Mocha Caramel Chip Ice Cream

My daughter is the genius behind this recipe for Mocha Caramel Chip Ice Cream.  We were having one of our all day family cook-a-thons and she was responsible for dessert.  Lucky girl:-) She decided to go for a chocolate and coffee mix of flavors because of her recent discovery of coffee and all of our love of chocolate.  After seeing someone making ice cream on TikTok, she began making dessert!  It turned out so delicious that our family of 4 finished off the entire batch of ice cream in one sitting!  And we definitely would have eaten more if we could… eeek!  

Since she didn’t write down the measurements that day and for the sake of science (that’s what I will tell myself) we had to make this again (and again) to be sure we had the measurements correct to share this post. No one complained.  Then I decided that for this post, we would also try two different techniques for making it, while using exactly the same ingredients.  The traditional method of churning the ice cream (right) and what I will call the “whip and freeze” method (on the left).  We were curious how different they would turn out.

Either Way You Freeze It

To make this fabulous Mocha Caramel Chip Ice Cream, I began by combining the sweetened condensed milk with the cocoa and espresso powders using my hand mixer.  This will allow the powders to begin dissolving into the condensed milk.  Then you will add in the heavy cream.  At this point you may notice that the espresso powder hasn’t fully dissolved, but that’s okay.  It will be fully dissolved by the time you finish with either freezing method.  I use Cafe Bustelo Instant Espresso in many different recipes because it dissolves well and adds wonderful flavor.  Feel free to use any brand of instant coffee or espresso you like though.

To Churn

After the heavy cream has been mixed in, add the half and half and combine it well.  Pour this mixture into the freezer bowl of your ice cream churn. Continue as directed by your ice cream maker’s instructions.  If this is your first time making ice cream with a churn, make sure to read the preparation instructions ahead of time.  Many brands require freezing the bowl at least 24 hours ahead of time.  In the photos below you can see how the mixture begins as a liquid then starts to thicken as it freezes.

When the mixture reaches the “soft serve” stage.  In my house, we say, "when it reaches the "butt" stage," because it... well... looks like a butt!  Whatever you call it, add in the chopped bar of caramel filled chocolate at this point.  Once it is combined well, scoop the ice cream into a freezer safe container with a lid.  Pop it in the freezer for several hours or overnight.  It can be eaten at the “soft serve” stage but will melt pretty quickly.  

Or Not to Churn

The reason I call this the “whip and freeze” method is because once you add the heavy cream, you will keep mixing until it reaches the “soft peak” stage.  It will resemble chocolate whipped cream.  Then you will quickly mix in the half and half, trying not to let it deflate very much.  Stir in the chopped bar of caramel filled chocolate and pour it into a lidded freezer safe container.  This will need to freeze overnight before it is ready to scoop.  

If you want to ensure that the chopped chocolate doesn’t all sink to the bottom, stir the mixture once or twice during the freezing process to distribute them more evenly.  

Choppin’ Chocolate

I use a full 3.5 oz bar of Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel for this recipe.  Given that ice cream is very sensitive to any change in temperature, I freeze the chocolate bar prior to chopping it.  This also makes it much easier to chop!  Win-win in my book!  I wait until the ice cream mix is almost at the soft serve stage before taking it out of the freezer and chopping it.  Or I chop it and store it in the freezer before adding it into the ice cream mixture.  

The Results…

Both methods of making this Mocha Caramel Chip Ice Cream produce dee-licious and satisfying ice cream.  The main difference between the methods is the texture.  As expected, the churned version allows more air to incorporate into the mixture resulting in a smoother texture.  It also melts a lot faster!  The chips are very evenly distributed in the churned version.  

Using the “whip and freeze” method produces a slightly icy texture that still scoops well and holds without melting for a very reasonable amount of time.  If you decide not to (or forget like I did) to give the mixture a stir or two while it is freezing, the chips will sink to the bottom.  Fear not! I found that if I just scooped my way to the bottom for each of my servings, I was able to procure a generous amount of chips.  Man it was good!  

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Here are a few more of my ice cream recipes to try:  No Churn 3 Ingredient Ice Cream, Dairy Free Tropical Rum Ice Cream, Dairy Free Chocolate Covered Banana Ice Cream & Gluten Free Cake Batter Ice Cream.

Mocha Caramel Chip Ice Cream

5 from 5 votes

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Servings: 8 servings

Calories:

Ingredients  

2x3x4x

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup instant espresso powder - I use Cafe Bustello
• 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 3.5oz bar Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel - I use Ghiradelli brand

Instructions

• If you are churning your ice cream, make sure to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker at least 24 hours ahead of making the ice cream mixture or as instructed by the brand of your machine.
• Roughly chop the chocolate bar and set aside in your freezer. Tip: It will be easier to chop if it has been chilled in the fridge or freezer for 20-30 minutes prior to chopping. If you don’t do this, it will still work just fine, it may just take a little longer for the ice cream to freeze.
• In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder and espresso powder on a medium speed with a hand or stand mixer. Add the heavy cream and mix at a low speed to reduce splashing. ***If you have an ice cream churn, skip to the last step now.
• For the "whip & freeze" method: Continue to increase the speed with your mixer and whip until it reaches the soft peak stage like whipped cream. Add the half and half, mixing just until combined. Then mix the chopped chocolate in by hand and pour the mixture into a lidded freezer safe container.
• Freeze overnight before scooping. You can stir it once or twice during the freezing process to help distribute the chopped chocolate better if you’d like.
• Continue here for Churning the Ice cream: Once the heavy cream is incorporated, add the half and half, mixing until combined. Pour the mixture into the frozen bowl of your ice cream maker and churn as instructed by your unit. When the ice cream reaches the soft serve stage, add in the chopped chocolate and allow to mix in. Eat as soft serve or transfer to a freezer safe, lidded container and allow to freeze through for several hours or overnight before scooping.