No Churn Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream is so easy to make using only 5 ingredients and you don't need an ice cream machine. It's chocolatey and a refreshing treat for any time of year.

I love ice cream and ever since I went to pastry school and learned how to make it from scratch, I love experimenting with different flavors. One of my favorite flavors is roasted strawberry ice cream, but recently I've started to love chocolate as well. Now I like to pack in the chocolate flavor like this no churn chocolate brownie ice cream. It is so simple to make requiring only 5 ingredients and you don't need an ice cream machine to make it.

Before you begin

Take out the following baking equipment.

Digital kitchen scale
Large bowl
Silicone spatula
Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Freezer safe resealable container

Read the recipe through from start to finish

Understanding Ingredients

Sweetened condensed milk is an essential ingredient in making no churn ice cream. It's milk that is cooked down to evaporate most of the moisture and has sugar added. It adds a concentrated creaminess and sweet, milky flavor to the ice cream without the added moisture.

Cocoa powder adds the chocolate flavor to this ice cream. What is cocoa powder? In short, it’s what chocolate tastes like without any extra fat, sugar, or milk added to it. More specifically it’s the powder created by grinding cocoa beans once the cocoa butter has been removed from them. There are a couple of options for cocoa powder including natural unsweetened and dutch processed cocoa powders which vary in acidity levels. In this particular recipe either can be used. In general, natural cocoa powder has a bolder flavor whereas dutch process cocoa powder is more mellow.

Heavy cream is used to lighten the ice cream mixture and provides an airy texture. Typically traditional ice cream has heavy cream added in liquid form. But because this recipe does not require an ice cream maker, the heavy cream is beaten until stiff peaks form and then added to the mixture to provide the necessary volume.

Difference between heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, and whipping cream

Sounds confusing? You may be standing in the dairy aisle wondering what the difference is between heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, and whipping cream. They all sound so similar, right? Let me explain the differences.

Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are essentially the same, they are just labeled with different names. These items are interchangeable and either may be used to make homemade whipped cream. Both heavy cream and heavy whipping cream must contain at least 36% milkfat.

When it comes to heavy cream and whipping cream, there is a difference. Each contains a different amount of milkfat. Whipping cream contains 30%-35% making it a lighter product than heavy cream. A difference of 5% milkfat may not seem like a lot but the lower fat content means that you will not be able to achieve stiff peaks when whipped! So always choose heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for no churn ice cream.

How to make ice cream without an ice cream maker

Making ice cream without an ice cream maker is simple. First, mix sweetened condensed milk with flavorings (extract, chocolate, pureed fruit, etc.). Then beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture. Finally, fold in any mixins (brownies, nuts, sprinkles, fruit, etc.). Place the mixture into a freezer-safe resealable container and freeze for at least 4 hours or until frozen. Enjoy!

Tips and takeaways

Fold in 100 g (1 cup) diced marshmallows or mini marshmallows plus 75 g (1/2 cup) chopped nuts for a no churn rocky road ice cream.

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Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make this No Churn Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream. I’d love to see your creations and read your feedback. And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let’s make every occasion a sweet occasion!