Rich, dark, ultra-smooth, and creamy chocolate meets a hint of orange in sweet ice cream like no other you’ve ever tasted.
If you’re skeptical of the chocolate and citrus combination, one taste will be all it takes to convince you. (And if you don’t love the darkest of chocolate, any chocolate you love will work beautifully in this ice cream.)
Chocolate Orange Ice Cream
We tried a Chocolate Orange flavored ice cream while we were in Montreal and Sean declared it the best one he tried throughout our vacation.
It really was fantastic. So, naturally, I couldn’t resist trying my hand at recreating it. Four (maybe it was five ?) batches later, this ice cream has been declared one of Sean’s all-time favorites.
Do you love the chocolate and orange combination too? Don’t miss the EASY to make Chocolate Covered Oranges that my family adores!
Over the years, I’ve made this ice cream with extra dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, regular cocoa powder, and special dark cocoa powder too. It works every single possible way.
Sean and I love it best with the darkest of dark chocolate, however, my boys like it best with semi-sweet chocolate. The final color of the ice cream will be determined by how dark your chocolate is. As you can tell by the photos here, it will vary a good bit.
I’ve made this both with and without orange zest, as well as with store-bought juice. The zest makes a big difference in the results, especially when using fresh orange juice.
Fresh and store-bought orange juice will both work well. The fresh orange juice produces a milder flavor with a little more sweetness to it. The store-bought orange juice was just enough stronger than fresh I preferred it in the end.
The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!
With over 70 recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.
Don’t miss this Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs! Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me!
Dark Chocolate Orange Ice Cream
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup special dark unsweetened cocoa
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together the sugar, cream, milk, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and orange zest in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer while stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Add the chocolate chips and continue stirring while the chocolate melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice and vanilla extract. Let cool and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's directions.
Notes
{originally published 9/12/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/6/22}
Nimisha Thuluvath says
Hi
Nathan says
Hi
Kyle L says
This recipe is incredible! The texture of the ice cream is perfection; as good as anything ice cream parlour serves up.
I used slightly less orange juice and more orange zest. I also used Lindt dark chocolate that has little crunchy bits of hazelnut. One of the best ice creams I’ve ever eaten.
Steve says
I have been looking for Chocolate Orange Ice Cream since our local ice cream shop stopped carrying it, 🙁 – can’t wait to give this a shot this weekend. Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
I hope you love it, Steve!
Caroline says
Hi Mary!
I loved the richness of the chocolate ice-cream, but would prefer a stronger orange flavour. I had followed your exact recipe and used fresh orange juice and orange zest. Could you suggest any tweaks or additions to the recipe which would increase the orange flavour? Thanks! 🙂
Mary Younkin says
Hi Caroline! I’m so glad that you like the ice cream. For a richer orange flavor, I’d play with adding a bit more zest, or even a small amount of orange extract.
Colin Lockett says
I’ve just made this, virtually to the recipe, added 2 teaspoons of orange essence for that extra orange taste. This is a serious chocolate ice cream packed with flavour with a hint of orange,.
I’ve made several batches of chocolate ice cream over the last 6 months and this is easily the best. Will definitely be making more.
Thanks for the recipe.
Now looking for a serious Strawberry recipe..
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you are enjoying the ice cream, Colin!
Tom says
Forgot to add the sugar, but really didn’t need it as used an orange and almond chocolate bar which, I’m guessing, had quite a bit of sweetness in it already. Was also very generous with my orange zest.
Incredible, rich and delicious ice cream!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you love the ice cream, Tom!
Whitey says
Great combo of ingredients! I used fresh oranges, but to make things simpler, I just combined all the ingredients instead of simmering them. While it may have sacrificed some of the chocolate flavor it was still fantastic!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you like the ice cream, Whitney.
Dilkash B. Ahmed says
I have been longing for my all-time favorite Dutch Orange Chocolate ice cream from Herrell’s in Cambridge, Mass. where I last had it in 1989!!! 30 years later the taste still lingers in my mouth. Thank you for posting this recipe. When I make it, I am going to use a few drops of doTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil and dark Lindt Chocolate that comes in various concentration of cocoa content. How much cocoa content I’m looking for in the chocolate?
