Chocolate peanut butter ice cream recipe with rich chocolate flavor and creamy peanut butter swirls. Made with high-quality chocolate using the Master Ice Cream Recipe for smooth results.
This chocolate peanut butter ice cream recipe brings together one of the most irresistible flavor combinations in dessert. Deep, rich chocolate ice cream is paired with creamy peanut butter to create a dessert that is both bold and comforting. The slight saltiness of peanut butter naturally enhances the flavor of chocolate, making the two ingredients a classic pairing that feels indulgent yet perfectly balanced.
Like many of the ice cream variations on this site, this recipe builds on the Master Ice Cream Recipe, a reliable foundation that makes it easy to create many different flavors while maintaining a perfectly smooth texture. By starting with that master technique and pairing chocolate with peanut butter—two ingredients that naturally complement each other—the result is a homemade ice cream that is both luxurious and deeply satisfying.
Updated:
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of contents
What it is
A recipe for the best chocolate ice cream with a peanut butter swirl. It is incredibly smooth and creamy, but it’s a quick and easy method.
Ingredients
We didn’t want to make good peanut butter ice cream. We wanted to make the best. So first, we used the best ingredients – the best chocolate, the best peanut butter (homemade), the best cream, etc. That makes a big difference. Brands vary in quality, so we have listed what we used. And we reversed the chocolate and the peanut butter by making a chocolate base and adding the peanut butter in chunks. This allowed us to keep the ice cream smooth by using powdered chocolate and keep the texture of the peanut butter.
We made the ice cream using our master ice cream method, and added the cocoa to it. The secret to keeping the ice cream smooth and creamy is detailed in this master recipe.
Chocolate
The flavor of this ice cream begins with high-quality chocolate from Valrhona Chocolate which gives the base its deep cocoa aroma and smooth texture. When chocolate is the star ingredient, choosing excellent chocolate makes a remarkable difference. Combined with the nutty richness of peanut butter, the result is an ice cream with layers of flavor—intensely chocolatey, slightly salty, and wonderfully creamy.
Valrhona produces some of the world’s finest chocolate; unique, artisan quality chocolate with complex, balanced and consistent flavors. Additionally, they are a certified B corporation and are working to limit the environmental impact of chocolate production by becoming carbon neutral by 2025. Their chocolate is responsibly sourced from growers with whom they have long term partnerships and they have committed to assisting producers, protecting the environment and promoting innovation. Chocolate production is one of the major causes of destruction of the rain forest, and long term partnerships with stable growers is good way of preventing this destruction.
Homemade Peanut Butter
We also use homemade peanut butter made from roasted peanuts ground in a food processor. However, freshly made peanut butter is easily available from the grocery store these days.
Cream
Horizon Organics Cream is a high quality product – Organic and produced sustainably from pasture raised cows. It has a rich, sweet, and fresh dairy flavor.
Sugar
Wholesome Regenerative Organic Certified Cane Sugar – produced from organic sugar cane fields that are green cut and are not burned or treated with herbicides or synthetic fertilizers.
Vanilla
Heilala Vanilla – Ethically sourced and harvested, produced using environmentally sustainably methods.
Crème Fraîche
We use crème fraîche in the recipe to keep the ice cream from freezing solid. And to make sure it’s the best, we made it ourselves from Horizon cream and a real crème fraîche starter. It’s actually very easy. See the link to our recipe below.
No Affiliates Statement
We call this our “no affiliates” statement because we accept no advertising, have no affiliates and accept no payment. We are not paid to mention brands – we just love buying the best, sharing that information and saving the planet at the same time. The effort put into writing and photographing the blog is solely based on our dedication to the cause.
Sustainability
The ingredients in this recipe were chosen not only for how they taste, but for how they are grown and produced. My background in agriculture—working with soils, water systems, and sustainable farming practices—shaped the way I think about food long before I began writing recipes.
Over time, I’ve come to see that the best cooking starts long before the kitchen, in the decisions made in the field. The ingredients section above highlights those choices, offering a closer look at the ingredients and the role they play in supporting a more thoughtful and sustainable food system.
Method
This recipe uses an easy, foolproof method that requires only a few minutes of active time. Check out our Master Ice Cream Method for a more detailed explanation on how this works.
