This dark chocolate ice cream is rich, creamy, and unapologetically indulgent—the kind that makes you close your eyes for a second when you take a bite. It’s sweetened entirely with honey, which gives it a smooth, mellow sweetness that plays perfectly with the deep flavor of cocoa. No refined sugar, no artificial sweeteners, just real ingredients coming together in the best possible way.
I tested a few versions of this recipe—some with melted chocolate, some with sugar substitutes—but this one won me over. The honey blends into the custard beautifully, adding a depth that regular sugar just can’t match. And while I debated throwing in chocolate chunks to make it a “double chocolate” situation, I decided this one didn’t need any help. It’s already pure chocolate bliss on its own. But if you’re the kind of person who thinks there’s no such thing as too much chocolate, you can fold in some chopped dark chocolate right after churning. I won’t judge.
This recipe makes about a quart, and honestly, a small scoop is all you need—it’s that rich. But I say that knowing full well you’ll probably go back for seconds.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 1 quart
Category: Gluten Free, Honey Sweetened, Refined Sugar Free
Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup honey
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa powder with a little honey to form a smooth paste. Gradually add the rest of the honey, mixing until it’s glossy and lump-free.
Scrape the cocoa-honey mixture into a heavy saucepan. Add the cream and milk, whisking until everything’s combined. Warm the mixture over medium heat until it’s hot, but not boiling—keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly drizzle about 1 cup of the warm cream mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly to temper them.
Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and return to low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. Don’t let it boil or it’ll curdle—low and slow wins here.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to catch any cooked bits. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 6 hours (or set the bowl in an ice bath if you’re impatient).
Once the mixture is cold, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 2 hours before scooping.
Every spoonful of this ice cream tastes like dark chocolate velvet—smooth, slightly bitter, perfectly sweet, and impossible to resist. It’s the kind of dessert that feels fancy even though it’s made with pantry staples, and once you taste how good honey-sweetened ice cream can be, there’s no going back.