A rich and intense chocolate chili ice cream that perfectly balances decadent chocolate and the slow spice of chili. The perfect ice cream to impress that special someone <3 (or yourself because why share something so good?)
Ah, Valentine's Day. The day of love ...and intense stress while you try to figure out your plans for the evening. Seriously, it's on the same day each year, yet I have no idea how I keep forgetting to prepare something nice Every. Single. Time. Anyone there with me? Anyone? Anyway, in my opinion, nothing says love like a good home-cooked meal and a quiet evening alone, so my fiancee and I would always spend our Valentine's Day at home. One year, we tried this incredibly rich and spicy cake. I wasn't expecting it, but found the contrast to be exhilarating. Lately I've been on an ice cream craze, so I decided to translate that cake into ice cream form.
What is so great about this chocolate chili ice cream is that it starts off rich and chocolate-y. It has the perfect fudgy texture that keeps you wanting more...and it's not until later that the spice slowly starts to make an entrance. That slow heat is what really sets this ice cream apart. It is so good. So. Good.
I wanted the chocolate chili ice cream to be as rich and chocolate-y as possible, so I had to search for the best chocolate in my area. I found some nice Dutch processed cocoa and 75% dark chocolate. You do not have to go to such lengths though (unless you like the adventure), as I tried this recipe with semi-sweet chocolate chips and regular cocoa powder with equally delicious results. That may be a better option if you do not like dark chocolate (normally, I am not much of a dark chocolate person either, but it just works for me with this recipe).
A couple of notes on the chocolate chili ice cream
For the chili, I was not too sure what I wanted to do, but when I saw dried Aleppo peppers, I thought that they would be a good place to start, as they are more widely available and can be tailored to the heat you desire. When I first made this chocolate chili ice cream, I ground my peppers into a very fine powder and added it to the ice cream. Now, after making a lot of ice cream, I've changed my method to infuse the peppers into the milk. This helps to better permeate the heat throughout the ice cream without risking having any large bits of chili.
Guess what? I didn't use an ice cream maker here! You don't need one to make a delicious ice cream. Here is a quick guide on how to make an ice cream without an ice cream maker.
Don't have time to make this frosty, spicy treat now? Pin it for later!
Recipe Card
Chocolate Chili Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups 480 mL heavy or whipping cream, divided
- 1 cup 240 mL whole milk
- 2 dried chilis split in half, seeds retained
- 1 cup 200 g sugar, granulated
- pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa
- 6 - 7 ounces 180-200 g dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, slowly bring half the cream and cocoa powder to a boil, thoroughly incorporating the cocoa powder.
- Once the cream has reached a boil, remove from heat.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir until everything is smooth and creamy. Mix in the remaining cream. Set aside.
- In another medium pot, mix the sugar, salt, milk, and chilies. Heat to a very low simmer.
- Put the egg yolks in a small bowl and lightly beat until it is a smooth consistency. Add some of the milk and sugar mixture in the yolk, one cup at a time to slowly raise the temperature of the yolks. After about half of the milk mixture is incorporated in the yolks, add the yolks to the milk mixture, getting as much of the yolk in the pot as possible.
- Using a wooden spoon, heat the milk and egg mixture on medium heat stirring constantly to create a custard. Occasionally scrap the sides and bottoms of the pot to prevent the custard from sticking. The custard is ready when a thick coat of custard coats the back of the spoon.
- Place a strainer over the chocolate mix and slowly strain the custard into the chocolate to separate the chili and any egg that may have cooked. Mix until everything is a uniform chocolate color. Add in the vanilla and mix.
- Cool the chocolate in the refrigerator or in an ice bath. You can make an ice bath by filling a larger pot with ice and cold water. Place the chocolate in the pot without completely immersing the pot.
- Put the chocolate in your ice cream maker and and follow the manufacturer directions. Take the ice cream out and freeze in an airtight container for another 3 - 4 hours or overnight. If you prefer soft serve ice cream, enjoy immediately.
- *If you do not have an ice cream maker, put the chilled chocolate in a container and place in the freezer. Mix the ice cream every 30 minutes, breaking up all the frozen pieces. If possible, use a hand mixer or immersion blender. Repeat for 4 hours, then let the ice cream freeze completely for another 4 hours or overnight.
Anne says
This is such a rich and wonderful chocolate ice cream recipe. It was creamy and that heat of chili gave it an exotic feel. I did make a couple small changes though. I added about 1/4 cup of high quality red chili powder to the chocolate mix. Adds a wonderful layer. Also cut up a couple jalapenos to infuse with the red chili in the vanilla pudding. I would recommend this recipe to anyone looking for something different and wonderful. Very easy to follow and you cannot beat the results!
Clare says
There are two mentions of adding REMAINING cream in the instructions. Is it added to the chocolate mixture as stated instruction 3....... OR.... is it added as in instruction 4 ?
Amanda says
It is added with the chocolate!
christian domingo says
I have an existing ice cream house here in the philippines ...we are scooping ready made/commercialize ice cream...but some of our costumers were suggesting us to also offer chili ice cream...how can we do it with our existing business? What will we do? Do we need just to mix chilli powder on our ice cream? Any suggestion. Thanks.
Amanda says
I use dried chili that I ground myself for different texture and more depth of flavor. I would suggest about 1 tablespoon of chili per quart of ice cream for a medium-hot heat that lasts without burning anyone's tongue!
Rex says
I just tried this recipe and it is so amazing. Love!
Alyssa D says
Hey from Arts & Crackers! Ooh I'm saving this recipe! I love chocolate with a kick. I have an ice cream maker, but I'd rather not grab it out so this is perfect!
Tara says
This looks delicious! And perfect for a spicy Valentine's Day treat. 🙂
Zakkiya Hamza says
Wow . Love the food styling. Though I am a foodie at heart I am absolutely hopeless at cooking. This one looks like a must try though 🙂
C.D. Beatrice Clay says
This looks divine! I need an ice cream maker in my life before summer hits the east coast. So glad I found your blog via SITSgirl today. Now excuse me while I PIN PIN PIN!
Amanda says
Believe it or not but I made this without an ice cream maker! It's pretty simple, albeit time consuming.
Patty Martinez says
This sounds amazing! I love spicy food.