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
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
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
From the bottom of my heart I thank you for this recipe. My husband is on a strict low fat, low sugar diet due to health reasons and he was very sad he could no longer indulge in his favourite sin food – chocolate ice cream. The store bought alternatives for ice cream are unsuitable to his specific condition as the no sugar ones are based on coconut cream which is not suitable for a pancreatic diet. The soy based ones contained too much real sugar. I was on a mission to brighten his life up so I found your recipe after an internet search and I am so glad that I did. I followed your instructions to the letter (I even imported the same Vanilla Creme Stevia and my mum found me the xantham gum from Foodland) and it turned out absolutely perfect. I was very surprised at how much I liked it too and after every spoonful I wanted more and more. The cocoa really makes it feel like you are eating real chocolate and the texture feels just like real ice cream. Thank you so very much once again, this recipe has really cheered him up a lot and helped both of us transition to a better eating lifestyle.
Oh my goodness, Rae!! Thank YOU for your incredibly sweet comment. Your kind words just made my entire week!! ♡ I’m really honored that you trusted my recipe and bought the exact ingredients to make it. That’s the best compliment there is, if this ice cream helped cheer up your husband! It can be so hard to give up our favorite foods, especially for health-related reasons, and I’m so glad this recipe was able to provide a bright spot while navigating his health journey. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
So, normally when I use a recipe for the first time I do as instructed; however I have borderline high cholesterol and am a borderline diabetic so I have to watch the sugar and dairy that I use. I love ice cream and decided to try this recipe. I used 1 cup oat milk and quarter cup homemade cashew cream for added fat. I used Skyr yogurt which is thicker than greek yogurt. Had to increase the amount of sugar as the amount in the recipe was not even close to sweet. I used lacanto sugar and a small amount of coconut sugar and sweetened to taste. (Lacanto is 0 glycemic index and 0 calories.) I have a cuisinart and the ice cream was ready for the freezer in 18 mins. It was thick and creamy as ice cream should be and yummy. Very easy recipe. Will make other flavours. Hope this helps people with my issues who like ice cream and want to enjoy it.
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Denise! I’m glad it turned out thick and creamy. That’s the best kind of compliment, if you already think you’ll make it again. Thank you for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
That’s so strange that your ice cream wasn’t sweet though… Did you use a combined ½ to ¾ cup of coconut sugar and Lakanto, as I mentioned to do in the Notes section? Or did you use coconut sugar/Lakanto as a 1-for-1 substitute for the vanilla stevia? If the latter, that would be why yours wasn’t sweet at all! In the blog post above the recipe, I covered that the vanilla stevia that I use is very concentrated in sweetness, and the amount used in this recipe is the equivalent of ¾ cup of sugar. I know it can be easy to miss that section in the blog post and the Notes section of the recipe, but I promise it’s there! 😉
I just added about 1/4 cup lacanto + 1 tablespoon coconut sugar. I kinda winged it. How do I make a vanilla flavoured ice cream?
I see! I’ve actually shared a link to my vanilla ice cream recipe directly underneath the recipe box for this chocolate ice cream. I know it can be easy to miss that too! 😉 You can also find the rest of my ice cream recipes by clicking on the “Recipes” tab in the top pink menu bar of my blog. There, my recipes are sorted into categories, including one for Frozen Treats. (There’s a search bar there too, in case you’d ever like to search for something specific!)
If you decide to try making it, I’d love to hear what you think of my vanilla ice cream as well!
How many calories per one half-cup serving? Also, elbow many grams protein per serving.
Thank you,
Bridget Murphy
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipe, Bridget! The full nutrition information (including calories and grams of protein) is included directly underneath the recipe box. I know it can be really easy to miss though! 😉
I’d love to hear what you think of this chocolate ice cream if you end up making it!
I’m curious has to whether you could store this ice cream in the freezer.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Joe! I’ve actually covered this in the paragraph of text directly above the ingredients list in the recipe box. I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of this ice cream if you try making it!
I’m ready to try but need a substitute for your Stevia. I have erythritol & Truvia. How much would I need of either of these to sub out?? Thanx bunches 😊😊😊
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Roseanne! You’ll need ½ to ¾ cup of erythritol, Truvia, or a combination of both to replace the stevia. (I’ve actually covered that in the Notes section of the recipe, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 ) I can’t wait to hear what you think of this chocolate ice cream!
