Best Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
Updated Sep 29, 2026
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Rich, ultra-creamy, and chocolatey — this is the best homemade chocolate ice cream recipe ever! It’s easy to make with only 7 ingredients (including two forms of chocolate), has a rich chocolate flavor and is just as good as any ice cream shop!
We love making ice cream! It’s a fun and delicious process — and nothing beats homemade! Which is why I am sharing my recipe for the best homemade chocolate ice cream ever!
This chocolate ice cream is irresistibly creamy and made with two forms of chocolate for a deep rich flavor. It’s not overly sweet, and is just as delicious (maybe even more-so) than your favorite ice cream shop! Serve it alongside a slice of favorite chocolate cake, a piece of this giant cookie cake or eat it all by itself!
My family loved this, even going as far as saying it was the best chocolate ice cream they’d ever had. It was velvety delicious with a rich chocolate taste.
– Sam
Chocolate Ice Cream Ingredient & Substitutions
- Heavy cream. There really isn’t an adequate substitution for heavy cream. It gives the ice cream it’s ultra-creamy texture.
- Cocoa powder. If you’re into very dark chocolate ice cream, try using dark cocoa powder.
- Semisweet chocolate. I use 60% dark chocolate chips to make this recipe. Use whatever percentage you prefer—just know that milk chocolate will result in a sweeter ice cream and the darker the chocolate the more intense the chocolate flavor will be.
- Whole milk. Half and half is an acceptable substitute for whole milk!
- Granulated sugar. There’s really no substitute here! I use organic cane sugar or regular white sugar.
- Egg yolks. Another critical ingredient that contributes to the creaminess, don’t leave them out!
- Vanilla extract. Vanilla beans (seeded) or vanilla bean paste can be used in place of extract.
Equipment
Here is the gear you will need to make this chocolate ice cream recipe!
- Ice Cream Maker (I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker. If I was going to buy a new one, I’d get this ice cream maker).
- Saucepan
- Fine mesh metal strainer
- wire whisk
- Batter bowl with lid
- Freezer-friendly ice cream container
How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream
Making this homemade chocolate ice cream recipe involves a few steps—plus some chilling and freezing—but it’s well worth the time it takes to make the best chocolate ice cream ever! We’ll walk through the process together step-by-step, but don’t forget to watch the video!
The first step in making this recipe is to make the chocolate base. Begin by whisking together the cream and cocoa powder. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and boil/simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.
Then, remove the chocolate/cream mixture from the heat and add chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Then add the remaining cream and whisk to combine.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl and position a fine mesh strainer over it. This strainer will be used to strain the custard part of the chocolate ice cream recipe. It’s absolutely critical.
What if I don’t have a fine Metal strainer?
A nut milk bag or tea towel would work fine, but a fine mesh metal strainer is a kitchen must-have for sure, I use it almost every day.
Make the Custard
Next we will make the custard component of this chocolate ice cream recipe. To do this, we need to temper the eggs so they don’t cook when they’re added to the warm milk mixture. Begin by whisking the egg yolks together in a medium bowl.
Then, in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together milk, sugar and sea salt and heat until it’s slightly warm.
Once the milk mixture is slightly warm, add ½ cup of warm (not hot) milk to the beaten egg yolks and whisk to combine.
Then add the milk/egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking as it’s being added.
Continue to cook the custard over medium heat, and stir the mixture constantly with a spatula until the it thickens and coats the spatula (it does this when it reaches about 170°F (77°C).
Pour the thickened custard through the metal strainer into the other ingredients in the bowl. Stir until combined. Discard any custard residue left on the strainer.
Chill the Chocolate Ice Cream Mixture
Then, add the vanilla and stir to combine. Place a lid on top and let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Churn the Chocolate Ice Cream
Once the ice cream mixture is chilled completely, churn it in an ice cream maker until thick and frozen (30-40 minutes).
For easy churning
Turn the ice cream maker on before pouring the chilled chocolate ice cream mixture into the machine. This will ensure that the ice cream doesn’t freeze too fast in one place and make it hard to churn.
Freeze the Chocolate Ice Cream
Transfer the chocolate ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 6 hours. As you can see in the photo below, it is not fully frozen at the end of churning, you really do need to let it freeze in the container until hardened.
Favorite Ice Cream Containers:
Here are some of my favorite storage containers for ice cream:
How to Store Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
Store homemade chocolate ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. You may need to remove the container about 5 minutes before scooping and serving so it can soften.
More Delicious Frozen Treats
Cool down with these homemade frozen desserts.
- This ice cream cake is more delicious than DQ.
- Just like these chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches better than DQ chipped sammies.
- Homemade popsicles are way better than store-bought!
- Frozen chocolate dipped bananas are so refreshing and nostalgic – or try them with peanut butter.
- Or make a milkshake in one of three flavors – chocolate milkshake, strawberry milkshake or vanilla milkshake.
