Chocolate almond ice cream is hands down the best ice cream I’ve tasted. Creamy and rich with dark chocolate, almond butter, and cocoa powder, it’s easy to make and a must-have summer treat!
I’ve been making this eggless chocolate ice cream for years, and it never lets me down. It’s a Philly-style recipe. No eggs, no custard, no fuss. Just warm everything up in a saucepan, blend it smooth, and let your ice cream maker do the rest. This vegetarian version has been my go-to for easy, no-stress scoops.
Chocolate and almond ice cream has that deep, dark chocolate flavor you crave and a swirl of nutty almond butter that makes it SO GOOD! I adapted this recipe from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, as I also did for this mango cherry frozen yogurt. It’s my bible for all kinds of ice creams and sorbets!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple, creamy, and totally comforting.
No eggs, no fuss. Just heat, chill, churn.
Loaded with real dark chocolate and almond butter for creaminess and a nutty twist.
Homemade ice cream that tastes like a gourmet scoop.
Make-ahead friendly for weekend treats or weekday pick-me-up.
Almond Chocolate Ice Cream Ingredients
Chocolate gives the ice cream its rich, almost fudgy flavor. I used a 55% couverture chocolate. You can use darker (70%) or lighter chocolate. Please use the best quality chocolate you can get.
Cream: The original chocolate almond ice cream recipe recommends heavy whipping cream. I couldn’t find any, so I used 25% fat cream. I’ve made the ice cream with it very successfully multiple times. It gives the ice cream a rich base that holds up beautifully after freezing.
Milk: Full-fat milk is what the original recipe uses. But I have made it multiple times with toned milk as well, very successfully!
Cocoa Powder: We add just ¼ cup, but it really deepens the chocolate flavor.
Almond Butter: The unsung hero of the chocolate almond ice cream recipe. It adds a nutty depth and extra creaminess. Homemade or store-bought works.
Sugar: Regular granulated white sugar works perfectly here.
Vanilla Extract: A splash of homemade vanilla extract rounds up the flavors.
See the recipe card for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Chocolate: Add chocolate chips or chocolate chunks to the ice cream.
Butter: Use peanut butter or cashew butter in place of almond butter. Or try hazelnut spread or tahini. You can simply leave it out, too.
Salt: Add some sea salt to liven up the flavors!
How To Make Chocolate Almond Ice Cream?
Step 1: Whisk together cream, sugar, and cocoa in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat while whisking it frequently.
Step 2: Take it off the heat. Stir in the chocolate and almond butter.
Step 3: Once the chocolate has melted completely, mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Cool the mixture a bit and then blend it to make sure it's completely smooth. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Step 5: Then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
You can eat it straight away as a soft serve or take it out in a freezer-friendly pan and freeze it till hard.
Pro Tips
- Make sure the canister of your ice cream maker is frozen. You should put the canister in the freezer for at least 24 hours. I have a dedicated space in my freezer for it in summer. This way, I'm always ready to make ice cream!
- It's also very very important to thoroughly chill your ice cream mixture. I highly recommend refrigerating the mixture overnight.
- Once the ice cream is churned, transfer to a freezer-friendly dish and enjoy it straight away as a soft serve or freeze for at least 5-6 hours. I always prefer the latter.
- The original recipe recommends heavy cream and full-fat milk, but you can use a lighter, 25% fat cream and even toned milk, without compromising on the creaminess!
- If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture until it's semi-frozen. Take it out and churn it in your blender. Put it back in the freezer till it's semi-frozen again. Repeat this process 3-4 times to get a perfectly creamy ice cream.
How To Serve
Scoop the chocolate ice cream with almond butter into your favorite bowl (or a cone—no judgment here), and top with a little extra drizzle of almond butter or vegan caramel sauce. Crushed almonds or dark chocolate chips are great too.
A little sprinkle of almond date granola on top adds the perfect crunch. Feeling fancy? Sandwich a scoop between two eggless chocolate chip cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Almond and chocolate are a classic flavor match! The nutty, slightly sweet taste of almonds pairs beautifully with the rich, slightly bitter notes of chocolate. After this homemade chocolate almond ice cream recipe, do try my almond butter cups or chocolate chip cookies with almonds.
You don't have to add almond butter to chocolate ice cream if you don’t want the buttery almond flavor. The ice cream is fantastic without it, too!
Store the chocolate and almond ice cream in a shallow, freezer-safe container with a tight lid for 2 to 3 weeks. Freeze as soon as it's churned. Avoid repeated thawing and refreezing because it messes up the texture.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Almond Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cream I used 25% fat cream
- 1/4 cup Cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1 cup 55% dark chocolate
- 3 Tbsp Almond butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup Full-fat milk
Instructions
- Whisk together cream, sugar and cocoa in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat while whisking it frequently.
- Take it off the heat. Stir in the chocolate and almond butter. Once its melted completely, mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
- Cool the mixture a bit and then blend it to make sure its completely smooth.
- Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. Then churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. You can eat it straight away as a soft serve or take it out in a freezer-friendly pan and freeze it till hard.
- If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture until its semi frozen. Take it out and churn it in your blender. Put it back in the freezer till its semi frozen again. Repeat this process 3-4 times to get a perfectly creamy ice cream.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the canister of your ice cream maker is frozen. You should put the canister in the freezer for at least 24 hours. I have a dedicated space in my freezer for it in summer. This way, I'm always ready to make ice cream!
- It's also very very important to thoroughly chill your ice cream mixture. I highly recommend refrigerating the mixture overnight.
- Once the ice cream is churned, transfer to a freezer-friendly dish and enjoy it straight away as a soft serve or freeze for at least 5-6 hours. I always prefer the latter.
- The original recipe recommends heavy cream and full-fat milk, but you can use a lighter, 25% fat cream and toned milk, without compromising on the taste and creaminess!
- If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture until it's semi-frozen. Take it out and churn it in your blender. Put it back in the freezer till it's semi-frozen again. Repeat this process 3-4 times to get a perfectly creamy ice cream.
Vrushali Venkatraman says
Wanted to make chocolate ice cream for the first time and was so confused with the myriad recipes on net...but then finally went with yours as after the double chocolate cookies my faith is instilled in your recipes and proportions ...Thanks for a delectable, doable and easy one!
P.S. Made minus almond butter yet it turned great.
Natasha Minocha says
Wow! Thank you for your wonderful feedback, Vrushali. This means so much to me. Really happy you got a good chocolate ice cream to enjoy!xoxo