Chocolate Ice Cream
Oh.My.God. In his prologue to this recipe in The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovitz says that when he first made this ice cream it was so good he licked the dasher clean when it was done churning. I may have done him one better. After licking the dasher clean, I took a spoon to clean up all the bits of ice cream that were still frozen to the sides of the bowl and hadn’t made it into the freezer container. This is, without question, the absolute best chocolate ice cream I have ever eaten. And I certainly have eaten enough to guarantee that the previous statement is statistically accurate. Smooth, creamy, and the most intense chocolate flavor you will ever find in a chocolate ice cream.
Let’s talk about the chocolate, shall we? This recipe calls for Dutch-process cocoa powder*, which adds a tremendous amount of depth and richness to this ice cream. I believe it’s a drastically improved flavor over what you would get using a regular unsweetened cocoa powder. The recipe then gives the option of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and I used 60% bittersweet. I love dark chocolate and it definitely added an extra oomph of richness to the ice cream. I really just can’t say enough about the incredible flavor of this ice cream and I think the Dutch-process cocoa and the bittersweet chocolate is a stellar combination.
And now, on to the texture. This is the first time I have made ice cream using egg yolks to thicken the custard and I’ve been officially converted. While the other ice creams I’ve made have had a nice texture, this ice cream is completely unmatched. It is unbelievably smooth and creamy, and you can run a spoon through it straight from the freezer like you’re cutting butter. Absolutely superb.
And now I need your help. I am in need of a quality ice cream scoop. I want the pretty round scoops. Does anyone have any recommendations? I recently saw the Rösle ice cream scoop received high praise from Cook’s Illustrated, but am interested in hearing about any that you use and love. Thanks for the input!
*I typically can’t find Dutch-process cocoa powder in the regular grocery stores in my area; if you’re in the same boat, you can easily order it online. I have ordered it both from Penzeys and Amazon with no problem. I would highly recommend getting it, as you can use it in many other chocolate baked goods as well. Penzeys offers smaller quantities, so if you just want to try it out, you can get a small bag of it through them for a much lower cost.
Want more ice cream? Check out the Blueberry Cheesecake and Classic Vanilla recipes.
Don’t forget! If you’re dying to make homemade ice cream and cursing yourself for not having an ice cream maker, head straight to this tutorial on how to make homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker!
One year ago: Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
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Chocolate Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.
2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
3. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)
(From The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz)
I used bittersweet chocolate and I zest the chocolate bars till very fine like sawdust and it was literally melting in my fingers. So I thought you might want my feedback, to avoid this, I think before zesting the chocolate, it would be better to put them in the freezer first till totally frozen before zesting :-)
Thanks for answering my previous question, I have one more question, can I add the egg yolk to the heavy cream that has already cooled down if I used pasteurized eggs.
Hi John, No, you still need to cook the eggs as indicated in the recipe. Cooking them thickens the mixture into a custard. If you don’t do this, you will end up with a very thin mixture that may not churn up into a true, thick ice cream.
If I use honey instead of sugar, will it change the recipe taste significantly?
Hi John, Yes, using honey in place of the sugar will definitely change the taste and it will also change the texture of the ice cream. I wouldn’t recommend that substitution due to how much sugar is used.
Ok, so my ice cream has yet to be churned but it already taste amazing!! I can not imagine how delicious this will be once it is churned in my ice cream maker. I agree with the above comment. If you want creamy ice cream, using a custard base is the only way to go. Without the eggs, it’s essentially and ice milk….yuck!
This looks delish, but – if I want to make 4 quarts, then that means 20 eggs and I just can’t imagine using that many. It would taste too eggy, then (IMO). Has anyone made a gallon of this and if so, did you augment (reduce) the number of eggs, or did you use the full 20? My husband and I don’t like eggy-tasting ice cream (otherwise known as custar). I need to know before tomorrow (planning on making this for Saturday, July 7th. I want it to ‘cure’ in the freezer for a day or so). Thank you for taking the time to reply! :0)
In my personal opinion, custard-based ice creams (which is any ice cream base made with egg yolks) taste a million times better – they’re creamy, rich and smooth. If you like this ice cream as-is, it’s not going to taste any different if you scale it up. Yes, it’s 20 egg yolks, but you’re increasing all of the other ingredients by the same amount, so it shouldn’t be an issue at all. This is by far the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had, so I highly recommend it. It does not taste “eggy”. If this concerns you, be sure that you don’t ignore the step of straining the custard through a fine mesh sieve – this will ensure that any little bits of cooked egg in the pan don’t make it into your ice cream.
Excellent recipe…… and my husband says that it is beyond excellent!
