Cherry chocolate chip ice cream recipe made with rich Luxardo maraschino cherries and chunks of Valrhona dark chocolate. Created using the Master Ice Cream Recipe for a smooth, creamy homemade dessert.
This cherry chocolate chip ice cream recipe combines the rich flavor of real maraschino cherries with crisp pieces of milk chocolate in a smooth, creamy ice cream base.
Like many of the ice cream variations on this site, this recipe builds on the Master Ice Cream Recipe, a reliable technique that makes it easy to create many different flavors while maintaining a perfectly smooth texture. By starting with that master method and adding Luxardo cherries and Valrhona chocolate, the result is a homemade ice cream that highlights the elegance of simple, high-quality ingredients.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of contents
What it is
This is an easy foolproof recipe for making Cherry chocolate chip ice cream with authentic Luxardo maraschino cherries and Valrhona chocolate.
What are maraschino cherries?
Luxardo maraschino cherries are candied cherries soaked in Luxardo marasca cherry syrup from Italy. Their unique taste comes from the marasca cherry syrup which is made starting from the same juice used to prepare the infusion for the Cherry Liqueur “Sangue Morlacco”. The candying process creates a rare crispiness for which the cherries are known for.
Ingredients
We took on the challenge of creating the best cherry chocolate chip ice cream recipe. Our friends asked if we could make an ice cream flavor that was something like Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream. Well, that’s a little hard to beat. But, knowing our ice cream recipe is killer, and sustainable, we accepted the challenge.
First, we wanted to used the best possible ingredients, so we chose Luxardo cherries, the original Italian maraschino cherries, and Valrhona milk chocolate. Added that to our French Vanilla Ice Cream base made with the Luxardo cherry syrup instead of corn syrup. It turned out incredible.
We made the ice cream using our master ice cream method, and added the cherries and chocolate to it. The secret to keeping the ice cream smooth and creamy is detailed in this master recipe.
Valrhona Chocolate
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.
Luxardo Cherries
What makes this version especially distinctive is the use of authentic Luxardo cherries from Italy. These deep red cherries are preserved in a rich syrup that intensifies their natural flavor, giving the ice cream a deeper cherry taste and a beautiful jewel-like color. Luxardo cherries have long been prized in Italian desserts and cocktails, and they bring a level of richness that ordinary maraschino cherries simply cannot match.
There was not enough flavor using fresh cherries, and the ice cream became icy and grainy, with the cherries freezing solid. Using Italian maraschino cherries (like Luxardo) prevented this problem. They have been preserved in syrup so they don’t freeze solid in the ice cream. Ice cream also requires an invert sugar. Usually we use corn syrup, but in this ice cream we used the syrup from the cherries.
Original Italian maraschino cherries (like Luxardo) cherries give the ice cream an elegant, authentic flavor.
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 organic farming, 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 section on ingredients 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, Valrhona chocolate, Wholesome sugar, and Luxardo cherries and cherry syrup.
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
- Luxardo cherries – the fruit has been cooked with sugar and has less water so will not freeze solid like fresh fruit does.
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 Luxardo cherry syrup
- 2 eggs one egg and one egg yolk
- 70 grams organic sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 50 grams Crème fraîche homemade from Horizon cream
- 1 Tablespoon vodka
- 50 grams Valrhona chocolate chopped into pieces
- 90 grams Luxardo cherries some cut in half and some chopped into smaller pieces
Instructions
PREPARE THE STORAGE CONTAINER
- Put a glass storage container in the freezer. Put the chopped chocolate and cherries in the refrigerator.
MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS
- Use a scale to measure the ingredients – zeroing the scale between measurements. Into a small saucepan, measure the cream and cherry 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, and vodka.
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 on medium speed.
- While the stand mixer is whisking the eggs and sugar, put the saucepan on the stove and bring the cream and cherry 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 cherry syrup mixture.
- Continue whisking on low and add the crème fraîche and vodka. Whisk just until combined.
- Refrigerate 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 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, cover, and put the container back in the freezer for ten minutes.
- Sprinkle most of the cherries and chocolate over the ice cream. Fold the ice cream over the cherries and chocolate in just a couple of motions to mix them in. Sprinkle the remain cherries and chocolate over the top, cover, and quickly put it back in the freezer over night to harden.
- Store in the freezer for up to a week (yeah, right – like it’s really going to last that long).
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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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.