Summer is here! We’ve had triple digit heat for the last five days. Since I was blessed with an ice-cream maker for Mothers Day, this heat wave has been the perfect excuse to really break it in! After all, nothing says summer like ice-cream. Especially homemade ice cream! This Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream is full of decadent chocolate flavors and the swirl of rich, salty peanut butter running through it is simply divine!
The only drawback to homemade ice cream, is the time it takes to make it. Our ice-cream mixing bowl is always in the freezer, but the mixture usually needs to sit overnight in the fridge to be cold enough to churn. That’s ok though, being able to make this ice cream easily, would be a dangerous thing!
I just love peanut butter and chocolate together. This ice cream reminds me of frozen peanut butter cups, or those chocolate covered peanut butter girl scout cookies, what are they called? You know the one’s I’m talking about! They are like Thin Mints, even better when they are frozen! Tagalongs! That’s what they are called. Yes, I had to look it up. HA! Either way, you should plan on eating this ice cream right away. I guarantee, just like girl scout cookies in our house, it won’t last very long in the freezer once you taste it!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 TBLS cornstarch
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 TBLS plus 1 tsp heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Instructions
In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch.
In a heavy bottom saucepan, warm milk over medium heat.
Add the sugar mixture to the warm milk and whisk out any lumps.
Continue to heat over a medium flame until the mixture just starts to boil.
It will be thick, close to the consistency of chocolate pudding.
Pour the chocolate mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl.
Add the heavy cream and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips to the bowl.
Stir the cream and chips into the chocolate mixture until everything melts and is a smooth consistency.
Put plastic wrap directly over the chocolate mixture – making sure it touches the mix. This keeps a thick skin from forming on your ice-cream base.
Refrigerate at least two hours, overnight if possible.
While the chocolate base is cooling, make your peanut butter swirl. You want to make the peanut butter swirl the same day you will be churning your ice cream.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, heavy cream and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
When your chocolate mixture is completely cool, churn it according to your ice cream makers instructions.
When completely churned, add the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips into the mixture, stirring to completely incorporate the chips throughout the ice cream.
Spoon into a freezer-friendly container.
Add the peanut butter mixture by dropping spoonfuls on top of the chocolate ice cream and swirling it through with a butter knife or stiff spatula.
Be careful not to stir too much so you don’t completely incorporate the peanut butter, but have thick swirls of it running through the ice cream.
Cover and freeze for several hours before serving.
I love blue bunnys peanut butter panic ice cream and was crushed when it was discontinued. I hope this is as good as the other one. thanks for the recipe
Hi, this recipe sounds lovely but how much does it yield?
Hi! It will make about a quart of ice-cream!
Can one add in cookie dough and what kind would work? I’ve never used corn starch in ice cream. Is it really necessary? How does it work? Purpose? I have had bad luck using corn starch in other dishes. My basic ice cream recipe is always 1/2 and 1/2 and cream and sugar as the base.
Hi Claire! Yes, you can add in cookie dough. Your favorite recipe would work just fine. Make sure the clumps are rather on the small side and mix them in at the very last. Great question about the cornstarch. The reason for it, is to replace eggs in a traditional custard ice cream recipe, and it’s used to maintain a very creamy consistency in the final product. Does that help?
Why would you replace the eggs in the first place? Is there a reason not to use them in this particular ice cream?
Hi Ron, I wanted a recipe that didn’t need them. This is for those occasions when you don’t have time to cook the eggs, temper them etc and you just want ice cream ASAP. :-)
My son is allergic to eggs, so having an egg-free recipe is very helpful :-)
I have been making ice cream with coconut milk instead of dairy and it is really good as long as you like coconut as part of your flavor profile. I will have to try it with chocolate and peanut butter.
My daughter is allergic to peanut butter and this ice cream looks divine! Do you have any idea what I could in place of the peanut butter?
Abby – you can use a caramel swirl, or just leave the peanut butter out! Chocolate ice cream is good all by itself! :-)
Try almond butter!
That sounds like a great alternative! Thanks for sharing. :-)
Oooh, I’ve never tasted ice-cream with peanut butter in it, but how yummy!! It looks fab, Sara!
ohhhh… chocolate and peanut butter are a combo made in heaven! Thanks so much for the great recipe, Sara!
I looooooooove this ice cream!!
I’ve made a very similar recipe a few days ago, and it was all gone in a very short time :)
Yum! One of the best combos ever. I made a dark chocolate peanut butter that is totally divine (posted on my blog). I LOVE my ice cream maker and have tried tons or recipes with gazillions more to go : )
Hi Maria, I was given an ice-cream maker for Mothers Day and I love it too!! In the last few weeks, I have started experimenting with recipes so I will come visit your blog for ideas! YAY! What are your favorites? Any tips or suggestions for me?