Old-Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream
This old-fashioned chocolate ice cream made uses a classic custard base, is flavored with both cocoa and melted chocolate, and can be slow churned or made with a simple no-churn method! It’s far easier than you’d think and yields that same creamy, rich chocolate flavor of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor!
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This recipe is for my husband. While I want as many mix-ins and toppings, textures and flavors as I can cram into my ice cream (or any dessert), he’s a plain chocolate kinda guy. His ice cream go-to is chocolate with marshmallow sauce (which happens to be the first thing we ever bonded over, our love of marshmallow sauce).
So even though I feel rather basic sharing a plain chocolate ice cream recipe, I also think it’s worth it. Because this ice cream is amazing. It’s extra chocolatey, thanks to using cocoa powder and melted chocolate. And it’s oh-so-creamy thanks to a very easy custard base and using an effortless slow churner.
And if you’re like me, feel free to make this the base for an epic chocolate on chocolate sundae.
Why this recipe works
My favorite part about this ice cream is that nothing in it is labor intensive or difficult to make. You can actually make it a no-churn ice cream (see notes below) to speed up the process. There’s about 10 minutes or so of cooking and stirring, followed by some chilling (go do something fun and congratulate yourself on being awesome), followed by about 20-30 minutes of slow-churning (or about 10 minutes of no-churn whipping and folding). Done!
The ice cream base uses eggs—but don’t let that scare you! It’s very, very simple to make as long as you can whisk quickly. This creates the creamiest possible ice cream. In fact, when the custard is chilled, it’s almost mousse-like and is so silky and rich. Additionally, the use of cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips in the ice cream gives an incredible depth of chocolate flavor and creamy texture.
Although I include instructions for making this a no-churn ice cream, I highly suggest slow churning if possible. You’d be surprised how fast it goes, and there’s no work involved—just press start. Depending on your machine, you may need to freeze an insert or get some ice or rock salt, so plan ahead. It will be worth it, though! Slow churning gets a much, much better flavor and texture.
Key ingredients
Egg yolks. Don’t be intimidated! Using egg yolks is fairly quick and makes the ice cream just so, so creamy and delicious.
Sugar. Granulated is used. When you whisk it with the yolks, it will be lumpy at first, but keep whisking, as the sugar will melt and become fluffy.
Whole milk. Try to use regular whole milk instead of nonfat. You won’t actually save very many calories per serving using nonfat here, and it’s much creamier with whole.
Cocoa powder. Use unsweetened, since you already have plenty of sugar here.
Vanilla extract. Use pure vanilla, not imitation.
Chocolate chips. You can also use chopped baking chocolate.
Heavy cream. Use heavy whipping cream (also called double cream), not just whipping cream.
How to make old-fashioned chocolate ice cream
1. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. At first it’ll be goopy and lumpy and seem like it can’t be whisked. Just keep going and the sugar will melt then it’ll all turn fluffy and pale. You should be able to pull the whisk up and create ribbons that stay visible for a few seconds.
2. Heat milk, vanilla, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium, until steam comes off and bubbles begin to form along the edges.
3. Temper the milk into the eggs. I always temper all of my milk to be safe. Pour slowly and whisk the eggs quickly. Then pour it all back into the saucepan.
4. Heat until thickened. It should be able to coat the back of a spoon (meaning if you run your finger on the custard on the back of your spatula, it leaves a distinct line that doesn’t fill in). I usually cook it until it resembles instant pudding before it’s been chilled.
5. Melt in chocolate chips. Stir well so they’re fully melted.
6. Add heavy cream then chill. You can add the heavy cream later, if needed. But adding it right after cooking tends to stop the cooking process and ensure no scrambled eggs. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the custard to prevent a film forming while it cools. It needs at least an hour to chill.
7. Churn ice cream. Stir well then churn according to your manufacturer’s directions. Be sure you have enough ice or have frozen it long enough, per direction. (*See note below for making this without an ice cream maker, i.e. no-churn.)
