What is better than your favorite candy bar or ice cream for dessert? Both of them combined for the ultimate frozen treat. The homemade vanilla ice cream is creamy. It is the perfect base to mix in tons of yummy chopped-up chocolate-covered candy bar pieces.
This recipe is the best way to use up all that leftover Halloween candy. Or grab some of the tons your kids got when trick-or-treating. Will they really miss any? And even if they do, they will thank you for making this yummy ice cream with it.
This recipe is great in summer when ice cream cravings hit. It is also great to make after Halloween as I mentioned above. Or make this after any holiday when you have an abundance of candy - Valentine's Day, Christmas, or Easter.
Honestly, it is so good to make it any time of year. Scoop some for sundaes, serve for birthday cake, blend in a milkshake or flurry, or pile it high in a graham cracker crust and make an ice cream pie.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This recipe has a vanilla base and uses traditional ice cream ingredients. It is eggless and no custard is cooked for making this recipe. It only takes 5 simple ingredients needed to make candy bar ice cream.
For the candy bars, use whatever your favorites are. I used Snickers, Milky Way, & 3 Musketeers. But Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat, 100 Grand, Hershey's, Butterfinger, Almond Joy, or Nestle Crunch will all be amazing. If you make one of my homemade candy recipes like Snickers Fudge or English Toffee, they work great in this recipe too.
- Heavy Cream
- Whole Milk
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Candy Bars
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Ice Cream with Candy Pieces
*** Ensure your ice cream maker will be ready to freeze the mixture in about an hour. This usually means the insert should be in the freezer the night before. ***
This recipe is for a homemade vanilla ice cream recipe. Once it is churned, the chopped candy pieces are folded into the ice cream. It is finally frozen for a few hours before you can scoop it and enjoy it. Here are the step-by-step instructions to make candy bar ice cream.
In a medium bowl, add the cream, milk, vanilla, and sugar.
In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine the ingredients for the ice cream base.
Chill & Churn the Ice Cream
Once the ingredients are mixed together, put the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes. It is best for the ice cream base to be very cold before adding it to the machine.
Next, add the chilled vanilla base to the ice cream maker per the instructions for your model. Let it run for 15-30 minutes, times will vary based on your ice cream machine.
While it is running, chop up the candy cars into small pieces. For the mini-size candies, as you give at Halloween, it is perfect to cut those into 4 tiny pieces.
It should be the consistency of soft-serve ice cream and look similar to the photo above.
Chop up the candy pieces to be this size.
Hint: Keep in mind the candy will be hard when frozen in the ice cream. Do not make the pieces too large or they will be hard to bite. The size shown above works best.
Mixing in the Chopped Candy
Once the ice cream is creamy and ready, scoop out ⅓ of the fresh ice cream and place it into a freezer-safe container. The container needs to be big enough to fit all of it. This recipe makes about 6 cups or 48oz of ice cream.
Sprinkle the top with chopped candy bar pieces. Using a spoon or spatula, mix and swirl in the candy to distribute evenly.
Top with another â…“ of the ice cream. Add candy and again mix in. Top with the last bit of ice cream and candy. Mix to combine.
How Long to Freeze the Ice Cream
Place the container in your freezer to chill. It needs to freeze this for about 3-5 hours. It will then be ready to serve after it hardens and is scoopable.
When it reaches the firmness you desire, scoop it into bowls or onto ice cream cones. ENJOY!
Variations
This is a versatile recipe. The vanilla ice cream base is simple and classic. Adding the candy bar chunks as a mix-in makes this wonderful dessert what it is. With the chocolate-covered candies used this is a gluten-free recipe. (Snickers - Milky Way - 3 Musketeers) But you can add other candy to personalize it.
- Twix or Kit Kat- for a cookie crunch, add these candy bars to the ice cream.
- Fudgy - add jarred hot fudge sauce swirled into the layers.
- Caramel - add store-bought caramel sauce swirled into the layers.
