My third batch of chocolate chocolate-chip ice cream turned out extremely well, thank you very much.
Not only did the batch turn out well from the ice cream maker, but it’s holding up in the freezer: no large ice crystal formation after storing for 24 hours in the freezer, and the ice cream scoops extremely well–almost like a commercial ice cream.
This recipe is an eggless recipe, using xanthan gum in place of egg as a emulsifier and thickening agent. I purchased mine online at Amazon, though you may be able to find it locally.
Xanthan gum is a pain in the ass to work with; the recipe below requires a blender to blend the gum into the cream, and the whole thing needs to be cooled in the refrigerator for several hours in order to allow the gum to work its way into solution. If you don’t use a blender (and heat the ingredients to at least 125°F (52°C) while blending), the xanthan gum will clump. It’s worse than dealing with using flour or corn starch as a thickener.
The recipe also makes use of dextrose, also known as “corn sugar”, which I also bought online, though you may be able to find it at a local health food store. (Dextrose is pure glucose and is often used as a weight training supplement.) Substituting approximately 20% of the sugar in your ice cream recipe with dextrose (by weight) helps prevent ice crystal formation during churning and during storage–which is why my third batch turned out extremely well.
The recipe below is for a chocolate ice cream base; omit the chocolate for a vanilla base.
Recipe notes:
The ingredients are calculated as a percentage of the weight of the half & half used in the recipe, and the volumes are approximate. Importantly the amount of xanthan gum is small, and requires precise measurements. Ideally, you will need a precise scale to measure the amounts to approximately 0.01g accuracy.
For a lower-fat recipe you can substitute whole milk for the half & half.
You can also adjust the amount of xanthan gum; up to twice as much will lend a more ‘gummier’ texture. You can also vary the amount of cocoa powder greatly; up to twice as much for a ‘dark chocolate’ flavor. Omit for vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients:
| Amount | Weight | % of Half & Half | Ingredient |
| 1 pint | 484g | Half & Half | |
| ~3/8 cup | 77g | 16% | Sugar |
| 1 1/2 tablespoons | 19g | 4% | Dextrose |
| 1 tablespoon | 12.5g | 2.5% | Vanilla Extract |
| 1/8 teaspoon | 0.73g | 0.15% | Xanthan Gum |
| 3 tablespoons | 9.7g | 2% | Cocoa Powder Optional |
Preparing
- Combine half & half, sugar, dextrose, vanilla extract and cocoa powder (if using) into a pot and heat, gently, on a stove, constantly stirring, until the temperature of the cream reaches 130°F (55°C).
- Quickly transfer pot to blender, add xanthan gum. (Best to pre-measure the xanthan gum so everything can be added to the blender quickly; the xanthan gum won’t dissolve easily unless the ingredients are at least 125°F (52°C).
- Blend on high for at least a minute. Any clumps of cocoa powder (if using) should completely incorporate, as should the xanthan gum. IMPORTANT: You must use a blender or food processor; the xanthan gum will clump before incorporating into the liquid, leaving you with a thin ice cream with bubbly lumps in it.
- Transfer to container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
- Add mixture to your ice cream maker, and run your ice cream maker as given by the instructions.
- Transfer the soft ice cream to a container and let cool in the freezer for several hours.
If you are making ice cream that has additional ‘chunks’ of chocolate, nuts, candy or other things in it, you’re best off adding those ingredients when you transfer the ice cream from your maker into the container at the last step. If you’re adding fruit chunks, you’re best freezing those chunks in the freezer overnight prior to adding to your ice cream; otherwise, the liquid from the fruit may prevent your ice cream from properly setting.