The Best No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream

The very best recipe for super creamy, rich no churn chocolate ice cream boasting big chocolate flavor! An easy, sit-and-savor kind of dessert, perfect for summertime and feeding a crowd!

A SELF PROCLAIMED ICE CREAM CHAMPION

I have been a lover of ice cream my entire life, and I’ve often boasted there is not a soul on the planet that could put down a bowl of ice cream quicker than this gal. Now, whether or not that fact is indeed bragworthy remains to be determined, but the fact of the matter is, I know good ice cream and I know it well. Chocolate is typically my go-to flavor, but occasionally at the ice cream shop, I’ll go for vanilla…but only under these circumstances — there must either be chocolate candies folded in or chocolate fudge completely smothering the top.

DUTCH CHOCOLATE FOREVER AND ALWAYS

It’s an undisputed fact that Blue Bell Ice Cream is king in the South and for good reason. At home, it’s Blue Bell’s Dutch chocolate ice cream all the way — a rich chocolate ice cream with the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. To say the least, it is absolutely heavenly and I’ve been lapping it up at record speeds from childhood to this very day.

In fact, Blue Bell’s Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream is pretty much the reason I don’t own an ice cream maker and had never attempted making ice cream at home. I mean, why go through all the trouble when you can grab a 1/2 gallon of the greatest ice cream in the world right there from the freezer section at the grocery store?

However, my curiosity was peaked once I started seeing the trend of no churn ice creams rolling into town. The recipes seemed unrealistically simple. But with very little to lose in both time and cost of ingredients, I decided to give it a go.

HOW NO CHURN ICE CREAM COMES TOGETHER

Turns out, no churn ice cream is the real deal, and the only thing unreal about it is the flavor. And just to be clear, by unreal, I mean divine. But before we get too far into its texture and taste, let’s talk a touch about how it’s made.

THE INGREDIENTS

No churn ice creams have two essential ingredients: heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk. These two ingredients play very important roles. Other ingredients like cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, and fun add-ins like fresh fruit and candy are also found in no churn ice cream.

WHIPPED CREAM: MAKES IT DECADENT AND GIVES IT BODY

The heavy whipping cream gets whipped to stiff peaks, which essentially means that you’ve whipped as much air as you possibly can into the cream before turning it into butter. To ensure you’ve made it all the way to stiff peaks, simply turn the beater/beaters upward toward the ceiling. If the cream does not fall or slope downward, and the peaks stay in place facing the ceiling, you’ve officially reached stiff peaks.

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK: THICKENS AND ENSURES CREAMY TEXTURE

Sweetened condensed milk plays a very important role when it comes to no churn ice cream. It is the only sweetener needed in no churn ice cream, but there’s much more to it than that. According to EagleBrand.com, not only does sweetened condensed milk serve as a wonderful thickener, it also helps to minimize the formation of ice crystals, ensuring a smooth and creamy texture. And let me just tell you: No churn ice cream is smooth and creamy, indeed.

COMBINING INGREDIENTS

The sweetened condensed milk is poured into a bowl, along with vanilla and salt, as well as cocoa powder if you’re going to a chocolate no churn ice cream…but we’ll come back to that one. Once all of those ingredients are mixed together, it’s time to combine the whipped cream with the sweetened condensed milk.

First, you’ll fold in about a third of the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk, on big scoop at a time.

HOW TO FOLD INGREDIENTS TOGETHER

If you aren’t familiar with how to do fold whipped cream into other ingredients, here’s the rundown:

To fold cream whipped cream into another ingredient, add a scoop of it to the center of the bowl. Then, you’ll use a large rubber spatula starting in the center of the bowl and cut it downward toward the edge of the bowl. Use the spatula to bring the ingredients from the bottom of the bowl up and over, while turning the bowl counterclockwise (just ever so slightly) as you bring the spatula back upward. It’s small movement you will easily get the hang of after just a teensy bit of practice. You’ll continue to do this until all of the cream is incorporated. Resist the urge to stir or you will deflate the whipped cream.

Once a third of the whipped cream has been incorporated into the sweetened condensed milk, you then add the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream mixture and continue to fold until it all comes together.

ADD TO A LOAF PAN AND FREEZE

The ice cream is added to a chilled loaf pan, and it’s off to the freezer. If you want the no churn ice cream to freeze faster, you’ll want to use a metal loaf pan. You’ll need to allow up to 3 hours in the freezer or up to overnight before serving.

EASY NO CHURN CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

As I mentioned earlier, my all-time favorite ice cream flavor is Dutch chocolate, and I wanted a no churn chocolate ice cream that would result in the same kind of deep chocolate flavor. This meant adding more cocoa powder to the mix than say just any ol’ no churn chocolate ice cream recipe might call for. Oh no, this one is rich and a dessert made for chocolate lovers.

In addition to a deeper chocolate flavor, this no churn chocolate ice cream is also infiltrated with little flavor bombs that go by the name of semi-sweet chocolate chunks. You’re welcome. The chocolate chunks most definitely add even more flavor, but they also add an oh-so-pleasing contrast in texture. Actually, speaking of texture, there’s something you should know…

THE TEXTURE OF NO CHURN ICE CREAM

Don’t expect the texture of no churn ice cream to be an exact replica of ice cream made in an ice cream maker. The texture of no churn ice cream is more custard-like, creamier, and lingers just a little bit longer on the palette. Almost more like a gelato than ice cream. No complaints here.

A SIT-AND-SAVOR CHOCOLATE DESSERT

This chocolate no churn ice cream is indeed a dessert for all the chocolate lovers out there, and it boasts a serious amount of perfectly balanced chocolate flavor, just like the Dutch chocolate ice cream it was modeled after. In fact, this little devil turned out so perfectly rich and creamy, it actually resulted in me taking a slow down when it came to inhaling my ice cream. Shocking. I know.

Regardless of the speed you’re accustomed to eating your ice cream at, this is a treat you are going to want to sit and savor. And, the fact that it’s so very simple and so very inexpensive to make?! Still blowing my mind. But alas, it is true and it is real — an ice cream at home that takes less than 15 minutes to assemble, and only hours in the freezer.

Almost unrealistically simple, yet very real, indeed. Please, enjoy.

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5 from 11 votes

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The Best No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks

Prep Time

15 mins

Chill for at least

3 hrs

Total Time

15 mins

 

The very best recipe for super creamy, rich no churn chocolate ice cream boasting big chocolate flavor! 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Calories: 220 kcal

Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspooon + a pinch fine sea salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Have ready a chilled loaf pan.

2. Add the whipping cream to the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large bowl and a handheld mixer. Whip the cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks have formed. Set the whipped cream aside. 

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir condensed milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until well combined. The mixture will be thick.

4. Add a large scoop of the whipped cream to the sweetened condensed milk mixture, and gently fold it in. Repeat until a third of the whipped cream has been incorporated.

5. Take the sweetened condensed milk mixture and add it into the bowl of whipped cream. Fold it into the whipped cream, resisting the urge to stir. Add the chocolate chunks, and fold to incorporate throughout the cream mixture.

6. Add to the loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to the freezer. Freeze for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Serve and enjoy. 

Recipe Notes

See blog post for tips on whipping cream to stiff peaks and folding, if needed.

Nutrition Facts

The Best No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks

Amount Per Serving

Calories 220 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 22g 34%

Saturated Fat 14g 70%

Cholesterol 81mg 27%

Sodium 36mg 2%

Potassium 126mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 17.5%

Vitamin C 0.4%

Calcium 4.6%

Iron 4.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.