8. Freeze. It needs at least 3-4 hours to freeze, ideally overnight.
Enjoy!
I highly suggest pairing with one of my cakes (especially chocolate). You can also sandwich it between any one of my cookies! My favorite is browned butter espresso chocolate chip!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
*How do I make this a no-churn ice cream?
It’s so simple! Instead of combining the custard and cream then churning, you’ll beat the cream to soft peaks then fold it into the custard in three additions. It will basically be a mousse at this point, so you’ll have to freeze it, unlike slow-churned ice cream that is a soft serve consistency when freshly churned. However, most people prefer fully frozen ice cream, so I don’t really feel the time is that different for either option.
Can I make this without eggs?
Yes! I personally prefer the taste of egg-based ice creams, but you can make this recipe by using one 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk instead of the egg yolks, milk, and sugar (so replacing the custard). You’ll simply melt the chocolate chips and let them cool slightly, the vanilla, and the cocoa powder into the sweetened condensed milk in a large mixing bowl. The replaces the custard, so you can then either add the heavy cream and churn with an ice cream maker or follow the no-churn option above.
What if my eggs scrambled?
Sometimes, the eggs scramble just a bit. If they’ve scrambled a lot, with large chunks of egg, you should start over. However, if you’re unsure or think you see some tiny egg bits, just use a large fine mesh sieve to strain the custard before chilling. It’ll remove any egg that didn’t temper properly.
What if the chocolate didn’t fully melt?
Personally, I don’t see this as a problem, since you now have teeny tiny flecks of chocolate in your ice cream. However, you can easily just strain it through a large fine mesh sieve to remove these bits. If you still see nearly whole chocolate chips or chunks, you probably need to heat it for longer to help those melt.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! That’s the beauty of homemade ice cream—you can make it days before you need it and it will still be just as delicious. You can also split up your work to make life easier, making the custard the day before churning it. The chocolate custard for the ice cream must be churned within a day of making it, but once it’s churned, you can keep it for at least a month in the freezer, depending on your freezer and the container it’s in.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making ice cream. Affiliate links provided.
Ice cream maker (or stand mixer or handheld mixer)
Ice cream container (or use a 8x4 loaf pan or 9x5 loaf pan)
Mesh sieve (in case some egg scrambles as you temper it)
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream
- prep time: 10-15 minutes
- chill time: 1 hour
- churn time: about 30 minutes
- freeze time: 4-8 hours
- total time: 9 hours, 45 minutes
servings: about 12 (½ cup servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (480g) heavy whipping cream
- 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) whole milk
- ¼ cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- ⅔ cup (4 ounces or 113g) chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate
- ice cream maker, prepped per directions (optional–see no-churn option above)*
Instructions:
- Follow your ice cream maker’s directions to prepare it for use, which could include placing the bowl in the freezer for up to 24 hours*.
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until pale frothy, 2-3 minutes. At first it may seem thick and clumpy, but keep going until the sugar melts and it becomes pale and frothy. Set aside.
- Combine the whole milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and pinch sea salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to steam and small bubbles begin to form along the edge of the pan.
- Temper the milk into the eggs by very, very slowly streaming the milk into the eggs while whisking the eggs very quickly. Be sure to whisk constantly and quickly as you do this to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Once all of the milk has been added to the eggs, scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula (be sure to get to the edges and corners), until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should feel thicker as you stir, as well.
- Add the chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate and stir until the chocolate is mostly melted. Remove the pan from the burner and continue stirring until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Pour into a medium bowl (the bowl the eggs were in works just fine). Stir in the heavy cream to help cool it down and stop the cooking process. Cover well and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
- Once the custard is cooled, follow your manufacturer’s directions to churn the ice cream. Don’t overmix.
- Once it is churned, pour into a 9x5 loaf pan or an ice cream container. Cover well to avoid freezer burn or it adopting tastes from the freezer.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. You may need to let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes before scooping.
Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Ice cream should last at least 1-2 months, but this can vary depending on your freezer and how well-sealed it is.