This Bailey’s Chocolate Ice Cream is hands down the creamiest, most luxuriant chocolate ice cream I’ve ever tasted. It tastes oh so rich and decadent. It boasts a sensuous mouthfeel and all the chocolate goodness to satisfy even my absolute worst chocolate cravings. It’s so rich, all you need is one or two small scoops to satisfy your cravings. Sit back, close your eyes and slowly savor every beautiful, indulgent, melt-in-your-mouth bite.
I think those “if you could only choose one, which would have to go?” memes are so ridiculous, but if I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life, I think I would choose this ice cream. Still, I think that choosing “just one thing” is so ludicrous! Life offers such diversity in so many things, but especially culinarily speaking. For our health, we shouldn’t ever limit ourselves to just one choice.
But if you’re talking decadent chocolate ice cream, I would argue THIS is the best ever. Yes, I’m a healthy eater. Yes, I worry about my cholesterol and heart health. And I also worry about overindulging in sugar-y treats because sugar is just as bad for your heart as all the other things put together. Yeah, you chould definitely choose a healthier dessert. Despite that, I have to say that even healthy eaters need to indulge and enjoy from time to time.
Can you Eat Rich Decadent Ice Cream on a Healthy Diet?
So here’s my take on it: when you’re choosing your indulgence, don’t settle for less than the best. That will lead to over-indulging and still not feeling satisfied, which leads to MORE over-indulgence. Find something that, within one bite, tells you “THIS is what I needed.” If you go for the pre-packaged mini cakes or cheapo candy bars from the store, you’re going to waste a lot of calories with very little satisfaction. So guess what you’re going to go for at your next meal? More and more of the same old crap, because your craving was never sated. Which just leads to obesity and depression.
I’m not saying this ice cream will save you from obesity … if you have no self control, it might well lead you further along that path. But if you are more mindful with your diet and can allow yourself a small indulgence without going over the deep end, I think this ice cream will definitely satisfy your chocolate cravings within a few rich, orgasmic bites.
Where did this chocolate ice cream recipe come from?
I adapted this recipe from a sweet foodie friend: Joan from Chocolate, Chocolate and More. Joan unexpectedly died a couple years back, taking all of us by surprise. I wept alongside the whole foodie blogosphere. We all mourned the loss of her positive spirit, her sense of humor and her delicious chocolate slant on life.
So one day when I went looking for a super rich chocolate ice cream, I was super surprised and frankly excited to see my old friend Joan’s recipe pop up, screaming at me to click on it and read it and MAKE it.
Joan’s recipe included no Bailey’s, but she described it thus: “OK, this is not a kiddie ice cream. This is an ice cream for adults.” … ooh that sounded so good. But in my mind a homemade ice cream for adults deserves a little alcohol TOO! So I slipped a little Bailey’s into Joan’s adults-only chocolate ice cream recipe. My (now adult) kids and I all seriously LOVED the results.
Honestly, I made this recipe months ago. We hid it in the back of my freezer so my youngest wouldn’t use it in her smoothies. Seriously, she took to adding chocolate ice cream to her smoothies for a while. But hiding ice cream can backfire on you. We forgot it was there, neglected to eat it. Now it’s March and I just remembered. Oh yes, I have a special treat to share!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you. I hope you find safety and warmth … and just a bit of indulgence, wherever you are.
Print
Rich Decadent Bailey’s Chocolate Ice Cream
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur (or other Irish cream liqueur)
- 1/2 cup half & half or milk
- 1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder (such as Rodelle)
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or, for a darker ice cream, use dark chocolate chips)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- A pinch of salt
- 1 – 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the whipping cream, Irish cream and half & half (or milk). Sift the cocoa powder over top and whisk to mix it in. Heat to a simmer, whisking frequently. When you see little bubbles on the outer edges of the pan, remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until completely melted. This is your chocolate base.
- In a small/medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer (preferably with a whisk attachment) to whisk together the sugar with the eggs, salt & vanilla. Beat until the mixture is thickened, a little fluffy and silky smooth. While whisking, in a slow stream, add 1/2 cup of the hot chocolate base, then repeat two or three more times.
- Place the saucepan with the remaining chocolate base back on the stove over medium heat. While whisking, cup by cup, in a slow stream, stir the egg mixture back into the chocolate base until it’s all incorporated. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a clean spoon. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.
- Refrigerate the chocolate ice cream mixture for at least 4 hours or until completely cold, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Eat immediately as soft serve, or freeze two hours or more to firm it up a bit more.
Notes
Because of the alcohol and cream content in this ice cream, it stays much softer and more scoopable than most homemade ice creams.
RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ … © Copyright 2022, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
If you’re looking for more rich, boozy chocolate desserts, I highly recommend visiting my boozy chocolate dessert roundup!
Here’s a little sneak peek of what you’ll find there:
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