Marshmallow fans rejoice as this is hands down the best chocolate marshmallow ice cream recipe ever. This homemade dessert has double the marshmallow fun. The chocolate ice cream is loaded with swirls of gooey marshmallow fluff and tons of soft mini marshmallows too. It's rich, sweet, chewy, creamy, & over-the-top amazing.
If you love rocky road ice cream, then you will love this recipe. It is basically a nut-free version of the classic flavor. It's unique & better than any other recipe out there. Why? It has TWICE THE MARSHMALLOWS!
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Prep the Ice Cream Maker
- How to Make the Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
- Churn the Chocolate Ice Cream
- How Long Does it Take to Churn Ice Cream?
- How Do You Know When the Ice Cream is Ready?
- Add the Marshmallow Mix-Ins
- How Long Do You Freeze the Ice Cream?
- Storage
- More Great Ice Cream Recipes
- FAQ
- Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
Ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients. Most of them you may already have in your pantry or refrigerator. There are no eggs in this no-cook ice cream.
We tried other recipes and having only one kind of marshmallow was not enough. This has both and I won't apologize for the marshmallow overload. Add as much as you love, measure with your heart and you can't go wrong.
- Heavy Cream - best for rich & decadent flavor.
- Whole Milk - full-fat dairy for a creamy texture.
- Granulated Sugar - to sweeten the chocolate ice cream base.
- Vanilla Extract - classic flavor.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - Dutch Process or Natural for the best chocolate flavor.
- Marshmallow Fluff - for fun stripes & chewy swirls.
- Mini Marshmallows - for soft chewy bites of goodness.
Note: Dutch process cocoa has a darker richer flavor. I find it brings a more intense chocolate flavor and a deep brown color I find irresistible. If you want a mellow chocolate flavor like most commercially made ice cream, use natural cocoa such as Hershey's brand.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Prep the Ice Cream Maker
This chocolate marshmallow ice cream needs to churn in an ice cream maker. Use whatever ice cream maker you have and follow the manufacturing instructions.
I have a 1.5quart Cuisinart ice cream machine and I love it! I make sure the insert has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours as suggested.
REMEMBER TO FREEZE THE INSERT OVERNIGHT SO IT'S SOLID & READY! If you are looking for an ice cream maker with a compressor vs. an insert - check out my article for the best gelato/ice cream makers for the home.
How to Make the Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
Begin this recipe by mixing together the ingredients for the ice cream base. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the cream, milk, vanilla, & sugar.
Once the sugar is dissolved, add the cocoa powder. Whisk briskly for 2 minutes to be sure it is completely incorporated into the cream mixture.
Put the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes. You want the chocolate cream mixture to be VERY cold before adding it to your ice cream maker. Once the chocolate base is cold, whisk it again to bring all the ingredients back together - some cocoa may have settled to the bottom.
Churn the Chocolate Ice Cream
Now that the mixture is cold, it is time to let the ice cream maker do all the work. Turn it on and while it is running, slowly pour the chocolate base into the machine. Use a rubber spatula to get every last drop in there.
How Long Does it Take to Churn Ice Cream?
This homemade recipe only takes about 12-15 minutes to churn. (every model may be different but for mine, this is all it took). Now's the time to grab the marshmallows, jarred creme, and a dish to put everything in.
You will want a medium-sized shallow dish with a rim at least 2 inches high. I am using a container that holds 50oz, 1.5qt, or 1.5ml.
This recipe will yield about 45oz or about 5 ½ cups so pick a container large enough but not too big. Any additional air tends to crystalize on the ice cream.
How Do You Know When the Ice Cream is Ready?
Once the ice cream is close to the top of your machine, you can see it easily. The ice cream will be ready once it is smooth, airy, & creamy. It should have a soft-serve ice cream texture. The best way to test it is to dip a spoon in there and have a bite! Seriously, taste-testing is my favorite part of my job!
Add the Marshmallow Mix-Ins
Once it is almost done, add ½ the container of marshmallow creme to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds and stir. Repeat 10-second intervals until it melted and is almost a liquid. Mine took 20 seconds and it was ready. Once the marshmallow fluff is ready, turn off the ice cream maker. Spoon half the ice cream into your freezer-safe ice cream container.
Using a spoon, drop half ½ of the warm marshmallow creme into blobs & swirl over the ice cream. Sprinkle on ½ the mini marshmallows evenly over the top.
Using a rubber spatula or butter knife, swirl everything together so that you can distribute it all while still leaving streaks of chocolate with no marshmallows in it.
Repeat with the remaining chocolate ice cream, marshmallow creme, & mini marshmallows. Swirl it all together again so it looks like this.
It should have a good combination of chocolate areas both with and without marshmallows. Put the lid on the container or top with plastic wrap.
How Long Do You Freeze the Ice Cream?
Ok, now is the hard part - waiting for the yummy homemade ice cream to freeze and get solid enough to scoop. Every freezer or container size will result in a different amount of time. However, you can expect the ice cream to be scoopable and ready to eat in about 4-6 hours.
