Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
A rich and creamy chocolate ice cream is swirled with sweet marshmallow fluff and dark chocolate chunks to create the perfect homemade Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream.
This creamy French style ice cream is made with egg yolks, and is gluten-free and nut free.
This chocolate marshmallow ice cream would be amazing in a banana split.
Chocolate ice cream is the second most favorite ice cream flavor, after vanilla of course. History tells us that humans have been enjoying frozen chocolate desserts since 1692!
This chocolate ice cream recipe is kicked up with creamy, sweet marshmallow fluff and chunks of chocolate making it a super satisfying chocolate marshmallow ice cream recipe.
Want a no churn recipe that’s still packed with chocolate flavor? Make my No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream recipe.
If you really love marshmallows, you will want to make my Marshmallow Ice Cream next. You can also find more recipes to make in our post about ice cream machine recipes.
Why you’re going to love this Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Recipe
The amazing textures – This rich chocolate ice cream is swirled together with fluffy marshmallow cream and chunks of chopped dark chocolate. If you like your ice cream with fantastic texture, then get ready for a treat.
Traditional custard base – This ice cream recipe starts with an egg custard base. Taking the time to make a French style ice cream is well worth the super creamy and rich results.
Simple Instructions – French style ice creams are a bit more complicated that some other recipes, but I’m giving you easy to follow instructions so you will know exactly what to do.
Ingredients in Homemade Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
Egg Yolks – These create the base for our ice cream custard. We’ll gently heat the egg yolks to pasteurize them, but you can also purchase pasteurized eggs if you prefer.
Granulated Sugar – Any good ice cream will have a good amount of sugar in it, both for sweetness and texture.
Whole Milk – A mix of both heavy cream and whole milk creates the perfect ice cream texture.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – use a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder for best flavor.
Salt – A bit of salt balances out the sweetness from the sugar.
Semisweet or Dark Chocolate – chopped chocolate will cook into our ice cream base for tons of flavor and a rich chocolate ice cream. We’ll save half of the chocolate to stir in at the end too.
Heavy Cream – A mix of both heavy cream and whole milk is what gives us the perfect creamy texture.
Vanilla Extract – Vanilla enhances the chocolate flavors even more.
Marshmallow Fluff – This sticky, sweet, marshmallow spread will give us the perfect pillow-y swirls.
If you have any questions about the ingredients in Chocolate Marshmallow ice cream, please leave a comment below.
How to Make Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream from Scratch
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color. Then, in a saucepan, add the milk, cocoa powder and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat as soon as it simmers – be sure not to boil.
- Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined.
- Then, add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked. Add 1/2 of the chopped chocolate, reserving the rest for later. Stir until melted.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least three hours.
- Churn the mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. In the last two minutes, add the remaining chopped chocolate and churn until evenly distributed.
- Melt the marshmallow fluff in the microwave in 10 second increments, until it is liquid and easier to pour. It should only take about 20-30 seconds. Watch it carefully, as it can burn if it’s overcooked. Spoon half of the chocolate ice cream into a shallow container or loaf fan. Dollop half of the marshmallow fluff on top of the chocolate and use a knife to lightly swirl it in to the ice cream. Repeat with remaining ice cream and marshmallow fluff.
- Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least four hours, or until solid. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
How to Store Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
Store this Chocolate and Marshmallow ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container (we really like these reusable ice cream containers) with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed on top for up to one month.
Tips for making this Chocolate Marshmallow 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.
For the Chocolate – I used semi-sweet chocolate for this recipe, but you can use dark chocolate instead. Be sure to chop the chocolate into small chunks so that they aren’t too hard to eat when frozen. I prefer to use a chocolate bar cut into chunks as it melts much better than pre-cut chunks or chocolate chips.
Marshmallow Fluff – I like to warm up the fluff so that it’s easier to work with. It may harden a bit when mixed with the ice cream, and this is normal. Just swirl it with a knife to evenly distribute.
Chill out – If possible, always start with chilled ingredients. This is important for homemade no-churn ice cream recipes and ice cream maker recipes.
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.
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 in ice cream.
Make Cones or Sundaes – The chocolate and marshmallow flavors in this ice cream recipe will go perfectly with a crispy sugar cone or in a hot fudge sundae with graham crackers on top. It will remind you of campfire s’mores.
No Churn Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Directions
Chill a shallow container or a loaf pan in the freezer while you mix the ice cream ingredients.
Pour the 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.
Add ins should be added during the last time you stir the ice cream, to allow them to incorporate nicely.
Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Add-Ins
We are already adding chocolate chunks and marshmallow fluff to this rich chocolate ice cream, but you can certainly add additional goodies if you like.
- Chopped candy bars
- Nuts
- Sweetened flaked coconut
- Additional chocolate or white chocolate shavings
- Fudge Sauce
- Graham Crackers – To make this a S’mores themed ice cream
- Italian Meringue
- Vegan Marshmallows
Does Marshmallow Fluff Freeze in Ice Cream?
The marshmallow fluff in this chocolate ice cream will never really freeze completely, likely because of its super high sugar content. This means it will be soft and perfect, even once the ice cream is set.
Is there a difference between Marshmallow Fluff and Marshmallow Cream?
These two items are effectively the same, and either can be used in this recipe. Marshmallow Fluff and Jet Puff Marshmallow Cream are specific brands of this marshmallow spread, and do have slightly different ingredients. There are store brands of marshmallow cream as well.
Is there an easy way to measure marshmallow fluff?
Because this stuff is so sticky, it can be hard to measure using a measuring cup. The easiest way is to use a kitchen scale. Weigh the full container and then remove the desired amount by weight.
1 cup of marshmallow fluff should be about half of a 3 oz. jar, or 1/5th of a 16 oz. container. 1 cup of fluff will weigh about 3.2 ounces.
Do your best – your fluff measurement doesn’t need to be exact!
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes You’ll Love
- Death by Chocolate Ice Cream
- French Silk Ice Cream
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- Toasted Almond Ice Cream
Check out our post on best ice cream flavors for more ideas.
Here are some of our favorite ice cream making tools:
- Cuisinart 2QT Ice Cream Maker – Works with ice cream, sorbets, and frozen yogurt.
- Ice Cream Scoop – Make sure you have a good ice cream scoop. This is one of our favorites.
- Ice Cream Containers – We love keeping a couple of ice cream containers on hand for when we make homemade ice cream.
LET’S GET SOCIAL, you can follow us on Pinterest or leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Did you make this Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Recipe? Leave a comment below letting us know what you thought and if you added any additional add-ins.
Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
Equipment
- Set of 2 Reusable Ice Cream Tub Containers For Homemade Ice Cream 1.6 Quart
- Cusinart ICE-70P1 2-Quart Cool Creations Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Gelato and Sorbet Maker, LCD Screen with Countdown Timer, Makes Frozen Treats in 20-Minutes or Less, Stainless Steel
- KitchenAid KO117OHAQA Gourmet Ice Cream Scoop, One Size, Matte Aqua Sky
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate roughly chopped, divided
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
Instructions
- Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours or until solid. You should not hear any water sloshing around when you shake the bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
- Add the milk, cocoa powder, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the milk to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Be sure not to boil.
- Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined.
- Then, add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
- Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon or spatula. This should take a few minutes.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked.
- Add ½ cup of the chopped chocolate, reserving the rest for later. Stir until melted.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
- In the last two minutes, add the remaining chopped chocolate and churn until evenly distributed.
- Melt the marshmallow fluff in the microwave in 10 second increments, until it is liquid and easier to pour. It should only take about 20-30 seconds. Be sure not to overcook as it will burn.
- Spoon half the chocolate ice cream into a shallow container or a loaf pan. Dollop half of the marshmallow fluff on top of the chocolate and use a knife or skewer to lightly swirl it into the ice cream. Repeat with remaining ice cream and marshmallow fluff.
- Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This is a traditional, or French-style, ice cream which is made with a custard base that contains eggs. It results in a super creamy texture that pairs so well with the pineapple.
- I used semi-sweet chocolate for this recipe but you can also use dark chocolate instead.
- You want to chop the chocolate so that it’s the size of small chunks. You don’t want the chocolate chunks to be too large because when you get a bite it will be too hard to eat.
- I prefer to use a chocolate bar that I have chopped myself instead of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks because when it goes into the hot custard it will melt much easier and smoother.
- You can use store-bought marshmallow fluff or homemade marshmallow fluff for this recipe. I find it easier to melt the marshmallow fluff slightly so that it is easy to pour.
- The marshmallow fluff may harden up a bit when it hits the chocolate. That is okay. Just swirl it with a knife to evenly distribute.
This is the only chocolate ice cream recipe I’ll use! So delicious! I’ve tried quite a few. This one’s my favorite…so yummy! If anyone needs help adding the fluff to the ice cream, I find that adding a tablespoon or two of milk to the fluff makes it easier work with. Thank you so much for sharing!!
We’re so glad you love it. Thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let us know and for sharing what you add to the fluff.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team.