Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream
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Made with real cherries and chopped dark chocolate, this homemade chocolate cherry ice cream recipe celebrates the best cherries of the summer season.
Why Make This Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream?
Chocolate and cherries somehow just…work. Deep, bittersweet dark chocolate and bright juicy cherries fuse to create a flavor combination that highlights the fruity notes in dark chocolate while tempering the natural sweetness of the cherries. Think black forest cake, chocolate cherry brownies, or Cherry Garcia ice cream.
For this recipe, I’ve drawn inspiration from the boxed chocolate covered cherries that line the seasonal candy aisles at drugstores and supermarkets in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. But instead of jarred maraschino cherries and vanilla fondant, this chocolate cherry ice cream gets its flavor and color from real summer cherries (or frozen cherries, in the off season!) rather than extracts and artificial colorants.
This chocolate cherry ice cream recipe features a milk-and-cream base blended with real puréed cherries, plus plenty of good-quality dark chocolate, for a homemade ice cream really does taste just like a cherry cordial.
Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Recipe Ingredients
To make this chocolate cherry ice cream recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Cherries – The cherry flavor in this ice cream comes from real cherries. You’ll need 225 grams (8 ounces, or about 1 3/4 cups) of pitted cherries. Fresh or frozen will both work. If using frozen cherries, thaw the fruit before making the purée. And if you have some extra cherries, simmer them into a homemade cherry compote to drizzle on top.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens the ice cream base. If substituting caster sugar or superfine sugar, measure by weight rather than volume.
- Whole Milk – To make the creamiest ice cream, I recommend using whole milk rather than skimmed or fat free.
- Cream – Or heavy cream, in the US. Look for a milk fat percentage around 35-36%.
- Almond Extract – Almond extract complements the cherry flavor. If you don’t like almonds or want to make a nut-free ice cream, you can substitute vanilla bean paste instead.
- Alcohol – I add a teaspoon or two of alcohol to my ice cream recipes to inhibit freezing. A flavorless alcohol such as rum or vodka works nicely. You can also choose a flavored alcohol, such as cherry vodka or kirsch, to play up the cherry notes. To learn more about why I add alcohol to my ice cream base, please read my lavender ice cream post.
- Fine Sea Salt – A small amount of fine sea salt (or table salt) cuts the sweetness of the cherries and sugar.
- Chocolate – You’ll need 50 grams (1 3/4 ounces, or about 1/4 cup) of dark chocolate. See my notes below.
Choosing Your Chocolate
For the “chocolate” component in this chocolate cherry ice cream, you’ll need about 50 grams (1/4 US cup) of chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips. For chopped chocolate, use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the bar into very small (1/4-inch or smaller) chunks and slivers; large pieces of frozen chocolate are difficult to scoop and bite.
If using chocolate chips, miniature chocolate chips work better than the standard size designed for baking cookies. Miniature chocolate chips are sold in a big bag, but save the rest! The smaller size works perfectly for whoopie pies, chia seed pudding, or mint chocolate chip marshmallows.
I prefer the way the deep, bittersweet notes of dark chocolate complement the sweet cherry purée, but feel free to substitute milk or white chocolate if you prefer a lighter taste.
Making the Cherry Purée
To make the cherry purée, start by adding the cherries to the bowl of a high speed blender or a food processor:
Purée the cherries until smooth:
Then, add granulated sugar:
Purée the cherries and sugar until smooth, then whisk the smooth purée into the milk and cream base:
How to Enjoy Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream
Use this homemade chocolate cherry cream to make ice cream sundaes, or to replace the strawberry ice cream in a banana split. Drizzle it with homemade hot fudge sauce or warm cherry compote. Pair with baked cherry desserts like cherry pie, cherry galette, cherry brownies, or cherry apple hand pies. Or scoop and serve cherry ice cream in a chocolate-dipped homemade ice cream cone, or in a bowl garnished with miniature chocolate chips and crushed freeze-dried cherry pieces on top.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
You can purée the cherries up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. You can chill the ice cream base for up to 24 hours prior to churning.
Store homemade chocolate cherry ice cream in the freezer for up to one month. Prior to serving, allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, or until just soft enough to scoop.
Other homemade ice cream recipes you might enjoy:
Birthday Cake Ice Cream
Peppermint Ice Cream
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Maple Walnut Ice Cream
Strawberry Fudge Ice Cream
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream
- Total Time25 minutes (+ chilling/freezing time)
- Yield850 grams (30 ounces) 1x
Made with real cherries and chopped dark chocolate, this homemade chocolate cherry ice cream recipe celebrates the best cherries of the summer season.
Ingredients
225 grams pitted fresh or frozen cherries (8 ounces; 1 3/4 cups), thawed if frozen
100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
240 milliliters whole milk ( 1 cup)
240 milliliters whipping cream (1 cup)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vodka or kirsch, optional to prevent freezing
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
50 grams miniature chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (1/4 cup)
Instructions
In a blender or the bowl of a food processor, purée cherries until smooth and creamy, with no large pieces of fruit remaining, about 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and mix until smooth, about 10 seconds more.
In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, almond extract, alcohol, and fine sea salt.
Add the puréed cherries and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Cover bowl and refrigerate, at least 12 hours, or overnight.
Whisk chilled base briskly to recombine.
Pour chilled base into ice cream maker, with bowl frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions. Churn until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes, or until consistency resembles soft serve ice cream. With ice cream maker still running, add chocolate and churn until well combined.
With a flexible rubber spatula, scoop ice cream into a freezer-safe container.
Freeze 2-4 hours prior to serving, or until ice cream reaches scoopable consistency.
Store chocolate cherry ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow to stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Double check to make sure you’re using pitted cherries. The pits will damage the blades of your food processor.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Chilling/Freezing Time: 12-16 hours
- Category: Ice Cream, Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts
- Method: Food Processor, Ice Cream Maker
