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Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Chocolate peanut butter ice cream with a deep chocolate custard base that’s cooked to 175°F, chilled, and churned for a rich, scoopable texture. Thick peanut butter ribbons are swirled through every layer with a dramatic swirl pattern.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

heavy cream
  • 2 cup heavy cream
whole milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 0.5 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
dark chocolate
  • 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
egg yolks
  • 5 egg yolks
vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt
creamy peanut butter
  • 0.75 cup creamy peanut butter, warmed until pourable

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 ice cream maker

Method
 

Make the chocolate base
  1. Whisk cocoa powder into the heavy cream and whole milk until smooth. Heat over medium until steaming with small bubbles around the edges, then whisk until the mixture looks glossy.
  2. Add the chopped dark chocolate to the hot dairy mixture. Whisk until fully melted and smooth with no visible chocolate bits.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a separate bowl until the mixture turns pale. Keep whisking until it looks slightly thicker and lighter in color.
  4. Slowly whisk the hot chocolate cream into the egg yolk mixture. Drizzle in gradually so the eggs don’t scramble, watching for a smooth, uniform custard.
  5. Return the custard to a saucepan and cook until it reaches 175°F. Stir constantly, and stop when it coats a spoon.
  6. Strain the custard to remove any bits. Add vanilla extract and salt, then whisk until combined and the surface looks even.
  7. Cool the custard completely at room temperature. You should see it thicken slightly as it cools, then it will look ready to chill.
Chill, churn, and swirl
  1. Refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours. It should feel cold throughout with a fully chilled texture.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. The ice cream should look aerated and thicker, holding soft peaks.
  3. Layer the churned ice cream into a container and drizzle warmed peanut butter between each layer. Swirl with a knife to create thick ribbons, leaving visible streaks throughout.
  4. Freeze at least 2 hours until firm. The surface should be set and scoopable with defined swirls.

Notes

Pro tip: Cook the custard only until it reaches 175°F—any higher can dull the chocolate flavor and lead to a grainier texture. Refrigerate leftover ice cream in an airtight container for up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months (best quality). For a dairy-free swap, substitute a thick coconut milk + oat milk base and use a dairy-free dark chocolate, but keep the same tempering and temperature steps for proper custard thickening.