The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream

 
On a spur-of-the-moment whim last Sunday, my mom and I decided to attend an Oakland A’s baseball game. We purchased season tickets for the past two years, but because we skipped this season, we’ve start to go through withdrawals… We let three weeks go by since our last baseball game, and that was far too long!  

We picked seats in our favorite section (just beyond the A’s dugout and even with the bag at third base), directly on the aisle to avoid climbing over other fans for bathroom and concession stand breaks. After greeting our favorite usher with big smiles and hugs, we settled in to cheer on our boys with the rest of the crowd.

As a pitchers’ duel (aka a low-scoring game, for those of you not quite as obsessed with baseball as I am!), we saw plenty of spectacular defensive plays from both teams. Diving catches, leaping grabs, speeding fastballs, line-drove comebackers… It felt like we applauded for something amazing at every other at-bat (oops… every other player’s turn, if you aren’t familiar with baseball terms!), which really worked up our appetites!
 

 
With the temperature above 80°F and not a cloud in the sky, vendors walked up and down the aisles offering plenty of cold, refreshing treats to the fans sweltering in the heat. Snow cones, iced tea, frozen lemonade, bottles of soda… But as huge chocoholics (I inherited that from my mom!), the chocolate malts, Häagen-Dazs dark chocolate ice cream bars, and Nestlé ice cream drumsticks really caught our eye!

Although the fans around us readily caved and purchased those sweets, Mom and I tried to summon the willpower to avoid the temptation. Although it felt virtually impossible…
 

 
It was a lot easier when I remembered I could make a batch of this Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream when we returned home! It’s rich, smooth, and creamy, just like anything you’d find at an ice cream parlor. It’s also super easy and quick to make — and secretly full of protein!

I think I’ll celebrate that with another scoop! 😉
 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

For the base of your healthier ice cream, you’ll use Greek yogurt and 2% milk. If you’ve been around AHB for a while, you know how much I love Greek yogurt! It’s thick and creamy, making it perfect for this ice cream, and it also adds a big protein boost. One cup of Greek yogurt contains about 21g of protein!

I highly recommend that you use 2% milk, as the recipe calls for. This is because ice cream needs a certain amount of fat in order to be smooth and creamy. Without it, your ice cream would be grainy and icy. I explain more about that (and why it’s so important!) over here.

Note: I do not recommend substituting almond milk or cashew milk. These have a high water content, so they would have the same effect on your ice cream’s texture as nonfat or 1% milk.
 

 
For the chocolate flavor, you’ll mix in cocoa powder. Yes, just regular unsweetened cocoa powder—no melted chocolate! I wanted to make this ice cream recipe as easy as possible for you to whip up. You’ll add in a full ½ cup of cocoa powder, so your ice cream will still taste very rich and decadent.

Tip: I don’t recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. These have a different acidity level, which can affect the flavor and consistency of your ice cream. They also tend to make this ice cream taste more muted and bland, compared to the really decadent and rich flavor of regular unsweetened cocoa powder.

To sweeten the ice cream, you’ll use another one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s highly concentrated. You’ll only need 1 ½ teaspoons for this entire batch of ice cream—that’s the equivalent of ¾ cup of sugar! This is the kind that I buy because I love its sweet flavor, and I don’t notice any strange aftertastes like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I usually buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
 

 
There’s one last important ingredient in this ice cream base. Eggs act as a natural “glue” that helps hold together traditional ice cream bases and therefore create that perfect smooth, creamy texture. Because we’re skipping the eggs (I’m impatient and don’t want to heat my ice cream base—I just want to eat my frozen dessert as soon as possible!), you’ll use a different “glue” called xanthan gum. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online. Do not skip the xanthan gum. Your ice cream will taste icy and hard without it. (You can read more of my nerdy explanation of that here!)

Now all that’s left is to turn on your ice cream maker (I own this one — it’s really inexpensive and I love it!), pour in that chocolaty milk mixture, wait for 20 minutes or less, and…
 

 
Serve yourself a big scoop! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees that I’ll see the notification from you! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your ultimate healthy chocolate ice cream!