Mary Younkin says
That’s really up to your preference. You can make this with semi-sweet chocolate. We typically use 60%, but you can go as dark as you personally like.
Courtney says
Your site is now my go-to for homemade ice cream! Loved the rocky road recipe, and when I searched for a chocolate orange ice cream, your blog came up again, so I knew I had to try it! My mom and I still dream about Swensen’s Swiss Orange Chip ice cream, so I made this and added in some orange chocolate chips (semisweet chocolate melted and mixed with some orange zest, then spread on parchment paper and refrozen then chopped). Amazing! I might half the cinnamon next time, but otherwise it is perfection! Contemplating whether I can get away with ice cream for breakfast tomorrow…
M. Wild says
This was out of this world!! Thanks for a delicious indulgence
Mary Younkin says
You are welcome.
Martha says
Sublime. My favorite, by far
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad to hear it, Martha.
Rudresh says
This recipe is the bomb. I’ve made it 3 times in the last 2 months. I added dark choclate pieces to the ice cream machine 5 minutes before the churning cycle was done.
Mary Younkin says
I love that you like the ice cream so much! This is still one of my husband’s favorites.
Rebecca King says
The best ice cream I ever had in my life was a chocolate-orange ice cream I had in Montreal when I was 15. I’m now 53. It made that strong an impression on me. I’ve never seen that flavor since. I wonder if we had ice cream at the same place, many years apart, or if that flavor is a Montreal specialty. Either way, I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
I love that we share a Montreal memory of that ice cream! It really is so darn good!
Ness says
The reviews are so good and my husband LOVES orange choc anything. Any chance someone could tell me how to make this without an ice cream maker please? 😊
Mary Younkin says
Hi Ness, I’ve shared the instructions along with lots of photos in this guide to making ice cream without a machine: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/ice-cream-without-a-machine/ I hope that helps!
Beverly says
This was very good but the cinnamon overpowered the orange flavor, even though I increased the orange zest to above a tablespoon. Next time I’ll decrease the cinnamon to 1/2 tsp.
Mary Younkin says
Hmmm, I honestly don’t think the cinnamon has been that strong for me. Definitely decrease it next time if it was too much for your tastes. I’m glad you like the ice cream.
Beverley says
Just made this today and LOVED it! Very decadent, a small scoop is enough to satisfy. I used the zest of one naval orange plus one clementine. I also cut the cinnamon in half. Otherwise, I followed the directions exactly. It had great chocolate and orange flavor. I might use the regular amount of cinnamon next time since it didn’t overpower at all. I almost used regular cocoa instead of special dark snd so glad I didn’t! The chocolate flavor was perfect. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Mary Younkin says
That’s awesome, Beverly. I’m glad it’s a hit.
Mercedes says
Hi dear, How can I make it without icecream maker machine?
Mary Younkin says
Here are the instructions for that, Mercedes: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/ice-cream-without-a-machine/
PAUL GLANVILLE says
Have you tried a low carb version of dk choc orange ice cream?
Mary Younkin says
I’ve never tried that, Paul.
Catherine Sydney says
Excellent article writing. Please, keep posting such kind of information content on your blog. I am really impressed by your blog.
Mary Younkin says
Catherine – Thank you for your kind comment.
Ashar Hussain says
Hi Mary.
I make my ice cream with the custard base of whole milk, eggs, sugar, dark chocolate, cream etc.
I have used 1 cup orange juice, another time 1 cup orange juice simmered/reduced to half cup. I then churn the ice cream.
My problem is, both times the ice cream was very icy.. crunchy ice crystals in every bite.
How do I avoid ice crystals ?
Thanks
Ashar
I
Mary Younkin says
Ashar – It sounds like a ratio might be off in your recipe. Ice is water which is an indicator that there is possibly too much water in your recipe, likely from the orange juice. Try googling for an ice cream ratio calculator and putting in your quantities to see what you might need to adjust. Good Luck perfecting your recipe.