Chocolate and peanut butter, always a match made in heaven, come together in the most delicious way in this rich homemade triple chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
This is a Philadelphia-Style ice cream. Which only means that there aren't any eggs in it like there are in custard style ice cream. Philadelphia-style ice cream is the more common variety here in the US, so much so, that I've never seen it labeled "Philadelphia-style". It's just "ice cream".
Generally, when I make homemade ice cream, I lean towards custard style, which is rich and smooth, dense and even a bit chewy. But, that eggy custard also mutes the flavors in the ice cream a bit. Without the richness of the eggs, the flavors in the ice cream come through loud and clear, making it a great option if you want a strong chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe Notes
This homemade chocolate ice cream contains three kinds of chocolate: dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa powder.
This combination gives the ice cream a rich chocolate flavor that will make any chocolate lover swoon. It's important to use good quality chocolate, because the flavor comes through loud and clear. Feel free to adjust the proportion of dark chocolate to milk chocolate if you like, but be aware that replacing some of the dark chocolate with milk chocolate will make the ice cream sweeter because milk chocolate contains more sugar.
Curing the ice cream base overnight is not mandatory, but it does make better ice cream.
Letting the ice cream base sit in the refrigerator for a few hours has a remarkable effect on the finished quality of your homemade ice cream. It allows proteins to kind of suck up excess water, resulting in smaller ice crystals and a smoother ice cream. It also gives the flavors in the ice cream a chance to blend and intensify. And, it goes a long way towards eliminating air bubbles in the ice cream base, creating a denser, richer ice cream.
Any nut butter will be good in this ice cream, not just peanut butter.
Melting some coconut oil into the nut butter gives it a delicious firm consistency, allowing you to layer ribbons of peanut butter throughout the chocolate ice cream. The result is firm chunks of salty peanut butter that dissolve in your mouth with each creamy bite.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream is SO good topped with honey roasted nuts and bananas.
Rich chocolate ice cream laced with peanut butter ribbons is amazing all on its own. But, if you really want to gild the lily, serve it topped with a few honey roasted nuts and slices of banana. It's like the best banana split ever.
Two ingredients that help make incredibly smooth homemade ice cream.
This recipe calls for Glucose Syrup and Xanthan Gum, two ingredients which might not be typical in your kitchen or your local grocery store, but both of which can easily be ordered.
Glucose syrup has the ability to bind with more water molecules than regular sugar. This ensures that less water in the ice cream forms into ice crystals, producing ice cream that is softer and smoother when frozen. I ordered mine on Amazon. However, if you prefer, feel free to substitute granulated sugar or corn syrup for the Glucose Syrup.
Likewise, xanthan gum prevents large ice crystals from forming in homemade ice cream, further contributing to a smooth, creamy texture. I also order xanthan gum on Amazon. You only need a small amount to achieve optimal ice cream texture, but the stuff will last for years, stored in your cupboard or pantry.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe
Chocolate and peanut butter, always a match made in heaven, come together in the most delicious way in this rich homemade triple chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM:
- 7 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
- 3 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
- 4 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ½ tablespoon non-fat milk powder
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 3 ½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup glucose syrup
- 2 teaspoon xanthan gum
FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL:
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM BASE:
- Add the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt to a metal or glass bowl and nest it over a pan of simmering water. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan of simmering water and set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the milk powder and sugar.
- Add the cream, milk, and glucose syrup to a medium sized heavy bottom sauce pan and cook, whisking occasionally with a wire whisk, until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil.
- Pour the milk powder mixture into the sauce pan and whisk to combine. Reduce the heat to a low, simmer and cook for an additional two minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat.
- Pour about ⅓ of the hot milk mixture into the melted chocolate, whisking until smooth. Gradually add the remaining milk in two or three additions, whisking to incorporate completely with each addition.
- Fill a large bowl two-thirds full with ice and a little water. Nest the bowl with your ice cream base into this ice bath and let it sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally until it's cool to the touch.
- Pour the ice cream base into a blender, add the xanthan gum and blend on medium speed to combine.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER RIBBON:
- Add the peanut butter, coconut oil and salt to a medium size heat proof bowl and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir the mixture until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
FREEZE THE ICE CREAM:
- Pour the chilled ice cream base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. The ice cream is ready when it's the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Scoop about ⅓ of the ice cream into a container and drizzle with about ½ of the peanut butter. Layer another third of the ice cream over the peanut butter and drizzle with the remaining peanut butter. Top with the remaining chocolate ice cream and smooth the top. Cover tightly and freeze until it hardens completely, around 4 hours.
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Sara Rate says
Hi Rebecca,
I’m so excited to make this. I just need to devise a way to keep my hubby from eating it in one sitting 😂. I do have one question, have you ever tried using cornstarch or plain gelatin in place of the xanthan gum?
Thank you!!
Sara
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Sara! I'm so excited for you to make this as well! You can absolutely use cornstarch in place of the xanthan gum in this recipe. Both products act as a stabilizer and help create a super-creamy consistency. You'll need more cornstarch than xanthan - I'd suggest using 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And I'd love to hear what you and your husband think of this ice cream! xo
Jenna says
Fabulous recipe!! I omitted Xanthan gum and substituted corn syrup for the glucose syrup. I added a touch of almond extract and strained the mixture just prior to the ice bath.
The result is a rich, creamy, *not hard* ice cream that is just divine. You're so right about choosing quality chocolate as this ice cream is nothing but chocolate flavor! I'm impressed with it and will continue to make this! Thank you!!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Jenna! I am so happy to hear that you liked this recipe! I love that you added almond extract! Almond extract is an unsung hero that adds that little something to so many sweet foods, making them even better. Thank you so very much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I appreciate it so much! xo