Chocolate Ice Cream Ingredients

Chocolate ice cream cone.

Chocolate ice cream ingredients vary. Traditional homemade recipes combine simple, natural ingredients like eggs, sugar and dairy. Commercially-manufactured chocolate ice cream products may include additional ingredients like preservatives and artificial flavorings.

Basic Ingredients

A simple ice cream base typically consists of milk fats, sweeteners, and emulsifiers. Milk fats contribute to ice cream's rich smooth texture, while emulsifiers thicken ice cream and stabilize the dessert as it melts.

Homemade Recipes

Alton Brown's homemade ice cream base blends milk fats half-and-half and heavy cream with sugar and emulsifying egg yolk. Unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla extract infuse Brown's ice cream with its distinct chocolate flavor. Alternative flavoring options include chopped semisweet chocolate and fresh vanilla beans.

Commercial Ingredients

Commercial manufacturers extend chocolate ice cream's shelf life with milk solids and stabilizers. Friendly's Classic Chocolate ice cream includes milk solids whey, whey protein concentrate, and stabilizing plant extracts guar gum, carrageenan, and xanthan gum. Additional ingredients include emulsifying fats mono- and diglycerides, corn syrup, and buttermilk.

References

• Food Network: Recipes: Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream
• Joy of Baking: Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
• University of Guelph: Dairy Science and Technology: Ice Cream: Ingredients
• Friendly's: Ice Cream: Take Home Treats: Rich & Creamy Ice Cream: Classic Chocolate