Simple Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream (Only 7 Ingredients)
There’s something special about making treats at home. And while ice cream may not be the “healthiest” dessert, making it yourself is still a wonderful alternative to the ones you find at the grocery store.
If you’ve ever looked at the back of a store-bought ice cream container, you probably noticed a long list of ingredients—stabilizers, gums, artificial flavors, preservatives, and things most of us can’t even pronounce.
Homemade ice cream is different.
This chocolate ice cream uses just 7 simple ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen. No complicated additives—just real food. It’s creamy, rich, and incredibly satisfying. And honestly, it feels really good knowing exactly what is going into the dessert you’re serving your family.
This week we made simple chocolate ice cream at home, and it turned out so delicious that I knew I had to share the recipe here.
Simple Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Makes: about 7 cups (approximately fourteen ½-cup servings)
Ingredients
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder, sifted
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 3½ cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Mix the base
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
• cocoa powder
• granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• salt
Break up any large cocoa clumps so the mixture is smooth.
Add the whole milk and whisk (or use a hand mixer on low speed) until the dry ingredients are fully dissolved.
Then stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible. This helps the flavors develop and improves the texture.
2. Churn the ice cream
Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to your machine’s instructions.
The ice cream will thicken into a soft, creamy texture.
3. Freeze for a firmer texture
If you prefer firmer ice cream, transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for about 2 hours.
Before serving, remove it from the freezer about 15 minutes early so it softens slightly and scoops easily.
Why I Love Making Ice Cream at Home
Homemade ice cream isn’t about perfection—it’s about simplicity.
Instead of a long list of processed ingredients, you get:
✔ real cream
✔ real cocoa
✔ real sugar
✔ simple flavors
And when you make it with your family, it also becomes a little kitchen memory—the kind kids remember later.
Sometimes the best desserts are the ones made slowly at home.
The Ice Cream Maker We Use
While you can make ice cream by hand, using an ice cream maker makes the process incredibly easy and gives the best creamy texture.
We use a machine from Cuisinart, which churns the ice cream automatically and takes most of the work out of the process.
You can see it here:
It’s one of those kitchen tools that feels like a luxury at first—but once you start making homemade ice cream, you’ll be glad you have it.
Comments