Rich and creamy old-fashioned chocolate ice cream topped with a simple red wine chocolate ganache and finished off with whipped cream and a cherry. This easy dessert is perfect for your Valentine’s or Galentine’s celebration!

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Well, I’m doing it again. Sharing more and more Valentine’s-inspired desserts, despite my distaste for the holiday. I used to love it as a kid, then once everyone started pairing off, I hated it. I felt so left out of the relationship/romantic aspect of the holiday. It suddenly felt so lonely, like I was being shamed for not being in a relationship. When I did have boyfriends or dates, it felt tacky. The decorations, the overpriced menus, the expectation to go out and be all touchy feely.

It just felt so lame and depressing.

But now I’ve decided I don’t have to do those things. I can simple embrace things like celebrating everyone I love—from my husband to my daughter to my female friends, making heart shaped cookies with my daughter, and even indulging in treats like red wine chocolate ganache (for adults only).

Because it’s on-theme and delicious (and never tacky).

Why this recipe works

First, the ice cream. 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!

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.

Second, the red wine chocolate ganache. Wow. I made it on a whim years ago and was hooked. It’s incredibly easy to make, with only two ingredients, and has a lovely flavor. The entire recipe only uses about half a glass of wine, so it’s not super boozy like some recipes can be. Instead, it just has a great flavor that makes this sundae deliciously indulgent.

Third, the ease. Both the ice cream and ganache can be made 1-2 weeks in advance (the ice cream lasts for a couple months, but there’s always a high probability it’ll be eaten before then). That means you just need whipped cream, which is quick to whip up (pun intended). So you can have a lovely date or fun girls outing then end your day by throwing together this amazing sundae.

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. This will go into the ice cream and the whipped cream topping.

Powdered sugar. Also called confectioner’s or icing sugar. This is only for the whipped cream topping.

Red wine chocolate ganache. This sauce is SOOOO good. It’s just chocolate chips and red wine, but

Maraschino cherries. These are optional, but why not??

Crushed peanuts. I left these off because I didn’t want the flavor to overpower the ganache.

How to make a red wine chocolate sundae

Make the 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.

Make the toppings

9. Combine chocolate chips and red wine. I prefer a sweeter red wine for this sauce, but any will do.

10. Heat until mostly melted. Whether using the microwave or a double boiler, it’s important to heat ganache slowly with low heat, stir frequently, and stop heating it when it’s 75% melted. Then, stir until fully smooth.

11. Make the whipped cream. This should be done relatively close to serving so it doesn’t deflate and separate. Just combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat (by hand or with beaters) on high until soft peaks form.

Serve and enjoy!

Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe

Is this enough for several people?

This recipe will make enough ice cream for 12 half-cup servings but only enough ganache and whipped cream for about 4-6 sundaes (depending how much you like). If you are serving more than 4-6 people or want an over-the-top sundae (no shame—same here!), then double the ganache and whipped cream recipes.

*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, you’ll have to freeze it with the mix-ins, so either option works just fine.

Can I make this without eggs?

Yes! I personally prefer the taste of egg-based vanilla 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.

The ganache can be made 1-2 weeks ahead and reheated over low heat or in a microwave at half power.

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)

Ice cream spade or scoop

Mesh sieve (in case some egg scrambles as you temper it)

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Coffee Mudslide Ice Cream Sandwiches

Chocolate S’mores Ice Cream

German Chocolate Ice Cream

Dark Chocolate Orange Ice Cream

Triple Chocolate Red Wine Cake