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 is frozen version of homemade hot chocolate made from chocolate chips. If you love this flavor combo, I suggest you also try Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies.
More Great Ice Cream Recipes
FAQ
This is a recipe with lots of marshmallow flavor. But if you only have access to one or the other that is fine. Yes, you can omit one of the types of marshmallows in this recipe. You can either make it with less marshmallow flavor by omitting one or you can double the other kind to compensate.
Yes, this recipe has been created for making in an ice cream maker. 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.
Homemade chocolate ice cream can be made with either. However, I have not tested this recipe, nor do I know the quantities needed to make this with melted chocolate. I use unsweetened cocoa since it is easy to work with and I find it has a deep rich flavor without being overly sweet.
Everyone seems to have a different idea of what is the best ice cream scoop. Some like the classic scoop, the lever-style disher, or the flat spade type. My new favorite is a Spring Chef Ice Cream Scoop with a comfortable handle & over 41K great reviews. This was actually a Christmas gift for my ice cream loving son.
Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
Equipment
- ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch process
- ⅔ cup mini marshmallows
- 3.5 ounces marshmallow creme ½ of the 7oz jar
Instructions
- Make sure the ice cream maker insert has been in the freezer overnight to be solid and ready to use.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the cream, milk, vanilla, & sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the cocoa powder. Whisk briskly for 2 minutes to be sure it is completely incorporated into the cream mixture.
- Put the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes. You want the chocolate cream mixture to be VERY cold before adding it to your ice cream maker.
- Once the mixture is cold, whisk it again to bring all the ingredients back together - some cocoa may have settled to the bottom.
- Assemble your ice cream maker and place the frozen insert into position. Slowly add the chocolate mixture into the ice cream maker while it is running. Let the machine do the magic. It should take 12-15 minutes for it to churn.
- While it is churning, grab the marshmallows, fluffy, and a dish to put everything in.I am using a 5x7.5x2.5'' container that holds 50ox or 1.5ml. You want something that holds at least 1.5 quarts.
- Once it is almost done, add ½ the container of marshmallow creme to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds and stir. Repeat 10-second intervals until it melted and a thick liquid. Mine took 20 seconds and it was ready.
- Once the chocolate ice cream is done, spoon half of it into the freezer-safe container. Using a spoon, drop half ½ of the warm marshmallow creme into blobs & swirl over the ice cream. Sprinkle on ½ the mini marshmallows evenly over the top. Using a butter knife, swirl everything together so that you can distribute it all while still leaving streaks of chocolate with no marshmallows in it.
- Repeat with the remaining chocolate ice cream, marshmallow creme, & mini marshmallows. Put the lid on the container or top with plastic wrap. Place the ice cream in the freezer for 4-6 hours.
- Once it is solid and scoopable it is ready to enjoy. ENJOY!
Tamara says
Holy marshmallow. So much to love about this. I did like that it was easy to make and no cooking eggs to make the chocolate ice cream. My kids already want me to make this again.
Angela says
My kids want more too. Ice cream is happiness - enjoy!
Mike says
Found your recipe off Facebook and had all the ingredients. It is so good and you were not kidding that is super marshmallow flavored. The kids loved it a lot. I love that it is not a solid brick the next day and was still scoopable.
Angela says
Thanks for the comment and pointing out that it does scoop & has a great texture even after freezing. So many ice creams have to sit out for 15 minutes or so because they are dense and hard. This chocolate recipe is perfectly soft and scoopable.
Dave says
This was fantastic. I made this for mothers day & family has already requested it for father’s day but my wife will have to say yes or no since she’s cooking that day. 😝
Angela says
Love hearing this - it is so good you should make it once a month in all honesty.
Lizzie says
Made this exactly as written and the kids loved it. It was fun to make and eat my kids told me to say.
Angela says
This is fun to hear - thanks.
Susan says
I made this today. It is amazing! Creamy and rich. I will definitely be making this again!
Angela says
Thank you so much. I am so glad you loved it too!
Jill says
Great flavor for chocolate ice cream. The marshmallow crème was hard to work with when I tried to distribute in the ice cream. Seemed to be chunky and frozen globs. Tasted good, just not so smooth. The chocolate flavor was perfect! Will make again!
Angela says
I am glad you loved the flavor. Did you warm the marshmallow creme in the microwave for a few seconds (step 7 in the recipe card)? This makes is more liquid form and very easy to swirl into the ice cream before freezing.
Jill says
Yummy! I’ve made this twice. The ice cream is so good, great flavor! I used the marshmallow fluff in the first attempt & had a problem getting it distributed throughout the ice cream. I left out the fluff for the second attempt & instead added slivered almonds & semi sweet chocolate chips — my husband wanted rocky road. It was good, but next time I’ll use chocolate shavings. I’ll be making this ice cream over & over!
Angela says
Thank you for the review & all the fun recipe ideas to make it your own. I am ALWAYS experimenting with fun ice cream recipes & am working on writing up my Butter Brickle recipe today. I hope you try my other recipes & enjoy them too. Thanks again.