Cherry chocolate chip ice cream is packed with roasted sweet cherries and dark chocolate chips for a scrumptious ice cream flavour you’ll want to enjoy all summer long. It’s so easy to make too. You don’t even need an ice cream maker.
(Can’t get enough of cherries? Make a pitcher of sweet cherry vanilla milkshake, another delicious and refreshing way to stay cool this season.)
I love making homemade ice cream and it doesn’t even have to be summer.
Even in the thick of winter, we always have a tub of ice cream in the freezer. I don’t even own an ice cream machine!
I just use my mixer to make no-churn ice cream, all of them easy to make, creamy, delicious and more flavourful than the ones you can find in-store:
- Homemade ube ice cream — you don’t need to go to Trader Joe’s!
- Lemon curd ice cream — lemony and so refreshing
- Lavender ice cream — a unique and summery flavour you don’t usually find in stores
- Coffee chocolate chip ice cream — delicious way to get your caffeine kick on a warm sunny day
- Matcha ice cream — better than the ones you can get at Japanese restaurants
- Pistachio chocolate chip ice cream — a premium ice cream flavour that’s so easy to make at home
- Bourbon peach ice cream — perfect for BBQ season
- Chocolate strawberry ice cream — tastes just like chocolate covered strawberries
I love all of them but this cherry chip ice cream is one of my favourites to make.
Cherries, chocolate, vanilla ice cream, so good! Cherry Garcia, who?
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love making homemade cream
I’m a big fan of making homemade ice cream. I think most people think it’s difficult, but nothing can be easier.
You just make the base, add your mix-ins, freeze and enjoy. Plus:
- It just tastes better. Because you put in all your favourite things, every ice cream flavour you come up with will be amazing.
- Simple ingredients. You know exactly what goes into your dream cream. You can be sure there’s nothing in there you can’t pronounce.
- It’s fun! Add anything and everything you can imagine.
This cherry chocolate chip ice cream is a favourite because:
- Easy to make. It’s impressive but secretly very easy to make. The best kind of recipe!
- Delicious. Every spoonful is filled with creamy cherry and chocolate flavour. It’s seriously a summer party in your mouth.
- Cherry flavour shines through. It’s really one of the best ways to enjoy sweet cherries on a warm summer day. And no, there’s no hint of cough medicine flavour here at all.
How to make cherry chocolate chip ice cream
Ingredient notes
Cherry chocolate ice cream is only made of 6 ingredients.
- Pitted, sweet cherries — we usually use bing cherries but you can also use black cherries
- Sweetened condensed milk — this is what gives no-churn ice cream it’s creamy and smooth consistency
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Heavy cream — it’s called different names in different countries but you want cream that has 36-40% milk fat content. It whips better and sets better.
- Dark, semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips — you can also use chopped dark chocolate for an epic cherry chunk ice cream
Tools
Like I mentioned, this recipe doesn’t require an ice cream machine. All you’ll need are:
- A stand mixer or handheld electric mixer to whip your cream
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber spatula
I also highly recommend freezer-safe containers with tight-fitting lids to store your ice cream in. I love these ice cream containers and own several in different sizes.
Recipe with step-by-step photos
1 ROAST. First you’ll need to roast the cherries. Place them in a baking dish lined with foil. Roast at 400F and take out after 30-45 minutes or when the cherries are soft and juicy. Stir the cherries halfway so they don’t burn.
2 PUREE. Allow the cherries to cool before puréeing. I use an immersion blender. You can also use a blender or a food processor.
3 ICE CREAM BASE. In a large bowl, combine condensed milk, vanilla extract, salt and your cherry puree. Stir until well combined.
4 LIGHTEN. Take a generous dollop of whipped cream and fold into your cherry mixture to lighten it.
5 FOLD. Fold the rest of your whipped cream into your cherry mixture until combined.
6 MIX-INS. Add cherries and chocolate chips and fold until evenly distributed.
7 CHILL. Transfer into a freezer-safe container, smoothen the top and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.
Expert tips and tricks
Such an easy recipe, right? Here are more tips and answers to your frequently asked questions to make this cherry chocolate chip ice cream recipe even easier.
The best way to pit fresh cherries
If you love fresh cherries as much as we do, chances are you also borderline worship the person who invented the cherry pitter.
Before we invested in one (and they are not expensive — this is the exact one we have), we tried all kinds of hacks — from using a straw to using a paper clip.
All of the hacks we tried were difficult and resulted in very sore, very red fingers.
I strongly recommend you save yourself the trouble and buy a cherry pitter. Your hands and fingers will thank you.
How to roast cherries
Roasting is so simple to do but brings out the best in fruits. It makes them sweeter, stickier and that much more flavourful.
To roast fresh cherries, simply place them in a baking dish lined with foil. It doesn’t matter what size baking dish you use, just as long as it allows the fruits to spread out in one even layer.
Bake at 400F and take out after 30 to 45 minutes, or when they’re soft and juicy. Remember to stir the cherries halfway, or every 15 minutes or so, to ensure that they don’t burn. That’s it!
I don’t add sugar or anything else when roasting fruits.
Best kind of cherries to use
Did you know there are 1,000 varieties of cherries grown in the United States?
