmalade for a gourmet twist.
📖 Recipe
No-Churn Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
Rich, velvety smooth homemade ice cream with deep chocolate flavor and notes of vanilla, salted caramel, and oak.
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Instructions
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Make the Ice Cream Base: Add half a cup of the heavy cream to a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then sift in the cocoa powder and stir until it is dissolved. Cook until the mixture is warmed through and bubbling (about 1-2 minutes).*Sifting the cocoa is important to prevent clumps in the ice cream later.**Stay with the pot because it will warm up quickly, and you don’t want it to burn
2 ½ cups heavy cream, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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Break the chocolate bar into small pieces and drop them into the saucepan, then stir until melted. Remove from heat.
3 ounces dark chocolate
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Transfer the chocolate mixture into a bowl with the sweetened condensed milk, bourbon, vanilla, instant coffee powder, and sea salt. Stir until uniform and smooth, then set aside to cool.
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 2 teaspoons bourbon whiskey, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 grams instant coffee, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
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Make Whipped Cream: Meanwhile, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer to beat the remaining heavy cream until fluffy with stiff peaks (about six minutes).
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Assemble and Freeze: Fold whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture until uniform then transfer to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer until solid (at least six hours).
Notes
If you don’t have a stand mixer or hand mixer, you can whip the cream in a blender or food processor for about four minutes, or by hand (with a whisk) for about 10 minutes.
Modifications
Use non-dairy sweetened condensed milk, cream, and chocolate to make this recipe vegan.
This recipe doubles and even triples easily, so it’s great for gatherings.
Bourbon helps amplify the chocolate, making it taste richer and adding subtle oak, caramel, and vanilla notes. But you can omit the whiskey and add more vanilla, if you prefer.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to six months. Note that the texture tends to get icy after the first month.
Nutrition
Calories: 481kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 7gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 310mgFiber: 2gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 1226IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 194mgIron: 1mg
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