Chocolate ice cream is a treat that puts smiles on most our faces. And this soft serve style is one that melts in your mouth. It’s the creamy ice cream that pleases.
Soft serve is creamy luscious. And it’s light, so it’s fewer calories and healthier than thicker ice creams.
It’s so easy to make at home. Learn how below.
Plus, you don’t have to be disappointed when you pull up to the fast food drive thru order line and you’re told the machine is down.
One of my fondest shopping childhood memories (besides grocery shopping) was at the mall where they had a food court.
They had a soft serve ice cream place where they served the chocolate-vanilla twist they called a zebra cone.
…How cute, yes? 🦓
So that’s how I remember soft serve chocolate ice cream. And you have your memories and can make your chocolate ice cream soft serve style dreams come true if you wish.
Soft serve ingredients are healthy.
Eggs added are a good source of some B-vitamins, A, and D.
When you add milk that has some healthy fat, the fat vitamins are better absorbed into your body. Vitamin-D is also essential for good bones and helps absorb calcium.
As we get older, our bones weaken and the earlier we can optimize our bone health then we benefit.
We started as babies drinking milk and full circle the same vitamin source is what we need for our aging health, so we can improve longevity.
On that mission, the unsweetened 100% cocoa (or dark cacao used) ingredient is anti-inflammatory and helps protect against chronic diseases.
You can accompany your chocolate ice cream with a chocolate coconut bar that needs no baking or an individual gluten-free chocolate cake that was what we served when I menu planned at restaurants for special events.
You can also use a natural sugar like monk fruit sugar (recommended by dieticians over white table sugar) that will help emulsify the eggs and milk together for texture.
It won’t be an exact exchange, but the healthy benefits are worth it. Monk fruit sugar is anti-inflammatory and won’t cause rapid blood sugar rise (with a lower glycemic index).
This recipe is lower sugar than most ice creams. And low sugar desserts can be part of your healthy strategy to keep your sweet tooth happy.
Easy Soft Serve Chocolate Ice Cream (Egg Yolk Method)
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 3 cups milk (low-fat)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup fine sugar (monk fruit sugar alternative)
Instructions
- Add milk and cocoa powder to a pot, and heat until you see a light boil (a few small boil bubbles). Then turn the heat off.
- Take the pot off the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
- Add your egg yolks to a separate mixing bowl and beat with sugar to emulsify until pale or lighter yellow color.
- Add slightly cooled mixture to egg yolks and constantly stir with quick motions (prevent curdling).
- When combined, set in refrigerator to cool down for about 15 minutes or longer.
- Prepare ice cream maker machine and bowl if you will be using one to set the soft serve ice cream. Take bowl out of freezer for about 30 minutes if it has been in the back of the freezer. Freezer temps vary but you want the bowl cold enough but e.g. not with frozen icicles on the sides but not water condensation. Tip: for the balance, have the bowl a little less cold because you can always freeze the ice cream back up in the freezer. And soft serve is more creamy, watery, and soft than ice cream.
- Alternatively, if you are not using an ice cream maker/bowl, be sure to stir the ice cream every half hour or so to remove any forming icicles.