Amazing No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream

You won’t believe how easy it is to make an incredible no churn chocolate ice cream in minutes using just five real food ingredients. And not just any ice cream, but one of the smoothest richest ice creams you’ve had.

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Have you heard of “magic” ice cream made without a machine? When I first saw this idea for an easy, no-churn ice cream I fell in love with both the ease and results of the method, so of course I had to share!

You simply won’t believe the rich, smooth ice cream that results from a handful of real food ingredients, a few minutes in the kitchen, and a few hours in the freezer.

In fact, I still can’t believe it.

To think we spent money on a Kitchen Aid Ice Cream maker attachment a few years ago. I’ve never been happy with the results, by the way, and it’s a bit of a pain…unlike this recipe.

Also I really hated making an egg custard base. Really did not like it. All the stirring and cooking and cooling. I’m not some purist who believes eggs have to be included for it to be “real” ice cream, so I’m very happy to find an alternative.

So guess what? Since it’s so simple to make ice cream without a machine, we sold the KA ice cream maker on Craigslist!

I first saw a version of this recipe in a trial issue of Cook’s Illustrated magazine back in 2009 titled Magic Chocolate Ice Cream.

While I’ve gotten a lot of good recipes from Cook’s Illustrated, I find I often have to adjust for “real life” as they tend to add steps or odd things in their quest for the “perfect” way to make something – and you know it’s never about perfection here at An Oregon Cottage!

The original ice cream recipe in CI was no exception, calling for only 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk. One half cup…what was I supposed to do with the rest of the can?

So I adapted the recipe to used a whole can, which also increases the yield to about 2 quarts of ice cream.

I’m sharing the easy steps below to create a smooth, incredibly rich chocolate ice cream, as well as listing a lot of variations you can make once you have the technique down.

Because I know you will want to.

Ingredients + Dairy Free Option

It’s nice to see how few ingredients are needed to make the homemade version versus the store-bought ice creams with their looooong lists of ingredients.

AND these are all real foods – in case you’re wondering, condensed milk is just milk and sugar cooked to a concentrate and you can make your own if you want (always a good test of a real food).

Even though there is espresso powder included, this isn’t mocha flavored, this simply helps to enhance the chocolate flavor so it’s optional if you don’t have any.

• Bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate – bittersweet or dark chocolate is amazing, but any semisweet chocolate works.
• Sweetened condensed milk – this is a key ingredient for this recipe – the sugar is already cooked and blended with the milk so it doesn’t need the churning to dissolve like sugar in a machine.
• instant espresso powder – this doesn’t make it mocha flavored, the small amount simply enhances the chocolate flavor, so it’s optional if you don’t have any.
• Vanilla – again, this enhances the flavor in chocolate desserts like this.
• Heavy whipping cream – the second key ingredient give the lightness, creaminess, and airy texture we expect from ice cream.

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 Ice Cream

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

Heat the mixture just until the chocolate chunks are mostly melted, 45 seconds in the microwave – they won’t be melted right away, but as you stir for the next minute, they will melt completely.

Alternately, melt the mixture over a low flame or double boiler just until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, stir until smooth, and set aside to cool.

While the chocolate mixture is cooling, whip the cream in a bowl of a mixer, stiff peaks form.

Whipping the cream until stiff helps create more airiness and holds any additions you would like to add like chopped candies, etc.

Pour the mixture into a freezable container, cover, and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight if your container is deeper.

TIP: Most recipes show using a loaf pan, and while I do that sometimes (and for these photos), I actually prefer a freezer container that has a lid – it’s much easier to keep in the freezer than tin foil over a loaf pan.

Then it’s time to scoop and enjoy!

No-Churn Ice Cream Variations

• Peanut Butter-Chocolate: Mix about a 1/2 cup of peanut butter with a tablespoon of honey and swirl it in when folding or after partially freezing to prevent it from falling to the bottom. If you don’t want swirls of peanut butter, but just the flavor, mix the peanut butter into the condensed milk with the chocolate.
• Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip: Omit coffee, water, and chocolate (to melt) if you’d like a peanut butter-only base (leave if you want chocolate peanut butter). Mix in 1/2 cup peanut butter to the sweetened condensed milk. Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate chips (or mini chips) after mixing into whipped cream.
• Peanut Butter Cup: Make as for peanut butter-chocolate chip, but instead of chocolate chips add chopped peanut butter cups. Add more to the top of the ice cream before freezing and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
• Dark Chocolate Chip: Use 72% chocolate in the mix and then chop some to equal 1/2 cup and add to the base after mixing the cream and condensed milk mixture together.
• Candy Chocolate – chop up any candy you like and fold them into the mixture right before freezing, adding a few more to the top as well. Think Butterfingers, Snickers, Crunch bars, etc.
• Mocha Almond: Increase coffee powder to 3 teaspoons (or to desired strength) and water to 2 tablespoons and fold in swirls of chocolate syrup and chopped almonds after mixing milk mixture and whipped cream (or after partially freezing).
• Vanilla Bean: If you’re a purist, you can omit the coffee, water, and chocolate to create a vanilla version. Add another teaspoon of vanilla, plus a vanilla bean that’s been chopped fine in a processor to increase the flavor.

The biggest “complaint” I’ve heard about no-churn ice cream (not in my family since everyone loves it, but online) is that it’s more like a frozen mousse or gelato– which we’re all totally OK with, obviously.

But it does mean that it’s a RICH dessert, so a small scoop goes a long way.

Oh, and when you serve it to guests? Be prepared for ooh’s and aah’s and I-can’t-believe-its.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

• Chocolate Chip No-Churn Ice Cream – we loved this so much I created this recipe of Brian’s favorite flavor that you can turn into chocolate chip mint, too.
• 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

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