Making ice cream is a labor of love and unlike most recipes, you probably spend more in ingredients than you would even if you bought Haagen Daaz or Ben & Jerry’s. It also happens to be one of the easiest ways to make a showstopping dessert because the flavor of homemade ice cream is far and away better than anything you will buy in a store.
Growing up there was a pharmacy my parent’s would frequent called Thrifty’s (Now Rite-Aid). There wasn’t anything really special about the store with the exception of the ice cream station in the store where they would serve up scoops of ice cream. Now, I love dessert as much as the next person, but ice cream was never something I would go out of my way for UNTIL we got to Thrifty’s. My dad would always get the chocolate chip ice cream, which was delicious of course, but the best flavor by far was the cherry chocolate chip. Why is this story relevant? Because both those flavors had the chocolate added in like a Stracciatella ice cream would. Basically what that fancy name means is when the ice cream is 75% of the way frozen, you pour in a thin stream of chocolate and it breaks apart in tiny little pieces all through the ice cream as it continues to churn. Trust me when I say, this is the way you want to enjoy an ice cream with chocolate mixed in.
This recipe for super dark chocolate ice cream comes from the maker of my absolute favorite flavor of ice cream, Goat Cheese with Cherries, and is an indulgent treat that will spoil you from all other chocolate ice creams. Jeni’s Ice Cream, whose recipe this is, is going through a really rough time at the moment. Twice in the last couple of months they have discovered listeria in their ice cream manufacturing facilities and have completely shut down production. They found it because they are very thorough and before it caused anyone to fall sick, but it is a pretty bad situation for them right now since they are not a huge company like the major ice cream manufacturers out there.
This ice cream is special because it is made with both cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. I change it up by pouring more melted bittersweet chocolate into the mixture as it is churning in the ice cream maker, which makes the little Stracciatella streaks of chocolate throughout.
It also happens to be another recipe in a series of posts leading up to this beauty. So let’s make some ice cream already!
Combine ¼ cup milk and cornstarch in a small bowl. In a saucepan mix the remaining milk, cream, corn syrup (or make a homemade version like I did… just check out the tip below!), sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Cook for 4 minutes, then pour in the milk and cornstarch mixture. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until thickened.
Put cream cheese in a bowl and pour in a half cup of the hot milk into it. Let sit for 10-15 seconds Whisk it together until completely smooth.
To make the chocolate sauce:
Put cocoa, coffee, and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. 
Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the 1 ½ ounces of bittersweet chocolate and stir until completely smooth.
Combine the chocolate sauce with the ice cream base. Put the mixture into the refrigerator to cool. Alternately you can put it in the freezer to cool faster, but don’t let the mixture freeze. When the mixture is cold pour it into your ice cream maker and churn as you normally do in your machine. Once the mixture has started freezing a little, after 10 minutes or so, pour in the melted chocolate in a thin pour. This will make chocolate streaks in your ice cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (I use a homemade thick simple syrup for this instead by mixing 8 tablespoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of hot water. This makes a half a cup of homemade corn syrup, which I use two tablespoons of and I normally use the rest to make some lemonade)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese , softened
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate , melted for pouring into base while in the ice cream maker
Instructions
- Combine ¼ cup milk and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- In a saucepan mix the remaining milk, cream, homemade corn syrup, sugar and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat.
- Cook for 4 minutes, then pour in the milk and cornstarch mixture.
- Cook for an additional 2 minutes until thickened.
- Put cream cheese in a bowl and pour in a half cup of the hot milk into it. Let sit for 10-15 seconds Whisk it together until completely smooth.
- To make the chocolate sauce:
- Put cocoa, coffee, and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the 1 ½ ounces of bittersweet chocolate and stir until completely smooth.
- Combine the chocolate sauce with the ice cream base.
- Put the mixture into the refrigerator to cool. Alternately you can put it in the freezer to cool faster, but don't let the mixture freeze.
- When the mixture is cold pour it into your ice cream maker and churn as you normally do in your machine.
- Once the mixture has started freezing a little, after 10 minutes or so, pour in the melted chocolate in a thin pour. This will make chocolate streaks in your ice cream.
Nutrition
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Corn syrup is not an ingredient I use/keep in my pantry but I do make a fair share of recipes that originally call for it. In place of corn syrup I use a homemade thick simple syrup made by mixing 8 tablespoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of hot water. This makes a half a cup of homemade corn syrup and since I only need 2 tablespoons for this recipe I used the rest to make lemonade! You can also store it in a jar, it is just sugar water after all!
Yum.
Hi Sabrina, this recipe sounds delish, my husband is a huge dark chocolate fan. I don’t have an ice cream maker – any suggestions? Would I throw the ingredients in my blender then freeze it?
If you go that route, your ice cream won’t be the creamy texture you’re looking for but you will get a form of ice cream!
Oh wow, this ice cream looks to die for!!
Thanks!
I am a chocolate fanatic this sounds like an amazing dessert! I never would have thought to prepare ice cream like this.
Thanks!
As always, this is looks amazing, you are so talented! Thanks so much for joining the Link-It To Me Link Party, I hope you will party with us again next week!
Aww how sweet! thank you!
