This no-churn chocolate caramel ice cream has decadent swirls of buttery caramel and rich chocolate marbled throughout the ice cream, which makes every bite absolutely delicious!

How to Make This No Churn Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream

Let’s walk through each step of this recipe to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible.

I love this recipe because it doesn’t require an ice cream machine! But I do recommend having the following items on hand to make it:

• Saucepan
• Stovetop
• Loaf Pan
• Rubber Spatula

I’ve also shared a video tutorial below.

Step 1: Make the Caramel

Make the caramel first, because it needs time to cool and thicken before it’s added to the ice cream.

Making caramel from scratch might seem a little intimidating, but I promise it’s easier than you’d think!

Turn the stove to medium heat and place a saucepan over the element. Once the saucepan has warmed up, gradually pour in the sugar, adding 1/4 cup at a time.

Wait until the sugar is mostly liquified, then add in the next bit of sugar. As the sugar melts it will slowly deepen in color.

I try to stir it as little as possible, and let the heat melt it down. If you feel like the sugar might be burning or getting too dark, remove the pan from heat and turn down the temperature a bit.

Stir as needed until the sugar is fully dissolved and is an amber color. Turn off the heat.

Slowly mix in the butter, then stir in the heavy cream and salt. The mixture will be very thin at this point but will thicken as it cools. Pour the caramel into a separate container and set aside to cool.

Step 2: Make the Chocolate Swirl

Then we tackle the chocolate ganache! Heat the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds, until it’s just beginning to bubble. Gently pour the dark chocolate chips into the heavy cream.

Make sure the chips are fully covered with cream. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute.

Stir slowly until the cream and chocolate combine and the mixture is smooth. If any bits of chocolate aren’t fully melted, heat the mixture again for 15 seconds and stir until smooth. Then set aside to cool.

NOTE: Your ganache will look thinner than the ganache in the pictures above, but that’s how it’s supposed to be when it’s warm, don’t worry!

Step 3: Make the No Churn Ice Cream Base

Line a loaf pan or medium-sized bowl with parchment paper. Set aside.

Pour the heavy cream into a large, chilled bowl (bonus points if the beaters are cold too – it helps the cream whip up more easily).

Beat the heavy cream on a medium-high speed until it increases in volume and reaches stiff peaks/can keep its shape.

Then fold in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla bean paste or extract, and fine salt using a rubber spatula. Sweep around the sides of the bowl and pull through the center.

The goal is to incorporate all the ingredients together while deflating the whipped cream as little as possible. We want the mixture to stay light and fluffy!

Step 4: Layer Together and Enjoy

Then it’s time for the best part, creating all those delicious layers of caramel and chocolate!

Scoop 1/3 of the mixture into the lined pan, then drizzle on a third of the caramel sauce and a third of the chocolate swirl. Repeat two more times until you’ve created three layers of ice cream, caramel, and chocolate.

This is optional, but I like to reserve a little bit of the caramel and chocolate ganache to drizzle over the top of the ice cream when I serve it.

Use a butter knife to swirl the caramel and chocolate into the ice cream on top, then place the container in the freezer for 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Once the ice cream is firm to the touch, it’s ready to be scooped and enjoyed.

Substitutions & Swaps – Caramel & Chocolate Swirl

This recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have all of them on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• Unsalted Butter – Salted butter can be used in place of unsalted butter, just omit the salt that the recipe calls for.
• Heavy Cream – To make vegan caramel sauce or chocolate ganache, you can use coconut milk in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.
• Salt – I love adding in a bit of salt to balance the sweetness of the caramel and enhance its flavor but you can omit it if needed.
• Chocolate Chips – You can use milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate to make the chocolate swirl. Just be sure it’s a good quality chocolate so it will melt down smoothly.

Substitutions & Swaps – No Churn Ice Cream Base

• Heavy Cream – Full-fat coconut cream can be used in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – Sadly there’s no substitute for this! You need it to stabilize and sweeten the ice cream since we don’t use any eggs in this ice cream recipe. However, you can use vegan condensed milk!
• Vanilla Paste – I like using vanilla bean paste because it adds so much flavor and I love the little flecks of vanilla, but you can also use vanilla extract in its place.
• Salt – I love adding a bit of salt to balance the sweetness of the ice cream and enhance its flavor but you can omit it if needed.

Making This Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream in Advance

This ice cream can absolutely be made in advance! In fact, I recommend making it the day before you want to eat it so that it can firm up in the freezer overnight.

Leftover ice cream can be stored in an airtight container or covered tightly for up to a month in the freezer.

How Much Ice Cream Does this Recipe Make?

This recipe makes about 7 1/2 cups of ice cream. A serving is about 1/2 of a cup, so one batch has about 15 servings.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream

• Chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 30 minutes before making the ice cream to help the heavy cream whip up better.
• Don’t overmix the ice cream base once you add the sweetened condensed milk, just gently fold the ingredients together until combined. You want the mixture to be fluffy and light to give the ice cream the best possible texture.
• To make a chocolate ice cream base, add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder into the ice cream base with the sweetened condensed milk and other ingredients.
• Chill the ice cream for at least 4 hours, if not overnight. You want it to be pretty much hard to the touch before scooping it for the best results.
• Leftover ice cream can be stored in an airtight container or covered tightly for up to a month in the freezer.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this chocolate caramel ice cream recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets if you share on social media! I love seeing your delicious creations.

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