How to Serve Chocolate Ice Cream
Serve this chocolate ice cream on cones, in a dish, drizzled with chocolate sauce or caramel sauce with a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream, etc.!
Or, use it to stuff between two cookies to make the best homemade chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches (like a chipwhich only so much better).
We also love using it as one of the layers in this homemade ice cream cake or to make this chocolate milkshake recipe.
Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe FAQs
Here are some commonly asked questions about making homemade chocolate ice cream:
If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can churn this chocolate ice cream recipe by hand. It’s just a lot more work! Here’s how:
Once the ice cream base is made, put it in a freezer-friendly container and put it in the freezer.
After 1 hour, check the ice cream. If is has started to freeze, use a hand-held mixer (or a whisk or spatula) to beat it vigorously.
Continue to mix the mixture with a mixer or by hand every 30 minutes until it is frozen. This should take about 3-6 hours.
Cocoa powder creates a deep chocolate flavor, while melted chocolate makes the ice cream even richer and creamier. Using both makes the best homemade chocolate ice cream ever.
Yes, absolutely. Add mix-ins during the last few minutes of churning. I suggest starting with about 1 cup, depending on how loaded you want your ice cream. Edible cookie dough, brownie bites, a swirl of caramel sauce, or peanut butter are all great choices.
This ice cream stays fresh in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Egg yolks thicken the custard base and make the creamiest ice cream.
Tempering the egg yolks slowly raises their temperature before they’re added to the hot milk mixture. This prevents the eggs from scrambling and creates a silky-smooth chocolate ice cream base.
Homemade ice cream doesn’t contain stabilizers like many store-bought varieties do, so it can freeze and get much harder. Let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before scooping.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Best Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream divided
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate (chopped, or chocolate chips)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large egg yolks (beaten)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together 1 cup cream and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil/simmer for 30 seconds whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add remaining 1 cup of cream and whisk to combine.
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl and position a fine mesh strainer over it. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together milk, sugar and sea salt.
- Once the milk mixture is slightly warm, add ½ cup of warm milk to the beaten egg yolks and whisk to combine. Add the milk/egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking during the addition.
- Continue to cook the custard over medium heat, and stir the mixture constantly with a spatula until the it thickens and lightly coats the spatula (it does this when it reaches about 170°F (77°C)).
- Pour the thickened custard through the metal strainer into the other ingredients in the bowl. Stir until combined. Discard any custard residue left on the strainer.
- Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
- Place a lid on top and let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight. To speed up the cooling process, you can place the container of the chocolate ice cream liquid base into an ice bath and stir it often.
- Once the ice cream mixture is chilled, churn it in an ice cream maker until thick and frozen (30-40 minutes).
- Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 6 hours.
- Serve!
Notes
- Heavy cream. There really isn’t a substitution for heavy cream, it gives the chocolate ice cream it’s ultra-creamy texture.
- Cocoa powder. If you’re into very dark chocolate ice cream, try using dark cocoa powder.
- Semisweet chocolate. I use 60% dark chocolate chips to make this chocolate ice cream. Use whatever percentage you prefer, just know that milk chocolate will result in a sweeter ice cream, and the darker the chocolate used the more intense the chocolate flavor will be.
- Whole milk. Half and half is an acceptable substitute for whole milk!
- Granulated sugar. There’s really no substitute here! I use organic cane sugar or regular white sugar.
- Egg yolks. Another critical ingredient that contributes to the creaminess, don’t leave them out!
- Vanilla extract. Vanilla beans (seeded) or vanilla bean paste can be used in place of extract.
- Once the ice cream base is made, put it in a freezer-friendly container and put it in the freezer.
- After 1 hour, check the ice cream. If is has started to freeze, use a hand-held mixer (or a whisk or spatula) to beat it vigorously.
- Continue to mix the mixture with a mixer or by hand every 30 minutes until it is frozen. This should take 3-6 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family loved this, even going as far as saying it was the best chocolate ice cream they’d ever had. I did substitute the white sugar with coconut sugar, and it was still velvety delicious with a rich chocolate taste.
Yay! I’m so happy your family loves it!
If I purchase liquid egg yolks that have been pre-pasteurized, are the various steps of heating the dairy and the diary/egg mixture still required?
Yes.
Ok thanks. And I imagine the reason is not so much food safety in this situation but more about dissolving the sugar and bringing all the ingredients together?
Yes!
My ice cream freezer is a 5 quart. Can this recipe be modified to make that amount?
Yes, you can double or triple it.
Made this 3 times now.. this recipe is the only one I use.. comes out perfect and chocolaty.. delicious!!!
Thank you Donna!
I have a 4 qt old fashioned electric ice cream maker, would this recipe work for that? What would you recommend to make 4qts? Maybe 2.5 the recipe? Would this be the same for all of the ice cream recipes on your site? They all look so amazing!
Yes it would, but you could double the recipe in that size container.