This Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream is a freezer staple! It’s no churn, creamy goodness should be served on every dessert menu this year! This homemade ice cream is made with creamy peanut butter syrup, rich chocolate, and crunchy and adorable bear bites graham crackers!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get fun new recipes from us every week!
Typically, ice cream is made with tempered egg yolks, heavy cream, and sugar and is churned in an ice cream maker. But, an old hack has always been to combine condensed milk and whipping cream and freeze it! The result is fluffy, creamy ice cream without any extra steps and fancy equipment, or having to carefully watch a pot so your egg mixture doesn’t burn.
While we have done many vegan versions of no-churn ice cream (coconut milk ice cream), this recipe is full dairy and utilizes some amazing products! We have been long-time fans of Kodiak Cakes but only recently discovered their additional products that were screaming to be made into ice cream. Kodiak emphasizes products that are high in protein and simple ingredients. For our homemade chocolate ice cream, we choose to add Kodiak Bear Bites and Kodiak Peanut Butter Syrup to add both sweetness and crunch.
Jump to:
Ice Cream Ingredients
How to Make This - Step by Step
- Blend it up! Add all ingredients except the Bear Bites and Peanut Butter Syrup to a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth and a fluffy whipped cream like mixture forms. You can also do this with a hand mixer by whipping the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks first and then gently mixing in the remaining ingredients. Approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Crunch. Next, crush the Bear Bites into smaller pieces, approximately dime size or smaller. You can do this with a food processor, by chopping, or by placing them in a ziplock bag and crushing with a heavy object like a rolling pin or the bottom of a large bowl.
- Transfer. Pour ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe and preferably airtight container.
- Add-in! Swirl in the Peanut Butter Syrup and half of the crushed Bear Bites using the back of a spoon, fork or a knife. Top the ice cream base with the remaining Bear Bites.
- Freeze! If not using a sealed container, place a layer of plastic wrap pressed gently onto the ice cream so it is just touching the surface of the ice cream. If this isn't done, typically the top of the ice cream forms a "skin" that becomes thicker and loses its creamy texture within a few days.
- Enjoy! You may have to let it sit out for a couple minutes to soften. This is definitely classified as hard ice cream, not a soft serve.
Quick Facts and Common Questions
How long does this dish take?
10 minutes to make, 5 hours to freeze into creamy ice cream. It really is the easiest way to make your own homemade chocolate peanut butter ice cream!
How much does this make?
10 servings
Does this meet my dietary needs?
This recipe is delicious! But, it doesn’t meet any standard dietary needs. It can easily be made gluten-free by leaving out the bear bites or switching them for a gluten-free alternative! We also have some vegan substitution options listed below for the heavy whipping cream and condensed milk!
How many bowls should I plan for this meal?
1 blender (or a hand mixer, stand mixer with whisk attachment or food processor), 1 freezer-safe container like this one (no ice cream machine needed!)
How long does this keep?
2 months in freezer, covered
Where can I find Kodiak Bear Bites and Peanut Butter Syrup?
They are available at many grocery stores and all Targets currently! Get Peanut Butter Syrup online here and get Bear Bites here!
Can I put more mix-ins in my ice cream?
Yes!! We think this is the best ice cream just the way it is, but some yummy mix-in options would be peanut butter cups, vanilla extract, crunchy salty peanut butter, peanut butter chunks, and dark chocolate chunks.
Substitution Options
All substitution options are a 1:1 substitution unless noted otherwise.
Heavy Whipping Cream: Any whipping cream will work or non-dairy whipping cream! Half and half, whole milk, skim milk, nonfat milk or any other dairy products should NOT be used! This recipe relies on the whipped cream for its fluffy texture. This cannot be left out.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: Any sweetened condensed milk will work including non-dairy options (oat or coconut). This ingredient cannot be left out.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Melted chocolate chips can be used, a chocolate nut butter, or extra dark cocoa powder. You could also add semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks to up the chocolate flavor.
Kodiak Bear Bites: Any graham crackers can be used! Or these can be swapped for pistachios, pecans, or other crunchy element. A gluten-free cookie can also be used to make this recipe gluten-free.
Kodiak Peanut Butter Syrup: Maple syrup, peanut butter, Soma tahini, or caramel would all be great substitution options! If using peanut butter, you will need to use one that has a runnier texture to ensure it can be swirled in so each bite gets those delicious peanut butter flavors.
Fun Fact!
Peanut Butter is half of the most classic sandwich in history - the PB and J. How classic is this sandwich? Well, apparently the average adult eats 3 per month. And according to a study by the Huffington Post, the majority of Americans believe the strawberry jam, white bread, and creamy peanut butter make the pb and j sandwich. Can’t argue with that! Not only is the sandwich timeless, but peanuts are too (sustainably timeless, that is). It takes only 5 gallons of water to produce 1 ounce of peanuts. In comparison, it takes 8 gallons to make 1 ounce of almonds. (Source).
Try these other delicious recipes!
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 14 oz condensed milk
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup Kodiak Bear Bites
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Kodiak peanut butter syrup
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Place bear bites in a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy bowl. Or, but in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to rough chop the bear bites
- Add all ingredients, except bear bites and peanut butter syrup to a blender
- Blend until smooth and fluffy, usually 1-2 minutes
- Transfer ice cream mixture to bread tin or freezer container
- Swirl in the peanut butter syrup and mix in bear bites. Reserve a ¼ cup of crushed bear bites to top the ice cream with (do not mix in).
- Freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
drop us a note!