Homemade Chilli Chocolate Ice Cream: Sweet and Spice Fusion

Introducing a treat that’s set to ignite your taste buds and delight your senses: homemade chilli chocolate ice cream.

We are always looking for a recipe that will excite and surprise us. Chocolate Ice cream, well that’s already got us excited, but then we added some chilli to it and we were super surprised.

Experimenting with flavour fusions is what we do, we love bringing together flavours that shouldn’t work but somehow do. And Chilli chocolate ice cream is one of those incredible flavour fusions.

It’s a delicious mix of sweet indulgence, with a kick of heat that slowly warms your mouth, whilst feeling the freeze of ice cream. It’s a medley of flavour sensations all wrapped into one delicious scoop of ice cream.

In this article, we’ll detail the benefits of chocolate and chilli, discuss the blending of these two flavour profiles and of course, we’ll show you how you can make your own homemade chocolate chilli ice cream.

If you’d prefer, you can skip to the bottom of this article and go straight to the recipe, or follow along as we learn about this fabulous combination of sweet, spicy, hot and cold!
Jump to Homemade Chilli Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

A Flavourful Fusion: Sweet Meets Spicy and Cool Meets Heat

When you combine chilli and chocolate, you get sweet with a hint of spicy, and cool mixed with a little heat, all in one delicious ice cream. It’s a fun and exciting mix that teases your taste buds, evoking an exciting and unique taste experience.

This special blend provides a new layer of taste experience, as you enjoy the cool, smooth, sweet taste of chocolate and then a little kick of chilli.

Chilli’s and Chocolate

Chilli’s and Chocolate not only deliver great flavour profiles, but both also pack many healthful benefits too. Let’s take a look at some of the health benefits each offer:

Chilli’s:

• 

  Boosts Metabolism: Chilli’s contain capsaicin, which can help increase metabolism and promote weight loss.

• Pain Relief: Capsaicin is known to have pain-relieving properties and can be used topically to alleviate discomfort.
• Rich in Vitamins: Chillis are a good source of vitamins like vitamins C and A, which support immune health.
• Heart Health: Some studies suggest that chillis may help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Chocolate:

• Antioxidant Power: Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which can help protect cells from damage.
• Mood Enhancement: Chocolate contains compounds that can boost mood and reduce stress.
• Heart Health: Consuming dark chocolate in moderation may benefit heart health by improving blood flow and reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Cognitive Function: Some research indicates that chocolate can enhance cognitive function and improve memory.

Both these ingredients offer a lot of health benefits which means using them both in homemade ice cream makes your creation even sweeter.

Let’s show you how to make your own Homemade Chilli Chocolate Ice Cream.

Homemade Chilli Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 450 ml double cream
• 225 ml whole milk
• 175g granulated sugar
• 40g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 85g dark chocolate, chopped
• 10 ml vanilla extract
• 5g ground cinnamon
• 1.25g chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 fresh chilli to garnish (optional for additional chilli kick)
• A pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, combine the double cream and whole milk. Heat over medium heat until it begins to steam but does not boil. Remove from heat.
2. In a separate bowl, sift the cocoa powder to remove any lumps. Add the cocoa powder, dark chocolate, sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, chilli powder, and a pinch of salt to the hot cream mixture. Stir until the chocolate and cocoa powder are completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cover it and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. After refrigeration, pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This usually takes about 20-25 minutes.
   1. • NB: If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still make this recipe. Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze. Every 30 minutes, stir the mixture vigorously with a fork to break up any ice crystals that are forming, repeating this process for about 3-4 hours or until the ice cream is firm. Please also check out our post – Homemade Ice Cream: Without an Ice Cream Maker – to learn more.
5. Once the ice cream reaches a soft-serve consistency, transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for an additional 2-3 hours or until it reaches your desired firmness.
6. Scoop the Homemade Chilli Chocolate Ice Cream into bowls or cones, and enjoy the spicy-sweet fusion of flavours!

Feel free to adjust the amount of chilli powder to suit your desired level of spiciness. Enjoy your unique and delicious ice cream creation.

Great Flavour Pairings

Chilli chocolate ice cream can be paired with a variety of ingredients to complement its spicy-sweet flavour.

Here’s a list of ingredients that work well with chilli chocolate ice cream:

1. Caramel Sauce: The sweet, buttery richness of caramel contrasts the heat of chilli and complements the chocolate.
2. Nuts: Chopped nuts like almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts add a crunchy texture and nutty flavour to balance the spiciness.
3. Fresh Berries: Berries like raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries provide a fruity and refreshing contrast to the ice cream.
4. Whipped Cream: A dollop of whipped cream adds a creamy, cool element to balance the heat.
5. Sea Salt: A pinch of flaky sea salt enhances the chocolate flavour and provides a nice contrast to the spice.
6. Candied Ginger: The zesty and slightly spicy notes of candied ginger complement the chilli and chocolate.
7. Mint Leaves: Fresh mint leaves can add a touch of coolness and freshness to the heat of the chilli.
8. Chocolate Shavings: Additional chocolate shavings or chocolate chunks can intensify the chocolate experience.
9. Sliced Banana: Slices of banana add a creamy and slightly fruity taste that pairs well with the spiciness.
10. Coffee or Espresso: For coffee lovers, a drizzle of espresso or coffee sauce complements the chocolate and chilli.
11. Crumbled Biscuits or Cookies: Crushed biscuits or cookies like gingersnaps or shortbread can add a textural crunch.
12. Toasted Coconut: Toasted coconut flakes provide a tropical twist and a textural crunch.
13. Honey or Agave Syrup: A drizzle of honey or agave syrup can balance the heat with natural sweetness.

You can experiment with any of these ingredients to create unique and delicious combinations that perfectly suit your taste preferences.

Of course, as with all our recipes, you can easily swap the cream and milk for alternative milk, like almond milk for example, as Almond milk has a neutral flavour and will still provide the creaminess, without taking away from the flavours of chilli and chocolate.

For more information on alternative milks, please head on over to our article – Homemade Dairy-Free & Lactose-Free Ice Cream – which explains how the use of alternative milks can still give you delicious creamy ice cream, without the use of dairy products.

We hope you have enjoyed our article, learning about the sweet spicy fusion of chilli and chocolate and learning how to make your own homemade chilli chocolate ice cream.

Please feel free to leave us a comment below if you have any questions, or if you’d like to share your chilli chocolate experiences. We’d also love to hear if you have any favourite flavour fusions that you like to try.

Thanks for dropping by.