If you want a chocolate ice cream version try my Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream. Instead of the mini marshmallows add chopped candy bar pieces instead.
Equipment
To make this ice cream, you need an ice cream maker. This recipe is for churned ice cream with mix-ins so having this piece of kitchen equipment is key. Whether you want to hand churn or buy an electric one that is perfect for home usage, here are some highly-rated & budget-friendly models.
The Cuisinart is what I have had for almost 20 years and it is still going strong. Plus some great scoops & cute dishes too.
The Short Order Cook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you. This helps with the costs of running the blog. Thank you!
Storage
Ice cream freezes beautifully. Store this ice cream in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. It is best to enjoy it within 7 days. After that ice crystals may form on the surface.
This ice cream may freeze in a firm solid mass. To make it easy to scoop, leave it out at room temperature for a few minutes.
Top tip
Though this recipe can be doubled or even quadrupled, I suggest only making as much as you and your family will eat within a few days.
This ice cream is all-natural and has no preservatives or additives. Therefore, it will lose some of its creaminess and get a bit icy the longer it is sitting in the freezer.
FAQ
Yes, this recipe has been created for making in a small household ice cream machine. It has not been tried or tested as a no-churn recipe. The ingredients for this recipe do not lend to the no-churn process of making ice cream.
Almost any type of candy that is in small pieces will work. You can use M&Ms or Reese's Pieces for this ice cream recipe.
Each recipe and machine will be different. However, most recipes and household makers churn ice cream in about 15-30 minutes.
If you have churned your ice cream according to the manual and it is still not freezing, there can be a few things that are going on. The first possible answer is that the freezer insert for your machine was not frozen properly. If it is not frozen solid, the ice cream will not thicken and become frosty.
Another possibility is that you do not have enough ice and/or salt. This is the case when you have a machine that requires these for making ice cream.
Eggs are in many recipes for homemade ice cream and custard. However, this is an egg-free recipe.
Candy Bar Ice Cream
Equipment
- ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate-covered candy bars chopped
Instructions
- Ensure the ice cream insert has been frozen to the model's instructions. This is usually 12-24 hours minimum.
- In a medium bowl, use a whisk to beat cream, milk, sugar, & vanilla and beat until combined.
- Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes. The more chilled the ice cream base is, the faster it will churn.
- Get your ice cream machine ready and slowly pour the chilled vanilla mixture into the cold insert. Let your ice cream maker do all the work. While it is churning, chop up the candies per the next step. Run the ice cream maker for about 15 minutes or until it is ready. It should be the consistency of soft-serve ice cream and look similar to the photo above.
- Chop up the candy bars into small pieces. If you have the mini candy bars often given as Halloween treats, those cut into 4 pieces are a good size. Keep in mind the candy will be hard when frozen. Do not make the pieces too large or they will be hard to bite.
- Scoop out ⅓ of the fresh ice cream and place it into a freezer-safe container. Sprinkle the top with chopped candy bar pieces. Using a spoon or spatula, mix and swirl in the candy to distribute evenly. Top with another ⅓ of the ice cream. Add candy and again mix in. Top with the last bit of ice cream and candy. Mix to combine.
- Freeze this for about 3-5 hours. It will then be ready to serve after it chills for hours.
- When it reaches the firmness you desire, scoop it into bowls or onto ice cream cones. ENJOY!
- If the ice cream is not consumed all on the first day, it can be stored in the freezer for up to a week. Store in an air-tight container in your freezer. Remove the ice cream about 5 minutes before you want to eat it as homemade ice cream tends to be more solid and dense once frozen all the way through.
Notes
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 197 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 12.1g | 16% |
| Saturated Fat 7.5g | 37% |
| Cholesterol 44mg | 15% |
| Sodium 24mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 21.2g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 20.6g | |
| Protein 1.6g | |
| Vitamin D 28mcg | 139% |
| Calcium 54mg | 4% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 69mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
May says
Loaded with snickers and kit kats is how we made it. Really good. We did have to leave it out to scoop it as it was hard but was soft and yum.