DESSERT RECIPES

Easy Chocolate Ice Cream

Updated

An easy egg-free chocolate ice cream made with coconut milk, cocoa and melted semisweet chocolate; dairy-free and vegan when made with dairy-free chocolate.

Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Total
13 hr 50 min
Yield
About 1 quart
Illustration of Easy Chocolate Ice Cream
AI-generated illustration, not a photo of this recipe.

This chocolate ice cream skips the egg custard entirely. A quick simmer of coconut milk, sugar and cocoa, with chopped chocolate melted in, makes a base that is already thick and silky once chilled. The chocolate is strong enough that the coconut stays in the background. It is a reader favorite from the KitchenSimplicity archive.

Because there is no dairy and no eggs, it is a handy scoop to keep in the freezer for guests with different diets; just choose a dairy-free chocolate if you need it fully vegan. Make the base the day before so it can chill overnight, then churn and freeze.

Tips

  • Chill the ice cream maker bowl in the freezer for at least 24 hours before churning, if your machine uses a freezer bowl.
  • Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping if it has been frozen overnight.
  • Store it in a covered container with plastic wrap pressed on the surface for up to 2 weeks.
  • Stir in chopped chocolate, toasted coconut or swirls of peanut butter during the last minute of churning.

Easy Chocolate Ice Cream

Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Total
13 hr 50 min
Yield
About 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (13.5 oz each) full-fat coconut milk, divided
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
  • 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (16 g)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5 oz semisweet chocolate (140 g), chopped (dairy-free if needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps

  1. Shake the coconut milk cans well. Pour one can into a medium saucepan and whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder and salt until no dry lumps remain.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 seconds, whisking the whole time.
  3. Take the pan off the heat, add the chopped chocolate and stir until it has melted completely and the mixture is smooth.
  4. Whisk in the second can of coconut milk and the vanilla.
  5. Let the base cool to room temperature, stirring now and then, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  6. Stir the cold base, then churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions, usually 20 to 25 minutes.
  7. Spoon the ice cream into a chilled, lidded container and freeze for about 4 hours, until firm enough to scoop.

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