Incredible No-Churn Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (+ Mint Variation)

An easy recipe for a rich no-churn chocolate chip ice cream that has only 4 real food ingredients and doesn't require an ice cream maker. With just minutes of hands-on time you can have a dessert everyone will be begging for!

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Have you ever found yourself needing ice cream for a party but no way to get to a store?

Or maybe you'd just prefer not to have all the other 'ingredients' that are added to most ice creams (polysorbate 80, anyone?).

Or you love the decadent and expensive ice creams and would appreciate a cost-saving alternative?

Do I have a (another!) recipe for you.

When I made this amazing no-churn chocolate ice cream recipe awhile ago, it fulfilled all three of these desires at once for our family. I can make it quicker than a trip to the store, I know the ingredients, and it costs less to make than the higher-end ice cream pints it tastes like.

So of course I experimented with other flavor variations, including this one that has become a favorite, a no-churn chocolate chip ice cream full of small and large chocolate chunks (that's also easily made into mint chocolate chip -2 for 1!).

I actually did find myself 'needing' ice cream for a birthday party for Brian. I had made a dark chocolate torte and you cannot have a birthday without ice cream in my family. Can.Not.

While there was no ice cream in the freezer, I did have a can of sweetened condensed milk and some cream - and I had enough time for it to fully freeze, which you do have to take into consideration.

Since Brian's favorite flavors are vanilla with chocolate chips or mint chocolate chip, I knew I had to try a chocolate chip variation with the no-churn recipe.

It worked beautifully! Read on for the steps or go straight to the recipe card and to see the other variations (once you learn to fold in chips, your mind goes to all the things you can fold in: chopped candy, peanut butter cups, freeze-dried raspberries, fresh blueberries...).

Ingredients (& Dairy Free Option)

For this recipe, all you'll need are four ingredients (not counting the pinch of salt) and 10 minutes.

• Whipping cream (heavy or regular) - whipped cream provides the air you need in ice creams that's usually accomplished with an ice cream maker. NOTE: My recipes call for more cream than others you might see because we found the ice cream too sweet with less. It does mean you will have cream leftover, which you can use in recipes (this pasta primavera is a good one) or whip it to use as an ice cream topping to be extra decadent!
• Sweetened condensed milk - this is a key ingredient for this recipe because the sugar is already cooked and blended with the milk so it doesn't need the churning to dissolve like sugar in a machine. And yes, it's real food - it's simply milk and sugar cooked to a concentrate and you can make your own if you want (which is always a good test of a real food).
• Bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate - bittersweet or dark chocolate is amazing, but any semisweet chocolate works.
• Vanilla - key to making vanilla ice cream which is essentially what we are doing before we add the chocolate chips.
• Optional: Mint extract if making a mint base.

Dairy Free Option

Use a can of sweetened condensed coconut milk instead of the cow's milk version and then whip canned coconut cream and mix it with the condensed coconut milk and other ingredients for a dairy free version of no-churn ice cream. NOTE: A reader found that you will need to refrigerate the can of coconut cream overnight to be able to whip it.

How to Make No-Churn Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Detailed quantities and instructions are included in the full recipe box below, but here are the few steps needed in photos:

Add sweetened condensed milk into a small bowl or glass measuring cup and stir in vanilla and salt. This is also where you would add the mint extract for a mint version.

Whip the cream to stiff peaks (this is important when adding things like chopped chips and candies - it will suspend them better). Gently mix in the sweetened condensed milk mixture.

Now we come to the chocolate chips. I discovered that if you just throw in chocolate chips from the bag, they sink to the bottom before the mixture is frozen enough to hold them. Also, regular chocolate chips alone seem to be just hard chunks in between vanilla ice cream- not really chocolatey (not to mention a bit hard on the teeth).

So here's what I came up with to get different sized chunks and chocolate throughout the ice cream: whir the chocolate chips in a food processor!

Fold the chips into the whipped cream mixture and you'll have all different sizes of chocolate- small shards all the way up to the larger chunks that the processor doesn't chop completely. Perfection.

