5 Ingredients or Fewer

No-Churn Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

by:
April 21, 2022
4.3
9 Ratings
No-Churn Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Photo by Carolina Gelen
  • Prep time 8 hours 15 minutes
  • makes scant 2 quarts
Author Notes

I’ll use chocolate chips in cookies, cakes, all the baked goods. But in ice cream? No, thanks. The texture just isn’t satisfying. This recipe is my improvement—a chocolate chip ice cream without the literal chocolate chips (aka morsels). Instead, I decided to use nature’s chocolate chips: cacao nibs. Cacao nibs are tiny bits of dried cacao beans that have a crunchy texture and a pleasantly deep, bitter taste. It’s a beautiful contrast against the silky ice cream, that, by the way, doesn’t require any churning. (Thanks to the magical two-ingredient combo of sweetened condensed milk and freshly whipped cream.) And for some actual chocolate: thinly shaved milk chocolate. Because the chocolate is broken into slivers and shards—similar to Italian stracciatella—it will melt in your mouth right away.

Another key element to this ice cream is extra-virgin olive oil: it not only adds fat and richness to our ice cream that’ll preserve its creamy, soft and scoopable texture, it also brings a beautiful floral undertone that perfectly complements the chocolate. And don't worry, the olive oil will not make the ice cream taste like salad dressing. —Carolina Gelen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) cacao nibs
  • 100 grams milk chocolate, grated or shaved with a peeler
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, using a whisk or hand mixer, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
  2. Add the condensed milk, olive oil, and salt. Whisk just until incorporated (err on the side of undermixing versus overmixing).
  3. Gently fold the chocolate and cocoa nibs in the whipped cream mixture, pour the mixture in a loaf tin or a couple of quart containers. Cover the ice cream with parchment paper (touching the ice cream) to prevent freezer burn.
  4. Freeze for 6 to 12 hours.
The Best Blondie Ice Cream Sandwiches | Cook and a Half
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Stephen Woodall
    Stephen Woodall
  • m.sharpe
    m.sharpe
Carolina Gelen
Carolina is a resident at Food52. She's also one of the hosts of Choose Your Own Recipe Adventure, our YouTube show where our Food52 readers pick the ingredients and techniques for a brand new recipe. Carolina recently immigrated to the U.S. from Transylvania, a place she spent most of her life. She continues to get inspired by the classic Romanian and Hungarian foods she was raised on, creating approachable, colorful, and fun recipes. For more cooking ideas and candid moments, check out her Instagram @carolinagelen.

Popular on Food52

2 Reviews

m.sharpe
m.sharpe May 8, 2022
i can’t believe i made ice cream!! this is insanely easy + delicious - i made it last night and haven’t been able to stop eating it since. can’t wait to make this all summer, i think i’ll add fresh mint from the garden. i added a pinch more salt then listed in the recipe and little less chocolate as i just got lazy shaving. next time i think i’ll add a little less condensed milk to make it slightly less sweet but this is absolute perfection! the cocoa nibs are a genius addition - love the texture they bring. highly recommend with a drizzle of good olive oil + sprinkle of maldon. this recipe is a keeper!! make it :)
 
Stephen W.
Stephen W. May 1, 2022
I thought I had made every custardy, creamy dessert and am not a big ice cream person, but this is a game changer!! It is light, fluffy, creamy and just absolute perfection. I had low expectations and was blown away with how simple and delicious it is.