No need for any fancy ice cream machines - this Double Dark Chocolate Ice Cream comes together in minutes with ease. We use two types of chocolate to really emphasize those decadent flavors.
This creamy, rich, no-churn chocolate ice cream only needs a stand/hand mixer to make right at home. It's absolutely delicious on its own, or you can stir in chopped candy bars or chocolate chips for even more indulgence!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $0.78
- Total Cost (about 12 servings): $9.38
- Those Other Guys: $5.49 per serving
Ingredients
- Heavy Whipping Cream - We whip this up using a whisk attachment on our mixer to give the ice cream base a nice, fluffy texture.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - A can of this will provide the perfect amount of sweetness and help the ice cream freeze without turning icy.
- Dark Chocolate Bar - One half of the "double" in double dark chocolate. We're going to melt this and let it cool before swirling into the base.
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder - Dutch-processed cocoa powder is alkaline, which makes it darker in color with a smoother flavor than the regular cocoa powder.
- Espresso Powder - Just a hint of this intensifies the cocoa flavor. No worries, the final product won't taste like coffee.
- Salt - A pinch of salt will balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
Variations and Substitutions
Mix-Ins: Stir in pieces of chopped chocolate bars, chocolate chips, or pretzel pieces to the ice cream base. You could also swirl in some salted caramel throughout the batch.
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream: A classic flavor and one of my personal favorites. Simply stir in chopped chocolate sandwich cookies into the vanilla base.
Birthday Cake Ice Cream: Made with cake batter extract, lots of sprinkles, and pieces of funfetti cake - this ice cream recipe is both festive and delicious!
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream: This one tastes just like frozen strawberry cheesecake! It uses cream cheese in the ice cream base recipe to give it the perfect flavor.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Ice Cream with No Ice Cream Machine
Step 1: To begin, melt a bar of dark chocolate and then stir in cocoa powder and espresso powder. Let cool.
Step 2: Whip up heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt until medium peaks form. Stir in the cooled melted chocolate and sweetened condensed milk.
Step 3: Add the ice cream base to a loaf pan. If using any mix-ins, fold those in here.
Step 4: Finally, wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for at least 6 hours, and enjoy!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Bloom the powders. We stir in the cocoa and espresso powder into the hot melted chocolate so they "bloom". This enhances their flavor and helps avoid a gritty ice cream.
- Chill your tools. Add your whisk attachment and mixing bowl to the freezer for about 5 minutes before whipping the heavy cream. This keeps everything nice and cold!
- Don't overmix the cream. If you use too high of a speed to mix the cream, your whipped cream can curdle. To stabilize the whipped cream and get it nice and smooth again, simply fold in a little more cold heavy cream by hand using a spatula until it evens out. Be gentle!
- Be patient. Be sure to let the ice cream set fully. Six hours in the freezer is the absolute minimum, but I always recommend overnight for best results.
Recipe FAQs
This usually happens due to overmixing. You can pour in just a little bit of cold heavy cream into the bowl, and gently hand-fold it into the curdled whipped cream using a spatula until it smooths out. I also recommend placing your mixing bowl and tools into the freezer before whipping cream to keep everything as cold as possible.
Yes! You can use agave or sugar as the compote sweetener. Grab your favorite vegan chocolate bar to melt.
In addition, you can find non-dairy heavy cream and vegan sweetened condensed coconut milk in the grocery store, or make your own using oat or almond milk.
This usually happens because the cocoa powder hasn't dissolved properly.
To avoid, make sure you add both the cocoa and espresso powder to the melted chocolate, and stir well.
Not at all! While many recipes (especially those that require an ice cream maker) call for milk or eggs, my no-churn ice cream recipe doesn't need either of those.
I like to store in deli containers if the ice cream will be eaten within a week, or add it to an airtight container and it will keep for up to 3 weeks.
Other Chocolate Dessert Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this No-Churn Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Double Dark Chocolate Ice Cream (No-Churn)
Equipment
- Small Bowl (for melting chocolate)
- Mixing Bowl
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer
- Can Opener
- Whisk Attachment
- Wooden Spoon
- Loaf Pan
- Plastic Wrap
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate bar
- ¼ cup unsweetened, dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Place your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer.
- Gently melt the chocolate bar using a microwave or double boiler. Using a microwave? Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, to avoid burning the chocolate.3.5 ounces dark chocolate bar
- Whisk the cocoa powder and espresso powder into the melted chocolate.This "blooms" the powders, allowing them to dissolve fully. It also enhances the chocolate flavor.¼ cup unsweetened, dutch-processed cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- Let the melted chocolate cool before moving to the next step.
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the cold mixing bowl.1 pint heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 pinch salt
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the cream mixture with a whisk attachment until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes on low speed.
- Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate mixture using a wooden spoon. The mixture should be thin and silky smooth.14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Add the mixture to a 9x5 loaf pan.
- Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for at least 4 hours (but overnight is best.) Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think!