That looks and sounds amazing! My mouth is watering just looking at them.
How sweet of you! Thank you!
I love dark chocolate and ice cream – so I’m sure this super dark chocolate ice cream is absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to make it myself!
Me too! Dark chocolate is the best and they say it is healthy! so hey!
Wow! This looks fantastic!! Now I just need someone to make this for me! Yummy!
You and me both! We ran out and I would love another bowl! Haha.
Oh Sabrina, you did it again! I loooooooooove Jeni’s Ice cream too! So good, and this just sounds amazing. I’d love some right now! Thanks for sharing again at Try a Bite Tuesday link party! Hope to see you next week!
Hahaha thanks! I am a huge fan/supporter of Jeni’s. I wish I could do something to help them out of their tough time!
What a delicious recipe! I love making ice cream at home but have similar memories to yours as well. I don’t think there is a bad ice cream experience, especially in summer.
Thanks!
Sabrina you are killing my diet! This looks great. I made a chocolate mocha ice cream which is delicious and I’m sure yours is too. #WednesdaysWisdom
Haha. I am also losing weight as I go. This blog has not made it so easy, but I am still down every week!
SUPER DARK CHOCOLATE STRACCIATELLA ICE CREAM <- This looks DELICIOUS! I have never tried making my own ice cream but I always assumed at one point or another you had to freeze it. If you put in the freezer how long should it go in so it gets cold faster but doesn't 'freeze through'?
Yes! I put it in for about 20 minutes and it was perfect 🙂
I seriously miss Ice Cream!!! I make something in my blender to fill the void, but it’s just not the same!
I don’t eat it so often but if I couldn’t have it I would miss it terribly, haha
This looks like a great summer treat! My husband would love this. He’s a big dark chocolate fan.
Mine too!
Oh my gosh that looks AMAZING!!! I have craved ice cream like crazy in both of my pregnancies! I’ve never made my own this, this will be my first! I can’t wait!
Ah pregnancy cravings! I remember those well! I craved in n out!
I asked my children to make a summer bucket list, and making ice cream showed up on everyone’s. We love to make it ourselves. I can’t wait to share this recipe with them.
What a wonderful idea to make a summer bucket list!
I’ll take 4 scoops, please! I can tell how amazingly rich and creamy this ice cream is just from the drool worthy pics!
Hahaha, thanks! It was realllly rich!
That is just spectacular. What a great treat.
I love ice cream and I especially love homemade ice cream. My mom used to make heavy cream based blends when I was younger. These days I find myself using bananas and/or avocados for the base in order to have an all natural sugar free variety.
What a great way to make a healthier ice cream! This one is decidedly not masquerading as light. haha.
The words “dark chocolate” caught my attention so quickly. Ice cream is delicious when it’s homemade, and your instructions for the chocolate are priceless. Thanks and happy summer!
Thanks! I love any time I see “dark chocolate” too!
Now this is truly a treat, I could almost taste it. Thanks for the recipe.
I have never heard of stracciatella Ice cream before. This looks so delicious. I love a good chocolate ice cream recipe.
It will change the way you prefer chocolate chip ice cream forever! haha.
I love all things chocolate and this sounds so good. I will have to try it very soon because it sounds super simple to make too! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Wonderful, hope you love it!
That sounds and looks amazing! My husband it pretty good at making homemade ice cream. I’ll have to share this one with him and have him make it for me!
That is a double win! Get the ice cream and have someone make it for you! Well done 🙂
Looks really good. MIght need to try this in my maker.
Yes! You’ll love it!
Ah! I wish I had an ice cream maker. I think that’s what I’ll get next. Because this looks so good. I’d rather make my own than buy it! @
I got so into making ice cream, I also went out and bought a gelato maker
I just got an ice cream maker for my birthday – waiting to try it out this week – can’t wait to use this as inspiration!!
What a great present!
This sounds really yummy. I have never made my own ice cream. Thanks for the recipe.
My pleasure 🙂
I love anything with chocolate. Sign me up!
me too!
I LOVE homemade ice cream. This dark chocolate looks really creamy and goood. I love dark chocolate ice cream and the flavor is so much deeper when it’s homemade.
This ice cream is even more rich than Ina’s dark chocolate ice cream! You’ll love it!
This recipe looks absolutely delicious. I’m definitely going to make this. I really like Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream too, I’ll continue to support them when they reopen.
Me too! I hope there are a lot more people like us out there who will too.
Wow, this ice cream looks yummy! I love chocolate, and can always eat ice cream!
Thanks!
Looks delicious! I absolutely love chocolate and this recipe might just be enough motivation to get me to actually try making my ice cream!
You won’t regret it!
That sounds so good! I love chocolate ice cream, and this sounds like it’s the most chocolaty ice cream ever!
Thanks!
This ice cream certainly does sound like a treat! I’d love to give this a try to have a premium homemade dessert.
Thanks!
I can’t believe you made this! I would never be daring enough to make my own ice cream but this sure does look unbelievably good!
Ice Cream sounds so daunting but as long as you can manage to keep milk under a boil on the stove top you’re in the clear! I love making ice cream 🙂
We eat ice cream every single day in our house. This sounds awesome.
I wish I lived with you, haha!