- Measure the ingredients by weight
- Simmer the syrup mixture while whipping the sugar and egg mixture
- Slowly add the syrup mixture to the egg mixture, then add the rest of the ingredients
- Chill the mixture
- Freeze in an Ice Cream Maker
- Chill in the Freezer
This recipe uses our Master Ice Cream Method. An easy, foolproof, updated way of making ice cream.
Why this Works
The cream and syrup are heated while the eggs and sugar are whipped. Then the cream mixture is added to the egg mixture, which brings the eggs to a high enough temperature that they are safe to use in ice cream without having to temper the mixture, which can be more difficult to do. The flavors are added afterward so they are not cooked, which might reduce the flavor.
The highest quality ingredients are used, and flavor is added at every opportunity – Horizon cream, Wholesome Organic sugar, homemade peanut butter and Valrhona chocolate.
This recipe is made with ingredients that help keep the ice crystals small while the ice cream is churning and afterwards while it is hardening. This keeps it smooth and creamy. The ingredients that are key to keeping the ice crystals small are:
- Cultured cream – the beneficial bacterial culture in Crème fraîche
- eggs – the fat and protein in the eggs, and cooking the eggs denatures the protein
- invert sugar – the concentration of sugar in relation to water lowers the freezing point
- alcohol – the alcohol lowers the freezing point
- peanut butter– the peanut oil in the peanut butter will keep it from freezing solid.
RECIPE
Equipment
CHOOSING BRANDS:
For certain products, the choice of brand will make a big difference in the outcome of the recipe and in your carbon footprint. So, for those products, we have listed the brand. We are not paid to mention a brand and have no affiliates.
Ingredients
- 450 grams Horizon cream
- 85 grams corn syrup
- 100 grams eggs one egg and one egg yolk
- 70 grams Wholesome regenerative organic sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 50 grams Crème fraîche homemade from Horizon cream
- 1 Tablespoon Vodka
- 2 Tablespoons Valrhona cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup
Instructions
PREPARE THE STORAGE CONTAINER
- Put a glass storage container in the freezer.
MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS
- Use a scale to measure the ingredients – zeroing the scale between measurements. Into a small saucepan, measure the cream and corn syrup. Into the mixing bowl of the stand mixer, measure the egg, egg yolk, sugar and salt. Into a small bowl, measure the crème fraîche, vodka and cocoa. Into another small bowl, measure the peanut butter and teaspoon corn syrup.
MIX THE INGREDIENTS
- In the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, sugar and salt for at least 2 minutes, first on low speed, then on high.
- While the stand mixer is whisking the eggs and sugar, put the saucepan on the stove and bring the cream and corn syrup to a simmer, and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring to combine.
- Switch the mixer to low speed and very slowly add the cream and corn syrup mixture.
- Continue whisking on low and add the crème fraîche, vodka and cocoa.
- Mix the peanut butter and corn syrup together and save for later.
- Refrigerate the cream mixture overnight, or you can use an ice bath to bring it down to 45° F, if you are in a hurry.
FREEZE THE MIXTURE
- Pre-chill the ice cream maker by letting it run for 5 minutes before adding the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions.
- When the ice cream maker is finished, quickly transfer the ice cream into the glass container that has been in the freezer. Spread the peanut butter mixture in a ribbon in the ice cream and fold the ice cream over it, so there will be peanut butter in every serving. Cover the ice cream and put the container back in the freezer overnight to harden.
- Store in the freezer for up to a week.
Nutrition
WHY THIS RECIPE IS A GAME CHANGER:
This recipe is a total game-changer — crafted with the finest [brand name] ingredients, simplified using a master recipe with pro-tested techniques from top chefs and bakers, and designed for deliciously sustainable cooking made easy.”
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True to The Master Pantry philosophy, this recipe combines the best seasonal ingredients and quality brands with homemade methods to maximize both flavor and sustainability. It was inspired by our travels and works well as a holiday recipe.
Photos by Tony Fitzgerald Photography
Recipes created by Lisa LeCoump — Food Photographer, Agricultural Expert, and Home Baker. Sharing master recipes, chef secrets, and sustainable baking for every kitchen.