I have never commented on any recipe I have ever tried, no matter how amazing. HOWEVER!!!!! I made this ice cream with my new KA ice cream attachment for my very first batch of homemade ice cream. Words can not express how amazingly delicious, smooth, rich, creamy and chocolaty this ice cream was! I was texting my mom until 1 am about this ice cream. I took it to work and didn’t tell anyone, since there wasn’t enough for everyone. Word got around fastanyways! The whole container was devoured, even by people who don’t like chocolate! Every bite makes you love it even more. Seriously- USE THIS RECIPE!!!!!
its me again and i just want to say the picture speaks for its self, it was so good.
it was sooooooo amazing i cant wait to make it again
I made this today. It is a little time consuming, but will worth it.
I made 3 variations. 1) I didn’t have bitter of semisweet chocolate, but I have a big block of some REALLY good milk chocolate. 2) With the first cup of cream and dutch cocoa, I added about 2 tablespoons of coconut cream. 3) I toasted about 3/4C almond slivers and added as I poured the custard into the churn.
This is without a doubt the creamiest textured ice cream I’ve ever had. My wife has never liked homemade ice cream because she says it is gritty/grainy. This smooth and creamy. Better than my Haagen Dazs.
Your adaptations sound absolutely amazing! Delicious!
We just made this and, though I hate to say it, the chocolate is almost overpowering. It’s very, very rich. Also, in our batch, the texture is more like that of a gelato and not as firm as an ice cream. We’re going to try another batch, but this time leave out the chocolate and only use the cocoa.
Just made this for my family and it was AMAZING! Everyone loved how chocolate and creamy it was. Absolutely the best! Can’t wait to try the other recipes!
Delicious! I used my KitchenAid for the first time as a overachiever newlywed and it turned out so fine, chocolatey and creamy! I used the 5 egg yolks for a gelato recipe from someone on the food network who thinks she is Italian but lives in LA and wears extremely lowcut shirts and it was flavorless. But yours was so great for Easter dessert!
Definitely Zerol make the best scoopers. Others such as the Pampered Chef with the liquid in the handle are knock offs of the Zerol. Probably made by Zerol. But Zerol is the original heat transfer scooper and used by many shops. They are color coded as per size and they have different shapes such as ball, round, and flat for gelato.
I also find Zerol cheaper than otehr brands since you are buying direct form Zerol and not from a 3rd party such as pampered chef. Just visit your local restaurant supplier and they should have a line of Zerol scoopers available.
well i taught dis was yum!!! tasted grate and wen i ate it i cut my fingers on da churner because i had to eat it LOL!!!
it was delish. but couldn’t find da cocoa power (Duch) anywere! LOL so i used unsweetend CAbury powder LOL yeah so u shood make it! LOL yeah so i may got bluud in the churner thing but tasted delish and added texture and flavour! Great job! I thoroughly enjoyed making this delicious treat to share with my family and friends! Thank you. – Mr. Japoor
This looks SO GOOD!!! I will definitely make some and keep visiting this site! Thanks!!
Hi, I am planning on making this today and I was wondering how long to chill it in the fridge for before pouring in the machine??
Thanks!
I’ve always heard at least 4 hours but up to 24 hours.
Hi Ryley, At least 8 hours, or overnight.
Hi Michelle,
I’ve never made homemade ice cream before and I’m excited to try this recipe along with the help of your “how to make homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker” post. The chocolate ice cream looks absolutely divine in your photo! But before I can begin my ice cream endeavor I have a question, all I have at home is regular dutch processed cocoa powder, i don’t have unsweetened dutch cocoa powder. Can I use the dutch powder that I already have or must I go buy the unsweetened?
Hi Aimee, Does your dutch cocoa powder specifically say “sweetened”? If it doesn’t, it probably is actually unsweetened. If it is indeed sweetened, you’ll need to go with the unsweetened.
Thanks so much Michelle, I went through with the Dutch cocoa powder I already had and it was an absolute success! I was thrilled that everything worked out and the chocolate ice cream turned out very rich in flavor- utterly delicious! Thanks again!
I have gone through so many so called “perfect” recipes for chocolate ice cream. But either the texture didn’t suite my taste or the flavor lacked intensity. So in order to be cheap I decided to be “smart” and 3rd the recipe so if it turned out to be “meh” it’s not a big loss of my fairly expensive dutch coco and chocolate.
Quiet possibly the dumbest mistake I’ve made in the kitchen. It’s sooooo creamy and inteansly chocolaty and rich and ……I’ll stop….
I have just enough for a small serving but once thats gone I’ll defiently be making another batch of this.
I’ve never been a huge fan of chocolate ice cream myself, but when I read his prologue of the recipe, I knew I had to try it. The ice creams that I make usually last 1 week or more in the freezer. This one lasts 2 days. When I’ve made it, my family takes two scoops each as dessert after lunch and dinner. We most absolutely love it!