Thanx Amy…you’re a sweetheart!! 🙂
You’re welcome, Roseanne! I’m happy to help. 🙂 I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think of this ice cream!
Hi Amy,
I was wondering what is the sodium percentage on this recipe? My son is on a strict low sodium diet and was looking to make your recipe but wanted to make sure it is safe enough for him to eat.
The full nutrition information (including sodium per serving!) is actually included directly underneath the recipe. I know it can be really easy to miss that detail!
I’m so sorry I’m just now responding too. I had some family things I needed to take care of, but if you do end up making this ice cream, I’d love to hear what you and your son think of it, Mena!
Hi Amy! I love your baked goods recipes and was so excited to find this ice cream recipe to try! I was wondering, would it affect the recipe negatively if I used melted chocolate? I don’t happen to have cocoa powder on hand.
And I just want to thank you for what you do! I love baking and my family loves sweets, but we are on a low sugar, whole grains diet for various health reasons, and your recipes have been life savers over and over again! Thanks for bringing healthy joy to my kitchen!
You’re so sweet Jessica!! Your kind words just put the biggest smile on my face. It means so much that you and your family are enjoying my recipes. Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
I don’t recommend using melted chocolate to make this recipe. My main hesitation is that it can re-solidify too quickly upon adding it to the ice cream maker (or even just mixing it with the other ingredients!) and turn out more like vanilla ice cream with bits of chocolate throughout. Delicious — but not quite pure chocolate ice cream! 😉
I’m so sorry I’m just now responding too. I had some family things I needed to take care of, but if you decide to try making this ice cream, I’d love to hear what you and your family think of it!
I tried this with honey instead of sugar and I think it made it so it wouldn’t set up at all 🙁 It’s been churning away for half an hour and just as liquid as when I started. I was trying to stay away from granulated sugar as I thought it would be too grainy, but now I’m not sure what to use instead (I don’t like artificial sweeteners).
Oh no!! That sounds really disappointing, Amanda. 🙁 Unfortunately, you’re right — the honey added a lot more liquid volume to the ice cream base, which is why it’s still so liquidy.
If you use regular granulated sugar (not turbinado sugar or raw cane sugar, which are coarser), it should fully dissolve during the 1 minute of mixing with an electric mixer, so your ice cream shouldn’t be grainy!
Can lactose or dairy free yogurt be substituted for the Greek yogurt?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Mindy! I haven’t tried dairy-free yogurt, but I think lactose-free Greek yogurt should work quite well.
I’d love to hear what you think of this ice cream if you end up making it!
Hi again. I know you said you haven’t used the Ninja Creami, but I am wondering what you think about freezing the mixture before churning it? That is how the Creami works. https://ninjatestkitchen.com/recipe/chocolate-brownie-chunk-ice-cream/
I would use your recipe and ingredients but their method/ice cream maker since that brand is what I have. I haven’t used it yet but hope to , for your healthy ice cream. Just not sure how it would turn out if you froze the mixture versus freezing the canister.
Thank you so much!
Wendy
Hi Amy, Loved this recipe. Healthly ingrediants and no sugar!! I used 100% raw organic cacao powder even though your recommendation brand says it’s 100% cacao as well. I also measured by sprinkling in cup from the bag rather than your recommendation. It was quite bitter. I should perhaps reduced the quantity of cacao next time and measure correctly. I did add 1 extra tsp of stevia but did not cover the bitterness. I also added a bit extra of mint stevia hoping for a chocolate mint flavor. I used the recommended stevia. I still ate it. Ready for another try. Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear you loved this ice cream, Ellyn! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let us know, it truly means a lot!
If you used the same brand of liquid stevia as what we have linked, then using less cacao should help reduce the bitterness! Depending on how bitter it tasted, we would recommend using 4-6 tablespoons instead of the full ½ cup.
You can also try adding another sweetener. Cocoa powder can sometimes reduce the sweetness level of stevia, so combining a few sweetener products can help get around that! We would recommend either solid sweeteners (granular, powdered, that sort of thing!) or really concentrated ones, as opposed to honey or maple syrup. If you use one of the latter two, it will add too much liquid volume so the ice cream won’t actually set properly.
We’d love to hear what works well if you decide to try again with any of these adjustments! 😉