Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream is cold, creamy chocolate with a hint of spicy heat from chili and cinnamon. This spicy ice cream warms your mouth even as you are chilled from the ice cream.

Spicy Ice Cream

When some friends requested a chocolate and chili ice cream combination last year, I was excited to finally try a spicy ice cream recipe for myself.

At the very first taste, I was immediately glad that we were planning to share this ice cream with them and I could avoid the temptation of eating the entire batch myself! This spicy chocolate ice cream has received rave reviews from everyone who tastes it.

I’ve made this ice cream over a dozen times now. It is my husband’s favorite ice cream flavor and after I first started making it, it was over a year later before I managed to get a photo of it.

He loves to give it away to friends and it continues to disappear lightning fast every time it is in the house. If you love the chocolate and chili combination as much as Sean does, you’ll want to try adding a bit of chili powder to the batter the next time you’re making a batch of brownies too.

Or if you’re feeling adventurous, try this Flourless “Hot” Chocolate Cake. With a dash of Tabasco sauce, it’s a sweet, cold, creamy, chocolate cake with a hint of unexpected heat as you finish each bite; this dessert is unforgettable.

Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• 1½ cups heavy cream
• ⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder or special dark cocoa *
• ⅔ cup sugar
• ½ cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1½ cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2-3 teaspoons chili powder adjust to taste

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

* The cocoa powder that is used will determine not only the depth of flavor (aka the darkness of the chocolate) but will also affect the resulting color of the ice cream. The photos here were shot with both special dark and regular Dutch cocoa powder in two separate batches.

Chocolate Chili Ice Cream

If you are unsure about the heat in the ice cream, start with half the suggested amount of chili powder and taste the mixture. Keep in mind that the heat level will increase slightly after freezing.

To make this spicy ice cream, you’ll start by whisking together the cream, cocoa, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until it reaches a full rolling boil (the mixture will foam up).

Remove from the heat before it overflows and immediately add the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has completely melted.

Stir in the milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and chili powder. Cover and place the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled. Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve immediately for soft-serve ice cream or transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze until ready to serve.

For more chocolate ice cream deliciousness, try this Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, or Dark Chocolate Orange Ice Cream.

originally published 5/14/15 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/5/23

recipe slightly adapted from The Perfect Scoop