This Homemade Mocha Ice Cream is where it’s at!! I mean coffee and chocolate and Oreos, like seriously, y’all, I can’t even! It’s like every decadent craving got invited to the same party in your mouth. So, let’s get that freezer ready, because this mocha ice cream is the kind of treat that turns any ordinary day into a full-blown celebration.
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Confession: I’m not a coffee fan. Believe me, I’ve tried it black and loaded with sugar, I’ve sipped on lattes and suffered through bad espresso, but I’ve just never taken to the stuff. So, when it comes to ice cream, I never considered that I might enjoy a mocha-flavored variety! One bite into this delicious combination, and I was HOOKED! I’m not sure what it is about chocolate and coffee in ice cream, but, in my opinion, it completely works. I just adore it! After having spent a considerable amount of money on several pints of this stuff, I decided to duplicate the flavor at home.
The Heart & Soul Of This Mocha Fudge Ice Cream
Cuisine Inspiration: All-American
Primary Cooking Method: Stove and Freezing
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: A sweet ice cream with hints of coffee and bittersweet chocolate.
Skill Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Sweet Spots
- Better Than Storebought Ice Cream: There’s simply something about homemade ice cream that makes it so much better than any brand or flavor you can buy in the store.
- So Much Flavor. It’s got hints of chocolate and coffee layered with a homemade chocolate sauce and crushed cookies. Each indulgent bite is amazing!
- Summer Time Fun. Making homemade ice cream is the perfect way to end a cookout, celebrate birthdays, or simply an enjoyable treat on a hot day!
- Have Fun Customizing the Recipe. Making ice cream at home means you can put your own spin on it! Check out the substitution section below or simply get creative and add your own mix-ins and toppings!
- Skip the Preservatives. Homemade mocha ice cream means you get to control all the ingredients that go into it. With fewer to zero preservatives, all you get is a creamy bittersweet flavor that truly delivers.
Ingredients to Make Mocha Fudge Ice Cream
- Egg Base: A rich combo of 3 large eggs and 2 extra yolks ensures our ice cream is smooth and custardy.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar to sweeten our ice cream and the chocolate sauce just right.
- Cocoa and Coffee Twist: Cocoa powder and instant coffee mix into the ice cream base, infusing it with a deep mocha flavor.
- Liquids: A luscious blend of heavy whipping cream and half-and-half for that ultra-creamy texture.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract in both the ice cream and chocolate sauce for that hint of sweet, aromatic flavor.
- Chocolate Sauce Swirl: To create our irresistible chocolate sauce, we mix more cocoa with light corn syrup, milk, and a touch of unsalted butter, finishing it off with a splash of vanilla.
- Cookie Crunch: Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies are sprinkled in, adding a delightful crunch to our smooth swirl.
How to Make Mocha Ice Cream
Step 1: Make the Ice Cream Base
- Add the sugar, cocoa powder, and instant coffee to the bowl of whisked eggs and egg yolks.
- Whisk the mixture together until it is well mixed.
- Add the heavy cream and half and half to a large pot and heat to a boil.
- Remove the hot milk from the heat.
- Slowly add three tablespoons of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture to temper it and whisk together to combine. Then slowly add in the rest of the milk mixture and continue whisk the entire time to make sure it doesn’t scramble. Cover with plastic and place the mixture in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to chill completely.
- Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and stir in the vanilla extract.
Step 2: Make the Chocolate Sauce:
- Add the sugar and cocoa powder to a small saucepan.
- Whisk in the corn syrup and milk and heat over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer once it boils, and add the butter and vanilla extract.
- Whisk until smooth then set aside to completely cool.
Step 3: Freeze the Ice Cream and Assemble
- Add the ice cream base mixture to an ice cream maker.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and freeze until it gets to the soft serve stage.
- Spread a layer of ice cream in a freezer-safe container, top with chocolate sauce, then with crumbled cookies.
- Repeat making layers until all the ingredients are gone. Freeze it.
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Tips for Making the Best Mocha Ice Cream
- Give It Some Time. You will want to allow the ice cream a bit of time to set up in the freezer before serving it. It should have a soft-serve consistency when you remove it from the ice cream maker but it will firm up in the freezer. Usually an hour or so will do the trick.
- Don’t Swap the Dairy. Use full-fat dairy as the recipe is written for the best flavor and ice cream texture.
- Refer to Your Ice Cream Maker’s Instructions. They will all freeze at slightly different times so the best bet is to check them for the length of time it takes to freeze your ice cream.
- Temper the Egg Mixture. This means you are going to slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture. By adding it slowly you prevent the eggs from curdling or scrambling when adding the heated milk.
- Plan Ahead. There are multiple steps in this recipe and periods of time for cooling. You can’t rush things along if you want your ice cream to freeze properly. Make the chocolate sauce while the ice cream mixture is in the fridge so it has time to cool down to add to your ice cream.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
Use this base ice cream recipe to create your own frosty masterpiece and don’t forget to share it with me in the comments!
- Chocolate Chunks: Add chocolate chunks in place of the cookies or in combination! If using both replace half the cookies with the chocolate.
- Add Nuts: Add a bit of nuttiness with toasted pecans! This works great with or without the crushed cookies.
- Add a Caramel Ribbon: This can be in addition to or in place of the chocolate sauce. If you’re using both alternate using each one on the different layers.
- Salty Sweet Combination: Add crushed pretzels or toffee bits in place of the crushed cookies.
- Different Types of Cookies: Experiment with a variety of cookies including crispy chocolate chip cookies, edible cookie dough, and biscoff cookies.
What to Serve with Mocha Fudge Ice Cream
- Ice Cream Sundae: Serve it up as an ice cream sundae or banana split with homemade whipped cream, caramel sauce, and all your favorite ice cream toppings!
