Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
This homemade chocolate ice cream requires no cooking and no sweetened condensed milk – just simple ingredients and an hour of your time. It’s rich enough to enjoy on its own, but it also shines alongside warm brownies, pies, or cakes.
Ice cream is one of my not‑so‑secret weaknesses. I crave that cold, velvety creaminess, and with an endless option of flavors to explore, I never grow tired of it. This homemade chocolate version, though, is something special. It’s rich without being overwhelming. Follow your ice cream maker’s instructions (every machine has its nuances) but trust me on the ingredients.
What is old-fashioned homemade chocolate ice cream?
Of all the homemade chocolate ice creams I’ve tested, this one is both the richest and the quickest. The secret? A generous amount of eggs, deep brown sugar, rich cocoa powder and absolutely no stovetop cooking – no tempering, no stirring, and no tedious cooling time.
Just whisk together half-and-half, heavy cream, brown sugar (the real flavor hero), white sugar, salt, cocoa, and vanilla, then churn. And don’t forget the rock salt and ice to get that perfect frozen texture.
Why you’ll love this homemade chocolate ice cream
- Equally delicious on its own or paired with just about any dessert you can imagine.
- Just 10 minutes of active prep time yields a rich, creamy treat – perfect for warm summer days.
- No sweetened condensed milk and absolutely no stovetop cooking required.
Ingredients needed to make homemade chocolate ice cream
- Eggs – Beaten. There’s no cooking of eggs in this recipe!
- Half and half – Chilled.
- Whipping cream – Chilled.
- Sugar – Both white and brown sugar.
- Cocoa powder – Adds rich chocolate flavor.
- Salt – Enhances flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla – For delicious depth of flavor.
- Ice and rock salt – For the process of making the ice cream.
How to make this homemade chocolate ice cream recipe
Combine the ingredients
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and beat together on medium with a hand mixer or stand mixer for 1-2 minutes.
Follow ice cream freezer directions
- Fill the ice cream freezer and make according to appliance directions, adding a lot of ice and rock salt until the machine shuts down.
- Immediately remove the paddle and place the lid back on.
- Cover with more ice and a heavy towel until ready to eat (so ice cream continues to freeze and set).
Serving
Serve this homemade chocolate ice cream in a bowl, in a cone, or paired with Chocolate Dump Cake, Cookie Butter Brownies, Triple Chocolate Brownie Pie, Bailey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Chocolate Buttermilk Waffles.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store any leftovers in a covered container in the freezer for up to a month. It’ll keep best in a freezer-safe container with a tightly fitting lid. Scoop and serve as needed!
- Use quality ingredients: Use good-quality cream, cocoa powder, and vanilla for this recipe. Make sure to use real cream and not cream substitutes for the best flavor and texture. You need full-fat ingredients to prevent crystallization.
- Unplug the freezer when done: Make sure when the freezer stops churning, you unplug it! And then, pull out the paddle and place the lid back on, and allow it to continue to freezer (surrounded by ice).
- Best texture and creaminess: Keep the heavy cream chilled until ready to combine with the rest of the ingredients for ultra creamy results.
- Soften before serving: Always allow your frozen ice cream to sit out for 10-15 minutes for easier scooping.
Variations:
- Flavor twists: Add a shot of espresso or coffee extract to enhance the rich chocolate flavor. Mint is also a perfect pairing for chocolate ice cream.
- Other add-ins: Chocolate chips, chopped toasted nuts, crumbled cookies, crumbled brownies, and sweetened cherries are easy mix-ins for a slightly different ice cream.
- Swirls: Swirl in store-bought or homemade dulce de leche for a chocolate caramel ice cream.
For more dreamy creamy ice cream, make sure to try my Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream, Black Cherry Ice Cream, and Strawberry Nutella Ice Cream.
More rich chocolate desserts you may want to try:
Get the Recipe:
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 quart half and half
- 1 quart whipping cream
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 ½ Tbsp. vanilla
- Ice
- Rock salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl; beat together on medium with a hand mixer or stand mixer for 1-2 minutes.
- Fill the ice cream freezer and make according to appliance directions, layering a lot of ice and rock salt, until the machine shuts off.
- Immediately remove the paddle; place the lid back on. Cover with more ice and a heavy towel until ready to eat (so ice cream continues to freeze and set).
Notes
Sandy’s tips:
- Storage: Store any leftovers in a covered container in the freezer for up to a month. It’ll keep best in a freezer-safe container with a tightly fitting lid. Scoop and serve as needed!
- Use quality ingredients: Use good-quality cream, cocoa powder, and vanilla for this recipe. Make sure to use real cream and not cream substitutes for the best flavor and texture. You need full-fat ingredients to prevent crystallization.
- Unplug the freezer when done: Make sure when the freezer stops churning, you unplug it! And then, pull out the paddle and place the lid back on, and allow it to continue to freezer (surrounded by ice).
- Soften before serving: Always allow your frozen ice cream to sit out for 10-15 minutes for easier scooping.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Crazy good!
Raw eggs? 3 raw eggs, beaten? And theres no cooking involved so….isnt that rather dangerous?.
Yes, this recipe has raw eggs. No, it is not dangerous! We’ve been eating this recipe for 50+ years :)
Does the brown sugar blend in with the rest of the ingredients? I have a recipe for Butter Pecan Ice Cream that uses brown sugar but it never seems to blend in. The taste is good but it’s gritty from the sugar.
I’ve never had a problem! Yes, it blends in perfectly.
Can this be made in an old fashioned freezer (electric) that uses rock salt and ice??
Yes, I use an old fahsioned ice cream maker with rock salt and ice. So good!
I really like this recipe and made it for July 4 fun. I used dark chocolate powder and it was a real hit.
Did you warm the milk and temper the eggs or just mix them in with the other ingredients???
Just follow the directions and mix all together! Enjoy!
I made this ice cream and we fell in love . It’s so easy to make and delicious too .it is a favorite go to meal. I will definitely be making it my go to recipe for ice cream. 5+ stars.
I modified my ice cream alittle. Instead of using a quart of half and half and a quart of heavy cream, I used 16 ounces of each, and filled up to the line on my ice cream maker with milk. It turned out really good.
I have a four quart electric freezer. I plan on making this next weekend for a family reunion. I would like to have a full freezer of ice creamer. I think my freezer is maybe four quart. Will this make that full? I know you said do not add more milk. Just wondering.
Right, do not add more milk. You’ll probably be about 3/4 full. ENJOY!
What quantity does this recipe make? I have a 6 qt and a 4 gallon hand crank ice cream freezer. Both of these freezers have been in my family for over 100 years. I’m going to make homemade ice cream next week when my two oldest children graduate from college and we have family together. I’ll make the 4 gallon as vanilla, but I wanted to make the 6 qt as chocolate. Any insights you have about the quantity would be helpful. Thanks. :-)