Coffee Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (No Churn)

If you’re someone who likes to start your day with a cup of coffee, you’ll absolutely love this easy recipe for creamy, no churn coffee ice cream. It has an intense coffee flavor from instant espresso powder, complemented by a hint of bourbon. I love the textural contrast of the creamy ice cream with all the chunks of chopped chocolate.

And for another coffee and chocolate dessert, be sure to check out my recipe for chocolate espresso cake with chocolate curls!

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Why You’ll Love This Ice Cream

Quick and Easy to Make. This recipe for no churn coffee ice cream is as easy as it gets. You’ll have it prepped and ready to freeze in 10 minutes! The hardest part is just waiting for it to freeze.

Coffee. I LOVE coffee. I’ve started my mornings with a cup of coffee since high school, and there’s nothing better than that first, scalding hot sip. I like cream in my coffee, and this ice cream flavored with espresso powder tastes just like a creamy cup of iced coffee.

So Many Good Textures. Smooth creamy ice cream and chunks of chopped chocolate keeps every bite surprising and so delicious.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Heavy Whipping Cream. Whipped cream keeps the ice cream light, fluffy and creamy.
• Espresso Powder. The coffee flavor! You can use either espresso powder or instant coffee, but not regular ground coffee.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk. Sweetens the ice cream and gives it a creamy, rich texture.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
• Bourbon. A splash of bourbon adds flavor that nicely complements the coffee. Also, the alcohol lowers the freezing point of homemade ice cream, making it smoother and creamier, rather than icy.
• Chocolate. You can use chocolate chips if you like, but I prefer to chop a bar of good-quality dark chocolate to get lots of variation in the chunks and shards of chocolate flecked throughout the ice cream.

TIP: For an intense coffee flavor, use either espresso powder or instant coffee, but not regular ground coffee.

Instructions

• In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the cream with the espresso powder until completely dissolved. Add the rest of the cream, and use an electric mixer to whip the cream until soft, fluffy peaks form that hold their shape.
• In another bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and bourbon. Fold in the coffee whipped cream, 1/3 at a time, until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
• Transfer the ice cream to a lidded container, and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does coffee ice cream have a lot of caffeine?

It has some caffeine, but it’s hard to define exactly how much, since the caffeine level will vary between brands of coffee powder. When I make instant coffee to drink, I’ll usually add a heaping teaspoon to about 4 ounces of water. This recipe contains 1/4 cup (12 teaspoons), so a couple of scoops is probably equivalent to a small cup of coffee.

Where can I buy espresso powder?

I like to use Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee, since it’s easy to find at my grocery store, as well as at Target. It has a strong coffee flavor, without being bitter or acidic, with a smooth, rich flavor.

Can I use regular coffee grounds instead of espresso powder?

Espresso powder, or instant coffee, is espresso that’s been brewed and dehydrated or freeze-dried, and quickly dissolves into liquids. But ground coffee, even finely ground coffee, will not dissolve. So, no, you cannot use regular coffee grounds, since they won’t dissolve and will remain coarse and gritty in the ice cream.

Do I need an ice cream maker for this recipe?

No, this is a no churn ice cream recipe.

Should I use chocolate chips or chopped chocolate?

You can use either, but I prefer to chop a bar of good dark chocolate for a variety of chunks and shards of chocolate throughout the ice cream.

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