Once the mixture is ready (was it even 10 minutes?), spread it evenly in a large loaf pan.

Cover the pan with plastic and foil and freeze until firm, 6 hours or preferably overnight.

TIP: Most recipes show using a loaf pan, and while I do that sometimes (and did, obviously, for these photos), I actually prefer a freezer container that has a lid like this or even just a Tupperware type bowl with lid - it's much easier to keep in the freezer than tin foil over a loaf pan.

As you can see above, the chopped chocolate creates the perfect ratio for chocolate chip ice cream- it amps up the chocolate flavor in every bite and still leaves a few chunks to chew on (without causing dental problems!).

Also, this is scoopable straight from the freezer - no need to let it sit out first like some frozen treats.

No-Churn Ice Cream Variations

• Mint Chocolate Chip - Included in the main recipe card, simply add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of mint extract to the condensed milk mixture and you've got mint chip! Start with the smaller amount, especially if using stronger peppermint, and then taste to see if you'd like more. You of course can add food coloring to make it green if you want - I never bother.
• Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip: Mix in 1/2 cup peanut butter to the sweetened condensed milk.
• Peanut Butter Cup: Replace chocolate chips with chopped peanut butter cups. Add more to the top of the ice cream before freezing and drizzle with chocolate syrup if you're feeling a bit extra.
• ANY candy bar flavor: Replace the chocolate chips with the chopped candy of your choice: Butterfinger, Snickers, Crunch, etc.
• Pure Vanilla Bean: Omit chocolate chips and add a finely chopped vanilla bean to increase the flavor.
• ANY Fruit: Omit chocolate chips and replace with the fruit of your choice! Gently fold in blueberries, raspberries, chopped peaches - the sky's the limit.

The lesson here?

Keep a can of sweetened condensed milk and a carton of whipped cream on hand at all times.

You never know when an ice cream emergency will happen.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

• Amazing No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream - the classic that started it all.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups - add your homemade ice cream to these super easy cookies shaped in a cup.
• No Churn Easy Fruit Frozen Yogurt -Just 3 Ingredients

Best Reader Comment:

"Tried this a couple months ago and loved it! Who needs Haagen-Dazs?!" -Darlin

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5 from 2 votes

Incredible No-Churn Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe

An easy recipe for a rich chocolate chip ice cream with only 4 real food ingredients and no ice cream maker needed! Includes a mint variation as well as other variations, too.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Freezing Time12 hours hrs

Total Time12 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Amercian

Yield: 2 quarts

Author: Jami Boys

Equipment

• Food Processor
• stand mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

• 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla
• pinch salt
• 2½ cups heavy whipping cream*
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

For Mint Variation

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon mint extract (to taste)

Instructions

• Combine the condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in a 4-cup measure. If making the mint variation, add the mint extract here as well (start with the smaller amount of mint, especially if using stronger peppermint, and then taste to see if you'd like to add more).
• Whip the cream with a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Chop the chocolate pieces in a food processor until there are fine pieces as well as larger chunks remaining.
• Fold the milk mixture into the whipped cream until completely combined and then add the chocolate pieces, folding these in completely as well.
• Pour into a freezer-safe container, cover tightly, and freeze 6 to 24 hours until frozen enough to scoop.

Notes

*Note: you can use just one pint (2 cups) if that's all you have, but the ice cream was too sweet to our liking when I tried it - it has better flavor with a bit more cream.

Variations:

• Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip: Mix in 1/2 cup peanut butter to the sweetened condensed milk.
• Peanut Butter Cup: Replace chocolate chips with chopped peanut butter cups. Add more to the top of the ice cream before freezing and drizzle with chocolate syrup if you're feeling a bit extra.
• ANY candy bar flavor: Replace the chocolate chips with the chopped candy of your choice: Butterfinger, Snickers, Crunch, etc.
• Pure Vanilla Bean: Omit chocolate chips and add a finely chopped vanilla bean to increase the flavor.
• ANY Fruit: Omit chocolate chips and replace with the fruit of your choice! Gently fold in blueberries, raspberries, chopped peaches - the sky's the limit.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Mention @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!

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