Chocolate Superfudge Brownie Ice Cream Recipe

Making homemade ice cream is easier than you think! This recipe is decadent and chocolate lovers will be in heaven!

Growing up, we made homemade ice cream every summer. My dad made the BEST vanilla and strawberry ice cream in an ice cream machine that churned away on the deck. And while I LOVE strawberry ice cream, I wanted to try my hand at a super rich chocolate ice cream (that pairs wonderfully with strawberry ice cream, should you have both on hand!). So I’m about to give you something really, really great. No, it’s not healthy. But it’s amazing. Really really amazing. And sometimes you need amazing stuff in your life, right? It’s all about balance. Being too restrictive with your diet is a recipe for disaster so let’s give you a recipe to help you find some balance in the dessert category.

Okay, now to this yummy chocolate superfudge brownie ice cream recipe! It’s perfect for these hot summer days. I can’t wait to make ice cream with Thomas when he is a bit older!

Chocolate Superfudge Brownie Ice Cream Recipe

I thought now would be the perfect time to bring out this dessert recipe, because it’s a little different than the typical summer desserts with fruit. The deep chocolate flavor and rich fudge brownie mix-ins make me yearn for colder months, but I don’t really crave ice cream in the winter. So, that’s why I make this a summer treat. But really, you can make this whenever you dang well please!

**(This recipe is adapted from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream & Dessert Book, circa 1987 – yep, it exists and you want it.)

Ingredients

Ok, so there are two sections of this recipe – 1) the ice cream and, 2) the brownie. Depending on how you like your brownies, the brownie-making portion can be quick with a box mix or take just a little longer if you make them from scratch. Either way, your brownies have to cool to room temperature or refrigerated so be sure to plan ahead for that!

Ice Cream

4 oz unsweetened chocolate (I buy the Guittard brand)
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup white cane sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

Brownies

I use the boxed Ghiradelli’s brownie mix because it’s easy and delicious. But you can also make your brownies from scratch! Or, if you are like me and forget to buy brownie mix when you’re at the store specifically to buy brownie ice cream ingredients, then I always have the fallback option of making these brownies instead. All the ingredients are staple pantry items so it’s super easy to make and super delicious.

(You can’t go wrong with either option, it just depends on how much effort you want to put in – or in my case, if you have limited choices based on the result of pregnancy brain).

Prepping The Brownies

Since there are two prepping stages to this recipe, I always recommend starting with your brownies. This gives them enough time to bake and cool completely (which can take a while).

Step 1

Follow the instructions on the side of your brownie box (or from whatever homemade brownie recipe you’re following) and bake a batch of brownies. Once you make the batter, preheat oven to 350 degrees (or whatever the recipe calls for). A note about cook time: I like them to look slightly undercooked so they stay chewy and soft, so err on the side of less time. For example, if the recipe says to bake for 30 minutes, check them at 27 minutes! Remove from the oven, leave them in the pan and set aside to cool completely.

Step 2

Once you’ve prepped a batch of delicious brownies (try not to eat them all before you even get to the ice cream stage), chop some of the brownies up to get about 1 cup worth. The size you chop them into depends on how large of chunks you like in your ice cream!

Step 3

Place this cup of chopped brownies in the fridge about an hour before you plan to add the ice cream mixture to the ice cream machine (so after the ice cream mixture cooling time below).

**If you want to add extra brownies to this pile, feel free. Extra brownie chunks never hurt ice cream. If you’re anything like me, some brownie chunks made it into my mouth instead of the ice cream.

Ok, so now that your brownies are cooling in the fridge – it’s time to tackle the ice cream!

Prepare the chocolate ice cream

Instructions

Step 1

Melt the unsweetened chocolate in the microwave, going in 30-second increments with the power at 50%. Stir every 30 seconds and repeat until completely melted.

Step 2

Whisk in the milk and microwave again for about 30-60 seconds until it all blends together smoothly. (Or use a double boiler to melt the chocolate slowly over low heat and then add in the milk and heat until smooth and well combined….I don’t have a double boiler and am generally too lazy to set up my faux version. The microwave works just fine unless you’re a purist.)

Step 3

After the chocolate and milk is combined, set the mixture aside to cool.

Step 4

Crack the eggs into a separate large bowl. Using a hand mixer, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes).

Step 5

Whisk in the sugar, adding a little at a time. After all the sugar is added, keep whisking for another minute to make sure it’s fully blended.

Step 6

Add the cream, vanilla and salt and whisk some more to fully blend all ingredients thoroughly.

Step 7

Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the cream/egg mixture, whisking as you combine. Make sure you mix well. (If you pour the warm chocolate mixture into the cream and egg mixture too quickly, it may curdle the eggs so take your time!)

Step 8

Cover and refrigerate your chocolate ice cream mix until completely cold (3-4 hours or overnight).

Step 9

After tasting a giant spoonful of the ice cream “batter,” pour the rest into your ice cream maker (I use this one) and let it mix until thickened. This takes about 25-30 minutes in my mixer.

Step 10

Once it’s thick enough (which depends on your preference) but it usually looks like this, (OMG…just looking at it makes me want more) add in the brownies and let it mix for another minute or two.

Step 11

You can serve immediately for a soft-serve type ice cream (keep in mind it will melt VERY quickly). Or, transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours. This will make it more like a true ice cream texture that you can scoop. You may need to let it soften for just a few minutes before scooping if it seems too hard.

Step 12

Thank me later. And Pin this for later (or for now, no judgment here).

Variations

There are plenty of ways you can alter this recipe to really make it your own – while keeping the taste just as delicious! Here are a few of my favorites (trust me, I’ve tried them all).

Milk

I haven’t tried making it dairy-free with success. I’ve tested coconut milk and it did NOT work well – it froze almost immediately so it didn’t churn and get creamy so there is a trick to coconut milk based ice creams I haven’t learned yet. It likely needs to be mixed with a non-dairy milk that doesn’t harden as quickly, like oatmilk or almond milk, but I haven’t tried it. If you do, please let me know but I can’t promise it’ll work! 🙂

I have tested it with skim milk, 2% milk, and whole milk. Those all work!

Sub out your brownies

You could easily sub brownies for something else like blondies, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, or even cake! You could also use crumbled oreos (yum!).

Sub out your sugar

I haven’t tried making this with brown sugar, honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar. I imagine it may change the texture, particularly as it freezes. So if you try it, let me know how it turns out!

Make it without an ice cream machine

I have this Cuisinart Ice Cream machine and LOVE it. It’s affordable and easy to use. I’ve had it for over 10 years and they still sell the same model, which is a great sign! If you have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, you can buy an ice cream maker attachment. Those are the easiest options, so I recommend buying one of those. But this is a good resource for how to make ice cream without a machine of any sort.

Topping ideas

If you have kids (or don’t) and want to make it a little festive, throw some sprinkles on top! Chocolate chips or caramel chips are also delicious. There are plenty of great topping ideas that will work here. It is ice cream after all. And, of course, hot fudge is always encouraged.

Let me know what you think of this recipe when you make (and which toppings or variations you tried if you did!).

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I originally published this Chocolate Superfudge Brownie Ice Cream recipe in 2010! I’ve made a few tweaks and given the photos a major upgrade with this most recent publish date. But enjoy these photos from 11 years ago!!

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