THE LIKE-A-PRO ICE CREAM
With chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, heavy cream, sugar, and xanthan gum.
This Bitter Chocolate Ice Cream is intensely chocolatey and truly lives up to its name. This recipe is my response to other bitter chocolate ice creams that lack chocolate flavor or are overly sweet. I’ve combined all my knowledge of ice cream making to create a recipe that lives up to its name. Each ingredient has been carefully chosen to contribute to a perfect texture and mouthfeel, free of ice crystals, with intense chocolate flavour and, of course, a bitter chocolate taste. Achieving that bitter chocolate flavour wasn’t easy because this meant that we should reduce the sugar, and sugar plays a major role in ice cream making. However, with the addition of vodka, I solved this challenge. So I present you with a Bitter Chocolate Ice Cream, as bitter as homemade ice cream, with everyday ingredients, can be.
Ice creams made with xanthan gum are our Like-A-Pro ice creams. With just one extra ingredient—xanthan gum—you can make eggless ice cream with a perfect, full-bodied mouthfeel. It churns beautifully, melts uniformly during serving, and keeps well in the freezer for a long time, just like the professionals do!
More to explore:
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
When making ice cream, it’s best to weigh all the ingredients, including the liquid ones. Whenever possible, weigh the liquid ingredients directly into the bowl or pan as you work through the recipe. Transferring them from one bowl to another can lead to a small but unwanted loss of quantity.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use these guidelines: 1 tablespoon = 15 ml | 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
– Sugar: measuring sugar in tablespoons is more accurate than measuring it in cups. Use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon (not a regular one) for 13 grams of sugar. To measure correctly, each time you scoop the sugar, level it with the flat side of a knife. –
– Chocolate/couverture: Instead of measuring chocolate in cups, estimate the amount of chocolate pieces you need based on the weight of the chocolate bar as written on the packaging. Measurement in cups is not accurate due to variations depending on how finely chopped the chocolate is. –
– Milk and heavy cream: Be sure to thoroughly scrape any residues left on the sides and bottom of the cup every time you measure something and empty it.
Note that the quantities in each measuring system (grams, ounces, and cups) in our recipes may not always be accurate conversions; any deviations in conversions do not affect the outcome.
Adding vodka to the ice cream enhances the chocolate flavour and helps keep the ice cream soft in the freezer, eliminating the need to thaw it before serving. It also prevents the ice cream from getting icy, which is common with ice cream heavy with cocoa. Gelatin is also added to help the ice cream churn smoothly and maintain its consistency. If you prefer not to use vodka or gelatin, you should omit them together, do not use only one or another, they only work when used together. Just expect that the ice cream may freeze harder without them.
This recipe makes a 1.2 litre/quart ice cream mixture (before churning), perfect for ice cream makers with a capacity of 1.5 and up to 2 litres/quarts (like Cuisinart ice cream makers).
If you need to scale the ice cream mixture up or down, use this ratio of the ingredients (in weight only):
whole milk 55.6% | heavy cream 13.8% | sugar 12.1 % | chocolate 70% cocoa solids 11.7% | cocoa powder 4.2% | vodka 2.48 | xanthan gum 0.12% in desired total weight of ice cream mixture
whole milk: 1/3 to be boiled, 2/3 to be added cold
A flexible rubber spatula is good for:
-wiping the bottom of the saucepan when you cook dairy on the stovetop.
-scraping residues from bowls, saucepans etc.
If you do not have one, we strongly encourage you to buy one, preferably a flexible one.
The ice cream mixture needs to cool completely and hydrate before churning, so prepare it in advance (approx. 8 hours before) to give it time to chill in the refrigerator.
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
Prepare the gelatine: Place the gelatine leaves/granules (2 gelatine leaves / 2 tsp gelatine granules) into a flat bowl and pour over the vodka (30 g; 1 oz). Stir around to moisten; if using gelatine leaves, make sure they don’t overlap. If they do, stir them often so they don’t stick together. Set aside.
Set up the blender and have it ready to use.
Combine the cocoa powder and sugar in a medium saucepan: add the cocoa powder(s) (50 g; 1.8 oz) and sugar(s) (130 g; 4.6 oz) into a medium saucepan and stir thoroughly to combine, breaking down any lumps with the rubber spatula, until the mixture is a uniform colour.
Pour 150 g of the milk (5.3 oz) into the saucepan and stir with the rubber spatula to thoroughly moisten the sugar and cocoa powder. Scrape the saucepan’s bottom, corners, and sides until they feel completely smooth and free of solidified lumps. Take your time with this step, as it will prevent residues from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan during boiling.
Add the heavy cream (165 g; 5.8 oz) to the saucepan and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil: Warm over medium heat, often stirring, until the cocoa dissolves and the milk is hot and steamy.
Increase the heat to high. As soon as the milk comes to a rolling boil (when large bubbles that pop vigorously appear on the surface / approx. 90°C / 195°F / if it starts to overflow), immediately remove it from the heat and
Add the chopped chocolate (140 g; 4.9 oz) into the saucepan and whisk to melt the chocolate. The whisk should come out clean of chocolate residues. Pause once to scrape the bottom and sides of saucepan, then whisk again.
Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the blender jug and turn the blender on (medium speed). Note: The blending mixture is at the right temperature to add the xanthan gum (approximately 60 °C/140°F), so make sure you go from boiling the milk to adding the chocolate and blending without stopping. Otherwise, the mixture will not cool down, and the xanthan gum and gelatine will not have the chance to hydrate properly.