We usually get bing cherries here though I honestly don’t give it a lot of thought because they’re usually just labeled “cherries” at the supermarket.
Whatever kind of cherry you choose, pick sweet and not sour ones for this recipe.
Taste, then taste some more
Since no-churn ice cream has no eggs in it, it’s safe to taste as you’re making it. So go ahead and taste at every step if you like.
You’re making your very own ice cream and you can make it as sweet and as fabulous as you want.
Use freezer-friendly container
Not all containers are created equal. Some would lead to ice forming at the bottom or sides of your ice cream. While others might expand in the freezer.
I’ve amassed this collection of ice cream tubs since I learned how to make ice cream and I exclusively use them. I’ve owned them for years and they still look like new!
Cover your ice cream with cling wrap
To be extra sure that ice doesn’t form on any part of your ice cream, especially the top, place cling wrap on it (place it right on the surface of the ice cream) before covering and putting in the freezer.
Then when you’re ready to eat, remove the cling wrap and reveal the creamy, ice cream underneath!
FAQs
I personally haven’t tried substituting frozen for fresh cherries when making homemade cherry ice cream but I think you can use them if that’s what you have available.
When roasting, you probably need to add 5 to 10 minutes to your baking time.
Homemade, no-churn ice cream has two main ingredients: sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream.
You want heavy cream to make your whipped cream, which has 36 to 40 percent milk fat, because it results to firmer, more stable whipped cream with stiff peaks that hold their shape longer. This is what gives your homemade ice cream that smooth texture and creamy taste.
In a pinch, you can use whipping cream (30 to 35 percent milk fat) but it will result to a lighter, softer texture.
Half & half can’t be substituted for heavy cream in no-churn ice cream recipes because it just doesn’t have enough fat content for whipping (10 to 18 percent).
To prevent your homemade ice cream from getting freezer burn or forming ice crystals:
– Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the ice cream’s surface before placing the lid. This also helps prevent freezer smells from seeping into your ice cream.
– Make sure you use a freezer-safe container with a proper, tight-fitting lid.
It’s still safe to eat ice cream with a few ice crystals.
It’s going to affect the texture and the taste though so you really want to protect it from air (its main enemy) and eat it within 2 weeks of making it.
Homemade ice cream lasts about 2 weeks in the freezer.
Because it doesn’t have the same preservatives as store-bought ice cream, when it comes to homemade ice cream, the fresher the better.
Some tips to keep it fresh for longer:
– Cover the top with plastic wrap (see above).
– Store in a relatively shallow and flat container vs. a deep dish. Ideally, you want a container that’s meant to store ice cream, like these ones.
– Store towards the back of your freezer so that its temperature can remain fairly constant, away from the door and never on the freezer door shelf.
Making homemade ice cream is fun, easy and brings out the creativity in all of us. So go ahead and try this chocolate cherry ice cream. Enjoy!
Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the Cherry Ice Cream Base:
- 0.6 lb pitted and halved fresh sweet cherries roughly 2 cups / 30 pieces
- 1 10-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 2 cups heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks
For the Ice Cream Mix-ins:
- .3 lb pitted and halved fresh sweet cherries roughly 1 cup / 15 pieces
- 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place cherries in a baking dish lined with foil (see notes). Roast at 400F and take out after 30-45 minutes or when the cherries are soft and juicy. Stir the cherries halfway so they don’t burn.
- Let the cherries cool, then puree. I use an immersion blender. You can also use a blender or a food processor.
- In a large bowl, combine condensed milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and your cherry puree. Stir until well combined.
- Take a generous dollop of whipped cream and fold into your cherry mixture to lighten it.
- Fold the rest of your whipped cream into your cherry mixture until combined.
- Add the rest of your cherries and 1 cup chocolate chips and fold until evenly distributed.
- Transfer the ice cream into a freezer-safe container, smoothen the top and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.
Video
Notes
- When roasting cherries, it doesn’t matter what size baking dish you use, just as long as it allows the fruits to spread out in one even layer.
- See post for lots of tips and FAQs.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy ice cream making!
Did you make this roasted cherry chip ice cream? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
JC
Friday 30th of July 2021
omg dare I say this is so much better than tubs of cherry ice creams at the store that tastes like cough syrup tbh!! and its the first time making ice cream too! can't wait to try more of your ice cream recipes jolina! so gooooddd!!!!
Jolina
Monday 9th of August 2021
So happy to hear that JC! And yes, I've had my fair share of not-so-good ice cream flavours from the store too. Enjoy!
Caitlin Culver
Tuesday 8th of August 2017
omg yum! Roasted cherries are ah-maz-ing and I love the idea of putting them in some icecream!
Denisse
Thursday 27th of July 2017
This sounds soooo good! I love chocolate and cherries together!
Lynn
Thursday 27th of July 2017
I absolutely adore roasted fruit and, like you, I believe it really intensifies the flavor. I also loves how syrupy it can become if you roast it long enough which tastes great on top of ice cream and give the ice cream a beautiful appearance. I've never actually taken the time to make my own ice cream. . .but you definitely have me intrigued.
Stephanie Pass
Thursday 27th of July 2017
This looks wonderful! I so agree that roasting fruits make them so much more amazing.