3-Ingredient Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
With this 3-Ingredient chocolate ice cream recipe, you can make ice cream that is smooth, creamy, and full of dark chocolate flavor — and you don't need an ice cream machine to make it. Though making ice cream may seem like a complicated process, according to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, whipping up a batch of no-churn ice cream is much easier than you might realize. It's based on the chemistry between 2 simple ingredients, which are probably in your kitchen right now, and which, when combined, allow the ice cream to freeze to the perfect rich and melty texture.
In our recipe, we take this simple formula and add in as much dark chocolate flavor as it can handle, for the ultimate 3-ingredient chocolate ice cream with wonderfully chocolatey flavor and a delicious mix of smooth, creamy, and flaky texture. Whether it's served in glass cups or in homemade waffle cones, this ice cream might be every chocolate lover's dream come true. So why not make a batch now to celebrate the end of summer?
Gather the ingredients for this chocolate ice cream
To make this easy no-churn chocolate ice cream, you'll need heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, and dark chocolate. When choosing your chocolate, opt for a rich bar with at least 70% cacao.
Step 1: Melt chocolate
Melt 4 ounces of the dark chocolate in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring between, until smooth. Let it cool slightly.
Step 2: Whip heavy cream
In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Step 3: Mix the condensed milk and chocolate
In a separate bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk with the melted chocolate until fully combined and smooth.
Step 4: Fold chocolate into whipped cream
Gently fold the chocolate-condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream, combining thoroughly but keeping it light and airy.
Step 5: Chop the remaining chocolate
Chop the remaining 2 ounces of dark chocolate into small chunks. Fold most of the chunks into the ice cream mixture, reserving some for topping.
Step 6: Pour the ice cream into a container
Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container and smooth the top.
Step 7: Freeze the ice cream
Cover the container tightly and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm.
Step 8: Serve the chocolate ice cream
Before serving, grate more chocolate on top for extra texture.
What pairs well with chocolate ice cream?
3-Ingredient Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
With only 3 ingredients you can whip up the most perfectly creamy, deeply chocolatey triple chocolate ice cream, all without the need of an ice cream maker.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 6 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao or your preference), divided
Directions
- Melt 4 ounces of the dark chocolate in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring between, until smooth. Let it cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk with the melted chocolate until fully combined and smooth.
- Gently fold the chocolate-condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream, combining thoroughly but keeping it light and airy.
- Chop the remaining 2 ounces of dark chocolate into small chunks. Fold most of the chunks into the ice cream mixture, reserving some for topping.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container and smooth the top.
- Cover the container tightly and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm.
- Before serving, grate more chocolate on top for extra texture.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 652 |
| Total Fat | 46.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 28.8 g |
| Trans Fat | 1.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 113.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 51.3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 45.1 g |
| Sodium | 111.1 mg |
| Protein | 9.7 g |
What's the secret behind this 3-ingredient ice cream?
The secret to this chocolate ice cream lies in the precise chemical interaction between whipped heavy cream and condensed milk. When heavy cream is whipped to stiff peaks, it incorporates air bubbles that create the light, creamy texture that an ice cream machine usually gives. The condensed milk acts both as a natural antifreeze, preventing the formation of large ice cream crystals, as well as adding richness and stability to the ice cream batter itself. Fold those ingredients together, and add to them a melted rich, high-cacao dark chocolate bar, and you've got yourself a base that remains creamy even when frozen.
But the real magic occurs when you let the mixture chill in the freezer. Give it at least six hours, and don't rush the process. During this time, the whipped air bubbles stabilize and join with the fats from the cream and chocolate. The whole concoction melds together into a creamy, luxurious scoop.
Are there ways to make this ice cream even more chocolate-forward?
This chocolate ice cream is already laden with chocolate, both in the batter and in the folded-in chunks. But if you want to give it even more nuance and to heighten the chocolate flavor, we have some suggestions to get you started.
First off, you can increase the chocolate percentage. If you like your ice cream darker, use a chocolate bar with up to 85% cacao, which produces an ice cream with a more intense, slightly bitter flavor. You can also add a splash of chocolate liqueur into the mix with the condensed milk and melted chocolate, but don't add more than 1 ounce to avoid altering the texture. A tablespoon of unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder can also work magic to deepen the flavor. For added texture, fold in chopped miniature chocolate bars like Kit Kat, Twix, Cadbury, or Milky Way.
You can even add in pieces of milk and white chocolate to create some contrast in the ice cream. For chocolate swirls, reserve some melted chocolate and drizzle it through the mixture before freezing, then gently swirl it with a knife for a marbled pattern. This is especially pretty if you use different colors of chocolate for this.