- More Toppings: Consider adding nuts, coconut, or chocolate chips to the top. You can even add more crushed chocolate cookies as well!
- Don’t Stop With Just One Scoop: Enjoy it with other popular ice cream flavors like coffee Ice cream, red velvet ice cream, and cookie butter ice cream.
- Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches: Spread it in between two brown butter chocolate chip cookies or use it to make these brownie ice cream sandwiches.
How to Store This Fudge Ice Cream
Transfer the ice cream into an airtight, freezer-safe container and smooth the top. Seal it tightly and stash it in the coldest part of your freezer. When you are ready to serve, allow it to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften up before scooping it up and serving it.
How long will mocha fudge ice cream last in the freezer?
Store it in the coldest part of your freeze to keep it fresh and scoopable for up to 2 months! However, I have to say in all honesty that the ice cream doesn’t taste as fantastic when being stored that long. It’s best to enjoy it freshly made and within a week or so of making it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, this particular recipe needs to be made with an ice cream maker. If you’re looking for a no-churn ice cream I highly recommend my strawberry cheesecake ice cream or banana pudding ice cream.
Yes! I highly recommend it! The ice cream ain’t as creamy without it and you will be disappointed I feel certain. The fat in the cream and half and half keep the ice cream smooth, creamy, and ice-free. When you use dairy with less fat you will find that the consistency of the ice cream tends to end up with more ice crystals.
In order to get the marbled chocolate and cookie ribbons throughout the ice cream try to aim for 3-4 layers of ice cream separated with the cookies and sauce.
Mocha Fudge Swirl Ice Cream delivers the best of both worlds! A bit of chocolate and coffee in each bite that even your coffee haters will love each creamy bite. Enjoy homemade ice cream throughout the summer or any time of year when the craving strikes.
Best Ice Cream Recipes
- No-Churn Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Sweet Potato Ice Cream
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- Classic Vanilla Ice Cream
- Strawberry Ice Cream
- Raspberry Ice Cream
Mocha Ice Cream
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream:
- 3 large large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 crushed cookies and cream
Instructions
- Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. Next add sugar, cocoa powder, and instant coffee to the bowl and whisk together.
- Add heavy cream and half and half to a large saucepan and heat gently; do not let come to a boil.
- Temper eggs by slowly pour 1 cup of hot heavy cream mixture into egg mixture while whisking quickly. This will raise the temperature of the eggs carefully without scrambling them. Then while stirring, pour the tempered egg mixture slowly into the remaining heavy cream mixture in the saucepan.
- Gently heat ice cream base over medium low heat, stirring constantly (especially the corners of the pot), until thickened and reaches 170F on a digital thermometer. The mixture should look silky and coat the back of a spoon so when you run your finger through it, it doesn’t come back together.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve (to catch any cooked egg pieces) and chill in an ice bath (a bowl set inside of a bowl of ice water) until it’s cooled to room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap and move into the refrigerator until completely cold, about 2-3 hours.
For the Chocolate Sauce:
- Add sugar and cocoa powder to a small saucer then whisk in corn syrup and milk and heat over medium heat.
- Once everything comes to a boil, reduce heat to low to simmer.
- Add butter and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth then set aside to completely cool.
To assemble:
- Add your mixture to an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and freeze until it gets to soft serve stage.
- Alternate layering ice cream, chocolate sauce and crumbled cookies to freezer safe container until all ingredients are gone and freeze.
Notes
- Give It Some Time. You will want to allow the ice cream a bit of time to set up in the freezer before serving it. It should have a soft-serve consistency when you remove it from the ice cream maker but it will firm up in the freezer. Usually an hour or so will do the trick.
- Don’t Swap the Dairy. Use full-fat dairy as the recipe is written for the best flavor and ice cream texture.
- Refer to Your Ice Cream Maker’s Instructions. They will all freeze at slightly different times so the best bet is to check them for the length of time it takes to freeze your ice cream.
- Temper the Egg Mixture. This means you are going to slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture. By adding it slowly you prevent the eggs from curdling or scrambling when adding the heated milk.
- Plan Ahead. There are multiple steps in this recipe and periods of time for cooling. You can’t rush things along if you want your ice cream to freeze properly. Make the chocolate sauce while the ice cream mixture is in the fridge so it has time to cool down to add to your ice cream.
- Storing: Once churned and ready, it’s important to transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. A tightly sealed container will keep the ice cream fresh and free from freezer burn. If you don’t have access to a proper ice cream container, no worries! Just use a heavy-duty, freezer-safe container of your choice.
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I am confessing that I am a coffee lover and love this ice cream more than anything else! This is what I am making with my boys over the weekend. Thank you for your detailed instructions.
WoooW, this looks soooo delicious and you have explained the recipe so well. Super easy to follow and i’m saving to try this soon.
I like coffee icecream as well as icecream with cookies in it and appreciate how this recipe combines both.
A very rich and silky ice cream. Though a bit time consuming it was worth every bite. I would love to try other flavors!
Forget your diet, this ice cream is worth every calorie! It comes out rich, sweet, creamy, and delicious. Loved it.
A super simple, easy, yet delicious ice cream to make. Mocha is one of my favorite ice cream flavors and I can’t wait to try this! Yum!
Ilove ice cream the combination of mocha with chocolate makes it more flavor full my friends also like mocha ice cream might do this excellent recipe thank you for sharing
We are still in a bit of cold, but I would not turn down this icecream! Two of our favorites. Chocolate and coffee. Incredible. We agree on using the full milk. Makes it so rich and creamy.
Well done!
Perfect recipe to plan my next dessert for my next party. Thanks for this delicious treat.