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Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Chocolate peanut butter ice cream made with a cooked chocolate custard and thick peanut butter ribbons swirled through every scoop. Deep, bittersweet chocolate base churns into a creamy texture with dramatic golden swirls.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 minutes
Total Time 39 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chocolate custard base
  • 2 cup heavy cream Use cold, then warm gently.
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 oz dark chocolate Chopped.
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Peanut butter swirl
  • 0.75 cup creamy peanut butter Warm until pourable.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 whisk

Method
 

Make the chocolate custard
  1. Whisk cocoa powder into the heavy cream and whole milk until smooth, then heat until steaming. Visual cue: small bubbles around the edges and a light cocoa aroma, not a boil.
  2. Add the chopped dark chocolate and whisk until fully melted. Visual cue: the mixture turns glossy and thick enough to coat the whisk.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Visual cue: the yolk mixture lightens in color and ribbons from the whisk.
  4. Slowly whisk the hot chocolate cream into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Visual cue: the stream stays steady without scrambling.
  5. Return everything to a saucepan and cook while stirring until it reaches 175F. Visual cue: the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  6. Strain the custard, then stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Visual cue: a smooth, lump-free base.
  7. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours. Visual cue: chilled custard feels cold throughout when touched.
Churn and swirl
  1. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until thick and scoopable. Visual cue: the mixture looks like soft-serve with visible chocolate color.
  2. Warm the creamy peanut butter until pourable, then layer the churned ice cream into a container. Visual cue: you can drizzle thin ribbons across each layer.
  3. Drizzle warm peanut butter between each layer and swirl with a knife. Visual cue: thick peanut butter ribbons form marbled streaks throughout the dark base.
  4. Freeze at least 2 hours until firm. Visual cue: the surface looks matte and scoops hold their shape.

Notes

For the smoothest custard, strain it after cooking so the base stays silky after churning. Refrigerate leftover ice cream in a covered container for up to 5 days; freeze for up to 2 months (texture is best within the first month). For a nut-free swap, use sunflower seed butter in place of creamy peanut butter to keep the swirl effect.