This looked so fabulous that I had to try it. It was the first recipe I made with my new ice cream attachment for my K.A. Instead of milk, I used 1/2 &1/2 (how did that change the recipe?). Also, I have no idea which cocoa is “dutch process”; I used Hersey’s. I used Ghirardeli semi sweet chocolate chips. Also I don’t know how I did it, but I totally forgot the vanilla! This ice cream is rich, creamy, thick, lucious.Beats any ice cream I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Cindy, Using half and half in place of whole milk would just create a creamier, richer custard base (um, yum!). Also, Dutch-processed cocoa can be ordered through King Arthur Flour, Penzeys, Amazon and a number of other online retailers. (I get mine from Penzeys). I’m glad you enjoyed the ice cream!
they also have it at World Market shops!
Michelle: I am being a pain in the neck tonight posting all over your terrific site, but I wanted to make one more recommndation. I use Pernagotti’s dutch process cocoa powder. Unbelievable smooth, intense choclate flavor with ground vanilla in it. In my humble opinion there is simply nothing that even compares. Once you try it, I guarantee you’ll be hooked. It works well in every recipe requiring chocolate I’ve tried. And that range is wide from ice cream to cakes and so on. I even used it to mix with chipotle, and pork spices to make a pork rub for ribs. It was mind blowing to say the least. Available @
http://chefshop.com/Pernigotti-Cocoa-Powder-Italy-P6637.aspx at about 22.50 for a 2.2 lb bag. WELL worth the money. It’s Italian!!! It HAS to be good!!!
I just made this. Without an ice cream maker. And it is (I have the bowl next to me as I type) the best chocolate ice cream I have ever tasted. I followed the suggestions for making the ice cream with no ice cream maker, and it came out so smoothly, better than any ice cream I’ve ever had anywhere. It’s the perfect Valentine’s day dessert.
Just got this out of the KA and WOW! Such a great, creamy texture!! The dutch process/bittersweet combo is amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
OMG, I made this today, and I totally agree this is the best ice cream I have ever tasted…..it’s still not completely frozen and already the kids, hubby and I can’t seems to leave it alone…..i think by the time it is done, half of it will be done. It is so smooth!!! I love your website!!! Great pics, and u and I must have the same taste buds, b/c I love everything that u have posted. Keep up the great work!!!
Jujey – Thanks for coming back to share your results – I am a total slave to this ice cream too – intoxicating! And thank you for the kind words about the site – much appreciated!
I will definitly try to make this icecream these days. I looks absolutely delicious!
Oh.my.god. You’re right! It was, hands down, the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever made. I did as you did – licked the dasher, and squeaked every last bit out of the chilling bowl (or whatever you call that thing). Thanks! I’m taking this recipe to Beersheba this summer.
I don’t have an ice cream maker ~ but my mom does. :) We may just have to take a grocery bag up to Grammie’s house and make some of this. Chocolate is my FAVORITE ice cream.
Hi Joshua,
I’m sorry to hear that the custard didn’t quite turn out for you. As far as “scraping” the egg mixture back into the saucepan – it is not thick at this point, but the instructions say scrape merely to stress that you should get all of the mixture back into the pan and not leave any in the bowl. It should not be grainy; the only thing I can think of is perhaps the heat wasn’t up high enough to actually cook the custard and thicken it, but rather was just heating it and it never came together. The next time I make ice cream I will definitely take a picture of this step.
-Michelle
I was also confused about the ‘custard’ part. How thick was is supposed to get? I was worried about overcooking and making scrambled eggs out of the whole thing- but of course worried about undercooking…. I don’t feel like I got enough volume out of the whole mixture (it only filled about half the maker?), so now I’m certian that I didn’t do the custard part correctly. I felt that my spatula was lightly coated with the ‘custard,’ but should it have been as thick as, say, a pudding?
Hi Laura, It should not be as thick as pudding, but it will thicken enough so that it clings to the back of a spoon and not just run off. The mixture should not fill the entire ice cream maker, as it grows in volume when it’s churned. In the future, you should try to use an instant-read digital thermometer. The custard is done when it reaches 170 to 175 degrees F. You can then see what the accompanying consistency is like.
can you make a video for this on youtube or something? it’s my first time using the ice cr3eam maker and i’m having a hard time thinking of what everything is.
I just made this icecream and couldnt figure out the part where you have to scrape the egg yolks back into the saucepan. My wasnt thick enoguh to scrape and then the mixture of milk, sugar and salt and egg yolks never got thick enough to cover the spatula until it was all grainy. Is that the way it suppose to look perhaps maybe you could take a picture of what your end result of egg yolks, milk, salt, sugar looks like before pouring into strainer.
Thanks for posting this. I had been on the fence about buying this book but after now making this recipe, I’ve fallen off on the BUY IT side.