This Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream feels super fancy, but is super easy to make. It has fresh, sweet chunks of bright pink cherries, delicate shavings of rich, dark chocolate, and a touch of almond. The base is rich and creamy, and it’s packed with sweet cherries and bits of chocolate that add just the right texture. I can’t help but think of my Mom every time I eat this luscious combo, it was one of her favorites! The base of this ice cream is the same as our Snickerdoodle Ice Cream, so be sure to put that one on your list, too!
If you really want to take this recipe over the top, add some of this Easy Hot Fudge Sauce.
Ingredients Needed
- milk – you can make this ice cream with whole OR 2% milk
- sugar
- eggs
- heavy cream
- cherries – pitted and halved, or quartered
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
- chocolate– about 3oz. I like to use a chocoate bar, like hershey’s dark. You’ll need about 1 cup chocolate shavings; a small-hole cheese grater works great. We want the chocolate as small as possible; that way it distributes all the way through the ice cream, and melts in your mouth.
How to Make Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream
Make-Ahead Tip: I usually make custard bases for ice creams the day or night before I want to use them. Or, in the morning if I need it for that night. It takes quite a while for the mixture to get well-chilled, and it really will churn better if it’s super cool. So try to plan ahead so you can get the custard part out of the way. That way, when you want to make an ice cream (and eat it soon after), you can whip it together in no time.
This is a simple overview of the recipe, you’ll find a full printable recipe below!
- Heat milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form at the edges. Remove from heat.
- Whisk eggs in a bowl. Slowly add half the hot milk while whisking constantly. You need to be careful here to not get the eggs too hot too fast, or else they’ll curdle.
- Return remaining milk to stove, then whisk egg mixture back into the pan.
- Add cream and cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160°F and thickens.
- Remove from heat. Stir in cherries, vanilla, and almond extract. Cool and refrigerate for several hours.
- Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Add grated chocolate near the end of churning, or stir in by hand before freezing.
- Transfer to container and freeze several hours before serving.
Storage & Other Tips
- Once frozen and ready to store (granted, that’s if you have any leftover), keep the ice cream in the back of the freezer, not the door. The back of the freezer has more consistent temperatures, so it won’t form ice crystals.
- Homemade ice cream is typically tastes best within a month. If you keep it longer than that, it may lose its flavor and texture.
- Soften before scooping: let it sit at room temperature for 5 – 10 minutes before serving, so it’s easier to scoop and has that signature creamy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, I’m assuming they’ll work, although I’ve never tried it. If using frozen, measure fruit while still frozen. If using canned, drain well and then measure out a bit less than the recipe calls for–about 1 1/2 cups. Let me know how it goes!
I HATE frozen chunks of solid chocolate in ice cream. They’re like little rocks in something that should be creamy and smooth and once it’s frozen, you can’t even really taste it. So that’s why we’re using shaved chocolate and not chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. It’s so tiny that it distributes all the way through the ice cream and when it hits your tongue it just melts into chocolaty goodness.
Sure! Almond really enhances cherry flavor, but you can take it out if you want.
This custard thickens fast. A good trick to test the custard mixture is to dip a spoon in and run your finger down the back of it. When your finger leaves a track, it’s ready.
You can use an ice bath to speed up the cooling process.
Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk, 2%
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups cherries pitted, halved or quartered
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 ounces chocolate such as a dark hershey's bar
Instructions
Custard
- Combine milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs thoroughly. Very slowly, add ½ of the hot milk mixture, whisking the eggs constantly. Return the pan with the remaining milk mixture to the stove top and then whisk the egg and milk mixture back to the saucepan, whisking constantly. Be careful not to heat the eggs too hot too fast, or they’ll curdle.
- Add the heavy cream. Over medium-low heat and stirring constantly, continue heating the custard mixture until it thickens, aiming for 170-175°F. Do not exceed 180-185°F or your eggs may start curdling.
- Once ready, remove from heat and add the chopped cherries immediately. Add vanilla and almond extracts as well.
- Let the custard cool (you can use an ice bath if you want to speed that process up) and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
Churn & Freeze
- Once chilled, transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- While the ice cream is churning, grate the chocolate.
- Add the chocolate shavings into the ice cream when there’s just a few minutes left. If you wait too long and it’s already too thick, just stir them in by hand as you transfer your ice cream into another container. Freeze for several hours before serving
- Makes 1 ½ quarts, or serves 8 – 9 comfortably, with ⅔ cup servings each.
Questions & Reviews
Oh my goodness, I am SO with you on this one. Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. The BEST. I am not a huge dark chocolate fan, so the only thing that would make it better for me is if they used milk chocolate chunks. I know, it is wrong of me… but…
I also love the Klondike White House Cherry ice cream bars. Mmm mmm mmm. I think I will have to try to your ice cream recipe. Thank you!!!
My fall back is definitely a mint oreo or any type of berry swirled in vanilla ice cream (think blueberry cheesecake or our local dairy has a marionberry pie flavor… yum!).
I have have to say, though, curse you two and your ice cream posts!! (Not really, but it feels good to let go of that aggression!). I have never wanted an ice cream machine so bad. It will just have to wait, though. I have girls camp to get ready for (next week) so I can't be thinking about which ice cream machine to buy. 🙂
I love mint oreo shakes/ice cream. Simple, but awesome.
Moose tracks, Bunny Tracks…anything with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, and real creamy milk chocolate. None of that chocolate syrup.
Cherry-chocolate anything always makes me think of mom, too! We should definitely make her some of this this weekend, it looks AMAZING 🙂
Mint Chocolate Chip… always mint chocolate chip! YUM!
my DQ blizzard fallback is strawberry oreo…mmm. But I'm with you on the PB one too…that and the RR chicken teriyaki. I'm definitely a cherry choc lover! We should be friends!
My new fave is Heavenly Hash. Chocolate ice cream with swirls of marshmallow and chunks of chocolate covered almonds. So good!
Mocha Almond Fudge is always a good one. I don't drink coffee, but I LOVE coffee flavored ice cream, plus there is chocolate in it and nuts. Mmmmm
I LOVR chocolate chip. SimpleI know, but you can't beat a good chocolate chip with the shaved choclate (not the chunks). I also really like to combine chocolate and strawberry…like neopolitan minus the boring vanilla :o)