Chocolate and peanut butter — a classic pairing — come together in this decadent homemade triple chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
This is a Philadelphia-style ice cream, which means there are no eggs in the base as there are in custard-style ice creams. Philadelphia-style is the most common type of ice cream in the United States — it’s typically labeled simply as “ice cream.”
When I make ice cream at home I often favor custard-style for its richness and density. However, the eggy custard can soften other flavors. A Philadelphia-style base lets the chocolate and peanut butter shine more clearly, delivering a bold, clean chocolate punch perfect for chocolate lovers.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe Notes
This recipe uses three forms of chocolate: dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa powder.
Using a mix of chocolates builds a layered chocolate flavor. Choose good-quality chocolate because the taste becomes very noticeable in a simple ice cream base. If you swap some dark chocolate for milk chocolate, the ice cream will be sweeter because milk chocolate contains more sugar.
Resting the ice cream base in the refrigerator overnight is optional but recommended.
Allowing the base to chill for several hours helps proteins and solids hydrate, which reduces ice crystal size and contributes to a smoother, creamier texture. Chilling also helps flavors meld and reduces trapped air, producing a denser, more satisfying frozen dessert.
Any nut butter can be used for the swirl, not just peanut butter.
Melting a little coconut oil into the nut butter helps it firm up into ribbons or chunks when frozen. The coconut oil thins the nut butter while warm, and then solidifies as the ice cream freezes, creating pleasant pockets of salty, creamy nut butter throughout the chocolate base.
Try topping the finished ice cream with honey-roasted nuts and banana slices.
The chocolate and peanut butter base is excellent on its own, but a few chopped honey-roasted nuts and banana slices turn it into an elevated take on a banana split.
Two ingredients that help make incredibly smooth homemade ice cream
This recipe calls for glucose syrup and xanthan gum — ingredients you might not keep in your everyday pantry but that are easy to source. Both improve texture and scoopability when used in small amounts.
Glucose syrup binds more water molecules than plain sugar, which reduces the amount of free water that can turn into large ice crystals. The result is a softer, smoother ice cream. If you prefer, you can substitute granulated sugar or corn syrup for glucose syrup, though the texture may vary slightly.
Xanthan gum helps prevent large ice crystals from forming, contributing to a creamy, consistent texture. You need only a small amount; stored in a cool, dry place it keeps for years.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe
About 2 quarts of ice cream
Chocolate and peanut butter join forces in this rich triple chocolate peanut butter ice cream — a crowd-pleasing freezer treat with ribbons of salty peanut butter throughout.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM:
- 7 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
- 3 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ½ tablespoons non-fat dry milk powder
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 ½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup glucose syrup (or substitute corn syrup or extra sugar)
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL:
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (or another nut butter)
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
Instructions
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM BASE:
- Add the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt to a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the non-fat dry milk powder and sugar.
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and glucose syrup. Heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture reaches a full rolling boil.
- Whisk the milk powder and sugar mixture into the hot milk, reduce heat to low, and simmer for two minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat.
- Pour about one-third of the hot milk mixture into the melted chocolate, whisking until smooth. Gradually add the remaining milk in two or three additions, whisking to fully incorporate after each addition.
- Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl two-thirds full with ice and a little water. Place the bowl with the ice cream base into the ice bath and stir occasionally until it is cool to the touch.
- Transfer the cooled base to 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, preferably overnight.
MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER RIBBON:
- Combine the peanut butter, coconut oil, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth and fully combined. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container until ready to swirl into the ice cream.
FREEZE THE ICE CREAM:
- Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency. Scoop about one-third of the ice cream into a container and drizzle roughly half the peanut butter mixture over it. Add another third of the ice cream, drizzle with the remaining peanut butter, then top with the last third of chocolate ice cream. Smooth the top, cover tightly, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
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