Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is a classic ice cream flavor that everyone loves. This recipe is super simple to make and it uses only a handful of ingredients.

This Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe is naturally gluten-free, egg-free, and nut-free.

Love chocolate chip ice cream? Try mint chocolate chip ice cream next. Or this chocolate chocolate chip ice cream. If you like ice cream recipes with chocolate chips, you have to try this Java Chip Ice Cream with a rich coffee flavor.

For a more simple chocolate fix, make No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream instead.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe

Classic Ice Cream Flavor – Vanilla ice cream plus bits of chewy chocolate is an ice cream that we all know and love. Chocolate chip ice cream appeals to everyone, making it a no-brainer when it comes to choosing a recipe to make for your family or friends.

Easy to Make – Philadelphia Style ice cream uses heavy cream, milk, and sugar rather than an egg-based custard, meaning that it is quicker and easier to make than traditional French-style ice creams. There is no cooking involved, and your ice cream base doesn’t need to chill, so it will be ready to churn faster.

Just Six Ingredients – This ice cream recipe is pretty basic, and uses easy to find ingredients. It’s possible that you already have them all in your house!

Egg Free – Some churned ice cream recipes require egg yolks to create a creamy custard base, but not this one. This chocolate chip ice cream is perfectly creamy without a single egg in sight.

No Chemicals – Making your own Chocolate Chip Ice Cream from scratch allows you to control the ingredients that go into it. Store-bought ice creams are often filled with preservatives that aren’t necessarily needed.

Chocolate Chips or Chunks – I like to use chopped chocolate in my ice cream recipes because I enjoy the different sizes and textures this adds, but you can use mini chocolate chips too!

Ingredients in Homemade Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

To make a churned chocolate chip ice cream, you’ll need the following simple ingredients.

Heavy cream – I don’t think we can call it ice cream without adding heavy cream to the mix.

Whole Milk – A blend of both whole milk and heavy cream creates the perfect creamy texture. Don’t use 1 or 2 percent milk for ice cream making. The fat level in whole milk is needed.

Granulated Sugar – Granulated white sugar is the simple option here, and is the most effective way to get the right sweetness and the perfect texture in your ice cream.

Vanilla Extract – Vanilla elevates the flavor of the milk and cream.

Salt – A bit of kosher salt balances the sweetness and makes your chocolate chip ice cream delicious.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate – you’ll need about a cup of chopped semisweet chocolate for chocolate chip ice cream. I used a chocolate bar. You can also use miniature chocolate chips.

If you have any questions about the ingredients in this chocolate chip ice cream, please leave it in the comments below.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Ice Cream from Scratch

1. In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Whisk for 2-3 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved into the mixture. You should not feel any grit if you rub the mixture together between two fingers. 
2. Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 25 minutes).
3. The ice cream is ready when it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
4. During the last two minutes of the churn, add the chocolate chips or chunks.
5. Continue mixing until the chocolate is evenly dispersed.
6. Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or loaf pan. Press plastic wrap to the surface of the ice cream, and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions in this chocolate chip ice cream, please see the recipe below.

How to Store Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Store this Chocolate Chip Ice Cream in the freezer in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed to the top of the ice cream. It will last for up to one month if properly stored.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe

Use quality ingredients – When making homemade ice cream, you’ll want to make sure you are using high quality ingredients for the best outcome.

Chill out – If possible, always start with chilled ingredients. This is important for homemade no-churn ice cream recipes and ice cream maker recipes. Be sure that the bowl for your ice cream machine is also completely frozen solid.

Make sure it stays cold – Your mixture must be really cold before going into the ice cream machine to churn. If you find that it is not cold enough, let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before churning. If it’s not cold enough, it will not get thick. 

Don’t skimp on the fat – High fat milks and creams are essential when making homemade ice cream. Opting for a low-fat option often leads to icy ice creams and inconsistency in the texture.

Don’t go crazy with the add-ins – If you’re adding in additional ingredients, pick one or two and make sure they are chopped into pieces no larger than a blueberry or pea.

Use your favorite chocolate – Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of any variety can be used in this recipe. Try dark or milk chocolate, or a mix of them instead.

Don’t skimp on the sugar – Sugar not only adds sweetness to homemade ice creams, it also helps with the texture. Sugar is essential for the creamy texture of ice cream.

No Churn Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Directions

You can easily turn this chocolate chip ice cream recipe into a no-churn one. Just follow these steps:

Chill a shallow container or a loaf pan in the freezer while you mix the ice cream ingredients.

Pour the chocolate chip ice cream mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for 3-4 hours. Stir the ice cream every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours to help add air. This will help create a creamy, smooth texture.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Add-ins

You can add almost anything to this chocolate chip ice cream recipe to create an entirely new ice cream recipe that is all your own! The beauty of chocolate chip ice cream is really in its simplicity, but don’t let that stop you.

Add more chocolate in the form of other types of chocolate chips, chopped candy bars, or chocolate cake or cookies (like Oreos).

Try a swirl of fudge sauce, caramel, or marshmallow creme.

Get creative by adding chopped fruits like bananas, cherries, or strawberries.

Nuts such as peanuts, almonds, or walnuts would be delicious here.

What is Semi-Sweet Chocolate?

Typically semi-sweet chocolate will have at least 50% cacao and less than 50% sugar. You can buy semi-sweet bars in the baking section of the grocery store, or you can use a bar of dark chocolate with a higher amount of sugar.

What if I don’t like chewing on chocolate chips in ice cream?

It’s totally understandable if the texture of frozen chocolate chips is not your favorite thing. This is why I like to use chopped chocolate in this ice cream recipe. Chopping allows you to get the chocolate into pieces that are smaller than chocolate chips, so they won’t be so chewy.

How Do I Chop Chocolate for Homemade Ice Cream?

There are two schools of thought when it comes to adding chocolate chunks to ice cream. My ideal way is to just chop the chocolate right from the bar, creating various sizes of chocolate pieces. I use a sharp chef’s knife for this job.

The other method is more time consuming but is a great option if you really don’t like hard pieces of chocolate in your ice cream.

Take your chocolate bar and melt it down with two tablespoons of water. Stir well, then spread the melted chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment. If the chocolate appears chunky or curdled, add a bit more water until it’s smooth.

Let the chocolate set up, then chop it with a sharp knife into small pieces. These fudgy pieces will be thinner and softer due to the addition of water.

More Delicious Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

• Peanut Butter Ice Cream is so smooth and rich.
• Death by Chocolate Ice Cream – the name says it all.
• Strawberry Ice Cream is another classic favorite ice cream flavor that you should make.
• I think you’ll like this Birthday Cake Ice Cream Recipe too, it’s perfect for all types of celebrations.

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Did you make this chocolate chip ice cream recipe? Leave a comment below letting us know what you thought and if you added any additional add-ins.