The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 5 servings

This rich chocolate ice cream tastes just as indulgent as the kind sold in ice cream parlors! And the fact that it’s ready just 25 minutes after you start measuring the ingredients? Pure bliss! This ice cream is best if eaten the same day it’s made, but it’ll keep if stored in an airtight container in the freezer for at least 2 months. (It will turn somewhat icy and hard if left for too long in the freezer. However, you can minimize that by letting it thaw on the counter for a few minutes or microwaving it for 10-30 seconds, depending on the wattage of your microwave, before enjoying at a later date!)

4.89 from 54 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 ¼ cups (270mL) 2% milk (see Notes!)
• 1 cup (240g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this – and see Notes!)
• 1 ½ tsp liquid stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp xanthan gum
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

• The night before you plan on making your ice cream, place the bowl of an electric ice cream maker in the freezer. Freeze for at least 12-16 hours.
• Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute or until very frothy.
• Working quickly, remove the ice cream maker bowl from the freezer. Place it on the ice cream maker, attach the paddle and the lid, and turn it on. With the ice cream maker turning, pour in the milk mixture. Let the ice cream maker churn for 15-20 minutes or until the ice cream is frozen and has reached your desired consistency. For the best texture and taste, serve immediately.

Notes

For more information regarding the ingredients and why they’re critical to achieving the smooth, creamy texture of the ice cream, please read my blog post here.

 

MILK NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: You can use higher percentages of milk (i.e. whole milk) or coconut milk if you prefer.

 

I do not recommend substituting nonfat milk, 1% milk, almond milk, and cashew milk. Any of these will result in ice cream with a less smooth and creamy texture.

 

COCOA POWDER NOTES: For more of a "dark chocolate" flavor, add an additional 2-3 tablespoons (10-15g) of cocoa powder.

 

I do not recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. These have a different acidity level, which can affect the flavor and consistency of your ice cream. They also tend to make this ice cream taste more muted and bland, compared to the really decadent and rich flavor of regular unsweetened cocoa powder.

 

STEVIA NOTES: For sweeter ice cream, increase the liquid stevia by ¼ to ½ teaspoon. (I highly recommend using it! It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! I buy it here because that's the cheapest price I've found.)

 

I have not tried substituting other sweeteners and do not know how they will turn out. If you prefer not to use the liquid stevia, you’ll need the equivalent of ½ to ¾ cup granulated sugar.

 

XANTHAN GUM NOTE: I do not recommend skipping the xanthan gum. Without it, your ice cream will taste icy and hard rather than smooth and creamy.

 

ICE CREAM MAKER RECOMMENDATIONS + NOTES: To achieve the best smooth and creamy texture, the ice cream should be made in an ice cream maker. This is the wonderful and affordable one I own. (I have two of them!) If you don’t own one, use the method below (but keep in mind that the ice cream will turn out with a grainier and harder texture).

 

After about 10 minutes, I found that my ice cream started getting “stuck” and wasn’t churning around the ice cream maker. If that happens to you, carefully “help” it along by gently pressing down with a small spatula to get the ice cream moving around the ice cream maker’s bowl. (I did that very frequently for the last 10 minutes of freezing!)

 

NO ICE CREAM MAKER METHOD: After Step 2, add the mixture to an 8”-square baking pan, and place in the freezer, ensuring that the pan is flat and level. Freezer for 2-3 hours, vigorously stirring with a spatula for 2-4 minutes every 30 minutes to break up any chunks and mix air into the ice cream.

 

STORAGE TIPS: This ice cream is best if eaten the same day it’s made, but it’ll keep if stored in an airtight container in the freezer for at least 2 months. It will turn somewhat icy and hard after being stored in the freezer. However, you can minimize that by letting it thaw on the counter for a few minutes before scooping and eating it OR by microwaving it for 10-30 seconds (depending on the wattage of your microwave) before enjoying at a later date!

 

{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, low sugar, higher protein}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡   The Ultimate Healthy Vanilla Ice Cream
♡   Healthier Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream
♡   Healthy Chai Spice Ice Cream
♡   Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream
♡   Healthier Brownie Bark Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches
♡   Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Frozen Greek Yogurt Sandwiches
♡   Healthy Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt
♡   Lightened Up Mini Hula Pie Ice Cream Desserts
♡   Lightened Up Blueberry & Cherry Ice Cream Sandwiches
♡   Healthy Fudgy Triple Chocolate Cookies
♡   The Ultimate Healthy Dark Chocolate Cupcakes