Making chocolate ice cream at home with an ice cream maker is simple and fun, and with this recipe you’ll get a rich and creamy dark chocolate ice cream, like from the ice cream shop! Chocolate ice cream — as you know — is among the most beloved flavors, if not the most popular with both adults and children. It can be made in many different ways, with or without eggs, with a higher or lower percentage of cream, and using melted chocolate or cocoa powder. I experimented with different combinations and selected the two chocolate ice cream recipes that satisfied me the most.
The chocolate ice cream I’m showing you today is made with equal amounts of cream and milk and using only 70% dark chocolate; it also includes 3 egg yolks. In this way the fat from the cream and the eggs will guarantee a very creamy ice cream, less likely to harden in a home freezer compared to a lighter ice cream, although obviously quite caloric. In the next days I’ll also show another chocolate ice cream recipe with the ice cream maker that’s a bit lighter, made without eggs and with less cream. I must confess, however, that I preferred this one!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Low cost
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 45 Minutes
- Cooking time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 656.23 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 53.38 (g) of which sugars 44.91 (g)
- Proteins 8.60 (g)
- Fat 46.35 (g) of which saturated 12.49 (g)of which unsaturated 8.57 (g)
- Fibers 4.09 (g)
- Sodium 14.25 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 175 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for a creamy chocolate ice cream
If you are celiac, check that the chocolate label indicates “gluten free”.
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 5.3 oz 70% dark chocolate
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream (not sweetened)
- 1 cup whole milk
Tools
- 1 Saucepan heavy-bottomed
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Immersion blender beaker of the hand blender
- 1 Ice cream maker
How to make chocolate ice cream with an ice cream maker
To prepare the chocolate ice cream with an ice cream maker, make the base a few hours in advance so it has time to cool in the refrigerator before being poured into the ice cream maker. This is even more important if you have an ice cream maker with a frozen bowl, which must never be filled with a still-warm mixture, otherwise the ice cream won’t set properly. In that case remember to put the bowl in the freezer at least the night before.
Roughly chop the dark chocolate with a knife (1). Crack the yolks into a bowl and add the sugar (2). A small trick to beat the yolks and sugar well even when using a small amount is to do it in the immersion blender beaker, using a long, light electric whisk such as the ones often supplied with the hand blender itself. Beat them for about 2 minutes, until pale (3). Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the milk with the cream until just about to boil (4). Add the chopped chocolate (5) and melt it over very low heat (6).
Then — and this is the most delicate step in preparing chocolate ice cream with an ice cream maker — slowly pour in the eggs in a thin stream (7), stirring continuously with a whisk or spoon and keeping the heat to a minimum, to avoid curdling the eggs. If you have a kitchen thermometer, you can check that the temperature reaches 185°F and keep it there for at least 3 minutes, so the yolks are pasteurized. If you don’t have one, check that the mixture coats the back of a spoon (8). After the cooking time, turn off the heat. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool. To speed up the process, I placed the bowl inside a larger one filled with ice water (9). Once it reaches room temperature, refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours.
When the mixture has chilled properly, pour it into the ice cream maker bowl (10) and set the most suitable program, following the instructions in your ice cream maker’s manual (11). I, with a self-cooling ice cream maker, usually set a one-hour program, but after 35 minutes I often check the ice cream to see if it’s ready. Typically it takes about 40 minutes, but it depends a lot on the machine and how cold you cooled the base. When your chocolate ice cream is firm and thick you can turn it off (12). Let the chocolate ice cream rest in the freezer in a airtight plastic or metal container for at least 2 hours before enjoying it.
Serve the chocolate ice cream plain or topped with a little whipped cream.
Storing chocolate ice cream
Homemade chocolate ice cream made with an ice cream maker keeps in the freezer for about 1–2 weeks in an airtight container.
To keep it creamy longer:
• Cover the surface with plastic wrap in contact with the ice cream before closing the container
• Use shallow, wide containers (they freeze more evenly)
• Keep it in the coldest part of the freezer, away from the door
Before serving, leave it 5–10 minutes at room temperature to regain the right creaminess.
Tips for always-creamy chocolate ice cream
To get chocolate ice cream with an ice cream maker as creamy as in a gelato shop, follow these key tips:
• Balance sugars and fats: sugar not only sweetens but prevents crystallization
• Use quality dark chocolate (at least 60–70%)
• Always cool the mixture completely in the refrigerator before putting it in the ice cream maker
• Don’t reduce the sugar too much: a low-sugar ice cream will also be harder
• Respect the times of the ice cream maker: under- or over-churning ruins the texture
If the ice cream is hard, the problem is almost always an imbalance between water, sugars and fats.
Mistakes to avoid
Here are the most common mistakes that compromise the success of chocolate ice cream with an ice cream maker:
• Putting the still-warm mixture in the ice cream maker
• Replacing ingredients “at random” (e.g. reducing sugar without rebalancing the recipe)
• Storing the ice cream without an airtight container (leads to ice crystals)
Even just one of these mistakes can make the ice cream icy instead of creamy.
Why chocolate ice cream becomes hard or icy
If your chocolate ice cream with an ice cream maker turns out hard, not very creamy or with ice crystals, the problem is usually not the machine but the balance of the base.
Homemade ice cream contains water, sugars, fats and cocoa solids: if these elements are not balanced, large ice crystals form during freezing, making the ice cream hard and unpleasant.
One of the most common reasons is insufficient sugar: sugar not only sweetens but lowers the freezing point of the mix, keeping it softer even in the freezer. Excess water (for example too much milk compared to cream or chocolate) can also compromise the final texture.
Another frequent mistake is putting the mixture into the ice cream maker before it is completely cold: the base must be well chilled in the refrigerator for several hours, otherwise churning won’t work properly.
Finally, ingredient quality matters a lot: good dark chocolate and a correct fat percentage help obtain a more stable and creamy ice cream.
In short, a creamy chocolate ice cream depends mainly on the balance between sugars, fats and water, more than on the ice cream maker alone.
Why does chocolate ice cream get hard in the freezer?
It usually depends on excess water or too little sugar in the base. Sugar is essential to maintain creaminess.
Can I make chocolate ice cream without an ice cream maker?
Yes, but you’ll need to stir it several times during freezing to break up ice crystals.
Is dark chocolate better or cocoa powder?
Dark chocolate gives a creamier texture, while cocoa powder gives a more intense flavor but a less “ice cream-like” mouthfeel.
How long does homemade ice cream last?
On average 1–2 weeks in the freezer, if stored correctly in an airtight container.
How do you make chocolate ice cream creamier?
By balancing sugars and fats and chilling the mixture well before churning.
