Homemade Ice Cream Recipe (Chocolate)

My mom’s family is from a very small, rural town in North Carolina. Growing up we would visit frequently during the summer holidays each time my dad got stationed at Ft. Bragg. My great-grandmother had 18 children, so you can only imagine how large our family get-togethers were! One of the most common traditions we had, was getting together at the family farm. It wasn’t a huge farm by any means, but as a kid-it seemed like it went on forever! All of us littles would run around like crazy getting into everything we possibly could. We ran through the woods, chased chickens, and even fell in the ditches a few times. One thing that would bring us all back together on a muggy, summer evening would be homemade ice cream. There’s nothing like it. You can purchase the most expensive ice cream on the market-but it doesn’t compare to the flavor of homemade by a long shot!

Back then we had hand-crank churns, which meant us kids were put to serious hard labor. It took a while, but man was it worth it! Now, this summer we have planned on making our own quite a bit. Summer just wouldn’t be the same without it! This recipe is the one we’ve used over and over again, and I’m really excited to share it with you! It’s really simple!

Homemade Ice Cream Recipe

What You Need:

• Ice Cream Churn (electric is a bit easier, but the hand-crank kind will work just fine!)
• 3 tbs cocoa powder
• 3 1/2 cups heavy whipping crea
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup already Whipped Cream (this is completely optional, but it does make for a fluffy ice cream!)

 

-Dissolve the cocoa powder in a little bit of hot water.

-Mix with remaining ingredients.

-Once everything is fully incorporated, freeze according to your churn’s instructions. Every one is a little different, so make sure you read the manual! This recipe will make 2 quarts!

Don’t want chocolate? Exchange the cocoa powder for peppermint extract, peanut butter, caramel, or whatever your heart’s desire!

Don’t have a churn? Here’s another recipe for ice cream without a maker:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (cold)
• 1 14 ounce can of condensed milk
• Your choice of mix ins (berries, peanut butter, cocoa powder, caramel, extracts, etc.)

-Take the cold cream and with using a mixer, whip until you get stiff peaks.

-Take the milk and mix in a separate bowl with your desired flavorings.

-Scrape the cream into the milk bowl and gently fold together.

-Pour into a freezer safe container and freeze for roughly six hours.

-Serve and enjoy!

What are your favorite mix-ins for ice cream? Have you ever had homemade ice cream before? What is your favorite homemade ice cream recipe?