Black Forest Ice Cream
This easy black forest ice cream is a no churn chocolate ice cream swirled with cherry compote, crumbled fudgy brownies, and dark chocolate shavings. It’s rich and creamy with the perfect mix of textures. No ice cream maker needed!
About this recipe
This homemade black forest ice cream is inspired by the traditional black forest cake which layers chocolate sponge with whipped cream, cherries, and kirsch. I’ve taken those flavors and turned them into a no churn ice cream, swirled with a quick cherry compote and folded with brownie chunks for that chocolate cake element.
The base is a classic no churn chocolate ice cream made with whipped cream, sweetened condensed milk, and cocoa powder. No churn is brilliant if you don’t own an ice cream maker. The condensed milk does the work that churning normally would, keeping ice crystals small so the texture stays creamy and scoopable straight from the freezer.
The cherry compote is quick to make, but if you have leftover cherry cake filling or even a jar of cherry pie filling, those work too. Same goes for the brownies. I love using my fudgy small batch brownies, but any leftover brownies will do. Brownies become so pleasantly chewy when frozen, almost like a fudgy truffle, which is why they work so well stirred through ice cream.
Key ingredients and why
- Sweetened condensed milk. This is the secret to no churn ice cream. It’s whole milk that’s been simmered down with sugar until about 60% of the water has evaporated, leaving a thick, sweet syrup high in milk solids and sugars. Both of those work to limit ice crystal formation in the freezer, which is what gives no churn ice cream its creamy, scoopable texture without any churning.
- Heavy cream. Whipped to stiff peaks, the cream traps air, which gives the ice cream its light, scoopable structure. The high fat content also keeps the texture smooth and rich.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Either Dutch process or natural cocoa works here. Dutch process gives a darker, smoother chocolate flavor, while natural cocoa is brighter and slightly more acidic.
- Sweet dark cherries. Fresh or frozen both work. Frozen cherries are picked at peak ripeness, so they’re often just as flavorful (and easier to find year round). If you only have sour cherries, increase the sugar slightly to balance them.
- Almond extract. Just a pinch in the cherry compote. Almond and cherry are a classic pairing, and the extract really brings out the natural cherry flavor.
- Brownies. Use any fudgy brownie you love. The fudgier the better, as cakey brownies can dry out a bit when frozen. Crumbled into small chunks, they hold their shape beautifully in the ice cream.
- Dark chocolate shavings. For finishing on top. Use a vegetable peeler to shave from a bar of good quality dark chocolate, or just chop it finely.
Method
- Begin with the cherry compote so it has time to cool before going into the ice cream.
- Combine the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, almond extract, and salt in a saucepan.
- Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Cool completely.
- Whip the cream, cocoa, and vanilla to stiff peaks. Fold in the condensed milk.
- Fold in the chopped brownies.
- Spoon one third of the ice cream into a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Dollop over one third of the cherry compote and swirl with a skewer.
- Repeat the layers twice more, finishing with chocolate shavings on top. Cover and freeze for at least 7 hours.
Tips
- Cool the compote completely before swirling. If it’s still warm, it will melt the ice cream base and you’ll lose those distinct cherry ribbons. Pop it in the fridge to speed things up if you’re in a hurry.
- Don’t over-whip the cream. You want stiff peaks, but stop just as you get there. Over-whipped cream goes grainy and starts heading toward butter, which makes for a slightly grainy ice cream. Cocoa powder also adds a bit of weight, so the cream will whip up just slightly faster than plain whipped cream.
- Fold gently when adding the condensed milk. Whisking it in deflates all the air you just whipped into the cream. A rubber spatula and slow folding motions keep things light.
- Swirl, don’t stir. When adding the cherry compote, you want distinct ribbons running through the ice cream, not a uniform pink. A skewer dragged through in figure eights gives the prettiest result.
- Brownies should be cold or room temperature, never warm. Warm brownies will soften in the ice cream base and lose their texture. If they’re freshly baked, let them cool fully first.
Storing
Store in the freezer in an airtight container, with a layer of plastic wrap pressed against the surface to prevent ice crystals. It will keep well for up to 3 weeks. After that, the texture starts to suffer and ice crystals form, so it’s best eaten while it’s still fresh.
For neat scoops, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. Run an ice cream scoop under hot water and wipe it dry between scoops.
Related recipes
- S’mores Baked Alaska
- Funfetti Ice Cream with Toasted Milk Powder
- Biscoff Cookie Butter Ice Cream
- Blackberry Swirl Ice Cream
- Raspberry Chocolate Ice Cream
- Fudgy Small Batch Brownies
Black Forest Ice Cream
Ingredients
Cherry compote
- 225 g sweet dark cherries fresh or frozen, pitted
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- ā teaspoon salt
Chocolate ice cream base
- 480 g heavy whipping cream cold
- 20 g cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 397 g sweetened condensed milk
Mix-ins and toppings
- 4 brownies chopped into small chunks (about 1 cup)
- Dark chocolate shavings for sprinkling
Instructions
Make the cherry compote
- Combine the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, almond extract, and salt in a medium saucepan over low to medium heat. 225 g sweet dark cherries, 50 g granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, ā teaspoon salt
- Cook gently, stirring regularly, as the cherries release their juices and come to a simmer.
- Once simmering, cook for around 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until some of the liquid has reduced and the compote has thickened slightly. Take off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. You can speed this up in the fridge.
Make the ice cream
- Whip the heavy cream, cocoa powder, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Take care not to overwhip it. 480 g heavy whipping cream, 20 g cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and fold it in gently with a rubber spatula until fully combined. 397 g sweetened condensed milk
- Chop the brownies into small chunks and fold them through the ice cream mixture. 4 brownies
- Spoon one third of the ice cream mixture into a 9×5 inch loaf pan or another freezer-safe container.
- Dollop one third of the cooled cherry compote over the top. Use a skewer or knife to swirl it through.
- Top with another third of the ice cream and another third of the cherry compote, swirling again.
- Finish with the remaining ice cream and cherries, swirling the top layer too. Sprinkle over the chocolate shavings. Dark chocolate shavings
- Cover and freeze for at least 7 hours, until firm.
- Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping and serving.
Hi Elien,
Iām currently baking your brownies right now but excited to try this ice cream! Could you share which brand loaf pan you used?
Thank you!
Hey Meg, I don’t know the brand sorry! It was a 9×5 inch pan I found at my local supermarket!