Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Recipe
The combination of a dark, rich chocolate flavor with a just hint of peanut butter is one of my favorites!!
But I have to say, I’m not an extreme peanut butter lover and only like it in small amounts. Dan, on the other hand, was eating it by the spoonful this morning and I wanted to gag. I couldn’t do it if I tried!
So this dark chocolate peanut butter brownie ice cream recipe is for the peanut butter lovers out there, but also those like me who appreciate peanut butter in small amounts!!
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Tips for Making Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream
What kind of brownies do you use?
I like to keep it simple and just use a box mix for brownies! It’s easy and reliable. I use this Ghirardelli double chocolate brownie mix which has extra chocolate chips in it… you can’t go wrong there!
What makes the ice cream dark chocolate?
The key ingredients to a homemade dark chocolate ice cream are these dark melting chocolates and dark cocoa powder.
Not only does this make the ice cream taste incredibly rich, but it also makes it extra beautiful. I love that deep chocolate color!
Do you have to make the peanut butter frosting homemade?
I don’t personally know of any store bought peanut butter ice cream. But if you didn’t feel like making it entirely from scratch, you could always add a few tablespoons of peanut butter to a container of store bought vanilla or butter cream frosting and I bet that would be delicious!
Also, if you prefer more of a peanut butter flavor, you can add more into the frosting. You could also add some peanut butter chips into the brownies too!
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup melting dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp instant coffee/espresso
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- brownies cubed
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
- In a large pot over medium heat, warm up the heavy cream and whole milk
- Once it's warm, add the melting dark chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar, instant espresso, vanilla, and salt
- Stir until the sugar and cocoa powder dissolves
- Remove from heat and let cool
- Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 24 hours
Peanut Butter Frosting
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until it's creamy
- Add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition
- Add the peanut butter and beat until blended completely
- Spread onto cooled brownies
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream
- Add the chilled ice cream mixture to your frozen ice cream bowl
- Meanwhile, put the frosted brownies in the freezer for about 15 minutes
- Churn the ice cream until it's done (about 20 minutes)
- Cube the frosted peanut butter brownies
- Transfer the ice cream to a container and pour 1/2 of it in, top with cubed brownies, and gently fold the brownies in
- Add the rest of the dark chocolate ice cream and top with more cubed brownies
- Eat right away for soft serve ice cream or place in a freezer safe container for at least a few hours to enjoy a more firm ice cream
Homemade Ice Cream FAQ
I’m no professional (like, at all), but i’ve been sharing about my homemade ice cream journey on Instagram since 2020. Many people in my community have been inspired to start making their own homemade ice cream and it makes me so happy!! If you’re one of those people, these questions might be helpful to you!
Do you need an ice cream maker?
You don’t need an ice cream maker to make homemade ice cream. However, if you want quality, creamy ice cream, I promise it’s worth investing in an ice cream maker! Once you have an ice cream maker, you won’t have any interest in buying ice cream from the grocery store ever again. Okay, except maybe when you need a quick Ben & Jerry’s run…
What is the best budget ice cream maker?
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker is best ice cream maker for a beginner. It’s affordable, easy to use, incredibly cute, and most importantly- makes the creamiest ice cream! It’s been really good to me. I’ve had many friends and family members purchase this machine and they always thank me later! All of my homemade ice cream recipes are specific to this Cuisinart ice cream maker.
Do you have recipes that don’t require an ice cream machine?
I don’t, but if you’re in interested in one of my flavors, look up “no churn” homemade ice cream recipes for that flavor. There are plenty of options out there… most use a sweetened condensed milk! I’ve made no-churn ice cream in the past, and it definitely does not provide the same creamy texture as when you churn ice cream. To me, the texture seemed more firm and icy.
How long does it take to make homemade ice cream?
You have to be a little prepared when you make your own ice cream. The most important thing to remember is to put your ice cream maker bowl in the freezer for at least 24 hours before churning. So as long as the bowl is frozen, you could make the ice cream batter in the morning and refrigerate for a few hours before churning. (The churning process only takes about 20 minutes) However, if you leave your ice cream mixture in the fridge longer, it will result in a creamier, more flavorful, ice cream. I almost always leave my mixture in the fridge overnight. Here’s an example of my homemade ice cream making schedule:
- Friday Afternoon– place the freezer bowl in the freezer then make the ice cream mixture, cover, and refrigerate. (Both for 24 hours)
- Saturday Afternoon– churn the ice cream mixture! It’ll be ready to eat in soft-serve consistency at this point, but I prefer more of a hard ice cream texture so I put it back in the freezer for at least a few hours
- Saturday Evening– enjoy the ice cream!
What if my ice cream isn’t thickening?
Without fail, the most common mistake when making homemade ice cream is forgetting to put the bowl in the freezer ahead of time. Or, not giving the bowl enough time to freeze before churning. Trust me, I’ve made this mistake myself and it’s incredibly frustrating. You’re all excited to enjoy your ice cream and then you realize your ice cream mixture is not thickening at all and you have to wait another 24 hours to try again.
What’s the difference between ice cream and custard?
They’re almost the same, except that custard has egg yolks cooked into the ice cream, making it smoother and creamier. (This homemade coffee ice cream recipe is technically a custard)Making custard does require a little extra technique. Here are my tips for making a custard:
Tempering the eggs
In order to prevent having scrambled eggs in your ice cream (ew!), you have to temper the eggs.Basically, the egg yolks and heated custard mixture have to be very carefully combined together. You’ll do this slowly while continuously whisking or stirring.
Strain the mixture!
It’s not uncommon to get just a few small chunks of egg yolk that cooked, so it’s essential that you strain the mixture!
Can I use non-dairy or low-fat milk?
Yes and yes! Regarding non-dairy recipes, you’ll have to look those up. I made a non-dairy homemade vanilla ice cream once and it was pretty good. It definitely had a different flavor…more nutty! But the texture was great and I think if you’re used to non-dairy alternatives, you would enjoy it! As for low-fat milk, that is definitely an option as well. You would just replace the whole milk amount with the low-fat option. It won’t be the same creamy texture as a full-fat ice cream.
How do you store homemade ice cream?
When I first got our machine I used to just leave it in the freezer bowl and put a plastic wrap over it. It wasn’t the best method, but it did the job.I recommend putting it in an air-tight container. It will keep longer than just using plastic wrap! These are the containers I use!
How long does homemade ice cream last?
Homemade ice cream will be best to eat within one week, but it can last up to two weeks. After that, it starts to get icy and grainy.
If you like this recipe, you may also like my Peanut Butter S’mores Ice Cream or my Strawberry Brownie Ice Cream!
Stay tuned for November’s ice cream flavor!!
Elisha <3
What type of bowl do you use? Glass, pottery, ? Do you put the bowl in freezer empty?
Hi Andrea! So the machine I have comes with a freezer bowl and that goes in the freezer empty for 24 hours before you churn the ice cream (this is a really important step!) and then you can store the ice cream in an air tight container. If you go to my “FAQ” section at the bottom of the post, I linked the ones I used! Hope that answers your question! <3
This looks and sounds so delicious! Who doesn’t like peanut butter and chocolate together..Lol I love the idea of using store bought vanilla frosting and adding in some peanut butter to make peanut butter frosting. May have to try that soon. 😊
Thanks Sandra! It’s one of the best flavor combinations! I think you would really enjoy it 🙂