Turn the blender on (medium speed).
Sprinkle in the xanthan gum, then add the gelatine: with the blender on, carefully open the cap and slowly sprinkle the xanthan gum (½ teaspoon) over the blending surface of the mixture, avoiding the sides of the cap.
Then add the gelatine leaves, reserving the vodka to add at the last stage of blending (or, if using gelatine granules, add them now along with the vodka).
Blend for 2 minutes to fully hydrate the xanthan gum; do not estimate the time; set a timer. Do not expect the blend to thicken; it will thicken as it cools.
Add the rest of the cold milk (500 g; 17.6 oz), pour the rest of the cold milk into the saucepan, and stir with a rubber spatula to collect any cocoa residues. Pour it into the blender and blend, pausing once to thoroughly scrape off residues from the sides and bottom of the blender.
Add the vodka and blend until it is a uniform brown colour with no streaks.
Strain the ice cream mixture over a fine-mesh sieve and into a bowl.
Cool it down: prepare an ice bath by putting the bowl with the ice cream mixture into a larger bowl and filling the empty sides with ice cubes and cold water. How many ice cubes? A tray of ice cubes (200 g; 7 oz of ice) is enough to cool down the ice cream mixture: we just need to cool it down until it is no longer warm to the touch so that you can safely put it in the refrigerator. This will take approx. 30 minutes; do stir occasionally.
Chill until completely cold: cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. Xanthan gum needs 6-8 hours in the refrigerator to fully develop, so do not rush the cooling process.
Check if the ice cream mixture is cold before churning it: below 12ºC / 54ºF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your (clean) finger into it.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Stir: give the ice cream mixture a nice, thorough stirring. If it is too thick, give it a quick blitz with an immersion blender.
Churn: with the machine running, pour the ice cream mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker. Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Tip: Extend the churning time by 10 minutes more than your ice cream maker’s recommended time.
This ice cream mixture expands and becomes airy as it churns. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks smooth, creamy, and slightly wavy—similar to soft-serve ice cream. Churning time varies depending on your machine and can take anywhere from 30 to 70 minutes.
To check the texture, lift a spoonful. It should be thick enough to stay on the spoon, but still soft. If it looks too thin or starts melting immediately, it needs more time.
If you’re unsure, let it churn for 10 more minutes. Keep in mind that it won’t look like store-bought ice cream at this point—it will still be soft. It only becomes firm and scoopable after a few hours in the freezer.
Stop the machine once the mixture is thick and creamy. If you continue churning beyond that point, the mixture can start losing the air it has built up and may seize, resulting in a dense, heavy texture.
One important note: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop automatically after a fixed time, but that doesn’t always mean the ice cream is ready. If your machine stops and the mixture still looks too soft, simply restart it and continue churning until the texture improves.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· cover the ice cream bowl and place it in the freezer
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The setting time depends on the type of ice cream maker you’re using. Here are the general guidelines:
3–5 hours for machines with removable freezer bowls (these bowls must be pre-frozen before churning)
Under 1 hour for machines with built-in compressors and aluminum bowls
⚠️ Important: Ice cream in aluminum bowls sets quickly. Do not leave it for too long—once fully frozen, it can become extremely hard and difficult to remove without risking scratches to the bowl. Always monitor it closely.
To check if the ice cream is ready, aim for an internal temperature of –11°C (12°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, use this simple test:
Insert a round-tip knife all the way to the bottom of the ice cream:
✔ If it goes in smoothly but meets gentle resistance, it’s ready
✖ If it feels hard on top but soft underneath, it needs more time
✖ If it’s too firm to insert the knife, it’s over-frozen and likely too hard to scoop
If it’s over-frozen, don’t worry—head to the next section for how to bring it back to scoopable.
If the ice cream sits in the freezer in the removable freezer bowl for too long after it has set, it can become too hard to scoop or remove.
To make it scoopable again:
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the ice cream to soften gradually.
Here’s how long that may take:
4–10 hours for removable freezer bowls (pre-freeze models)
1–2 hours for aluminum bowls (from compressor ice cream makers)
Note: These times are approximate and may vary depending on your fridge and the amount of ice cream. Check the texture occasionally as it softens.
Once the ice cream is soft enough to scoop—or its internal temperature reads approximately –11°C (12°F)—you can:
✔ Transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer
✔ Or serve it directly from the bowl
Just be sure to avoid digging into an over-frozen bowl with hard utensils, especially if using a nonstick-coated or aluminum bowl.
Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve consistency and melts almost instantly on contact. At this stage, it’s too soft to serve neatly or transfer easily—it’s simply too messy to handle.
Freezing the ice cream immediately after churning allows it to set properly. This step brings it to the right texture: scoopable, stable, and easy to portion or transfer into a storage container.
It’s the final step that turns churned ice cream into finished ice cream.
Storing: Transfer the finished ice cream to a lidded container and store it in the freezer for up to one month.
Cover it well to protect it from absorbing any unwanted freezer smells.
Scooping: Like all artisanal-style ice creams, this one freezes hard over time.
To make it scoopable again, place the container in the refrigerator for 45–60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about –11°C (12°F).
Once softened, it’ll scoop cleanly and serve beautifully.
