Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Growing up, Breyer's Chocolate Ice Cream was my family's dessert of choice.  It was probably due to the fact that it was my mom's all time favorite ice cream.  She would always say there was no comparing Breyer's to any other ice cream- it was thicker, creamier, chocolatey-er, and had minimal ingredients.  It was the first food I can remember reading the ingredient list and thinking Wow!  I know what all of these things are!  My mom essentially convinced me at a young age that Breyer's was basically a  health food.  Needless to say, I ate my fair share of chocolate ice cream growing up.

Flash forward 10+ years, I now know better than to believe there is such a thing as healthy ice cream.  However, I know that natural, minimally processed ice cream is better than overly processed-fake ingredient ice cream.  If you read the ingredient list to an ice cream(or anything for that matter) and you don't know what most of the ingredients are, you shouldn't eat it.

 I had been thinking a lot about my childhood love of chocolate ice cream lately, wondering why I had yet to make a veganized version for Dayv.  Perhaps it's because I had no real idea how to make it- cocoa powder or melted chocolate chips?  Maybe it's because Dayv never picked out chocolate ice cream back when we still bought ice cream and I thought he didn't like it.  Silly Caitlin, who doesn't like chocolate ice cream?

About a week ago, I decided to just wing it, with the thought in mind Simpler is better.  Lucky for me, it turned out perfectly.  The entire recipe was consumed within record time and as Dayv ate the last huge bowl-full of chocolate ice cream declared I needed to make more.  Apparently my husband loves chocolate ice cream, who knew?

Once of the things I love so much about this recipe is the minimal ingredient list.  When I first told Dayv there were only four ingredients, he started to guess them.  "Cocoa powder.  Coconut milk.  Chocolate chips."  Then he stopped, not knowing what came next.  "I'll give you a hint- what makes the ice cream sweet?" I asked.  "Love?" asked Dayv.

Why yes, love, and sugar ;)

Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
2 cans light coconut milk
3/4 cup vegan sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4-1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine both cans of coconut milk and sugar.  Whisk until sugar has dissolved.  Add cocoa powder and continue to whisk until mixture is uniform in color(like the color of chocolate milk) with no clumps.  Remove from heat and pour into glass container, preferably with a spout.  Allow to cool on counter for about a half hour before covering the top with plastic wrap and chilling in the refrigerator.  Chill for at least 4 hours.

After ice cream mixture is chilled, transfer to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.  About 5 minutes before ice cream is done churning, add chocolate chips(at the 20 minute mark for me).  Once finished, serve immediately, or transfer to a flexible plastic container with a lid and place in freezer.  Enjoy!