Mocha Cookie Crunch Ice Cream

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This smooth and creamy mocha ice cream is the perfect blend of chocolate and coffee flavors. The chocolate cookie crunchies swirled throughout send it to the next level. You’ll want to save this one.

Why You’ll Love this Mocha Cookie Crunch Ice Cream

Blend of Coffee & Chocolate – this ice cream has the perfect blend of coffee and chocolate flavors, resulting in a delicious mocha ice cream.

Real Ingredients – made with real, simple, ingredients.

Smooth & Creamy – the most delicious smooth and creamy texture that will have you going back for seconds.

Crunchies – crispy cookie pieces are swirled into this ice cream for some crunchy texture and yummy cocoa flavor.

Versatile – amazing alone, but also delicious with hot fudge topping, sandwiched between two cookies, used to make an ice cream cake, etc.

Cookie Crunchies

To make the cookie crunchies, I break homemade chocolate wafer cookies into small crumbles. To help ensure they stay crunchy, I coat them with a homemade magic shell topping before mixing them into the ice cream. The result is a deeply cocoa, crunchy addition that compliments the mocha ice cream beautifully.

FAQ

What is mocha?

Mocha typically refers to the comination of coffee and chocolate flavors. This ice cream has a beautiful balance of coffee and chocolate flavors, creating a mocha ice cream.

Why does this call for egg yolks?

Egg yolks are used in custard-style ice creams. They act as an emulsifier to create a rich, smooth, and creamy texture and help prevent iciness.

What is espresso powder?

It is a concentrated, powder form of coffee that is very finely-ground so it dissolves into liquids and batters. It can be used in small amounts to enhance chocolate flavor in desserts. Increasing the amount used will add coffee flavor. While stores carry it, you can also find it on Amazon from brands like King Arthur Baking Company (what I used in this recipe) and Anthony’s.

Is espresso powder the same as instant coffee?

No, espresso powder is not the same as instant coffee. Instant coffee is generally coarse with a harsh flavor, while espresso powder is very fine with a clean flavor.

Do I need an ice cream machine?

There are ways to make ice cream without an ice cream machine, but I highly recommend one. Not only does an ice cream machine make churning ice cream easy, but it will generally give you a much smoother final ice cream texture too. I list the one I use in the Equipment section below.

Other Ice Cream Recipes

Creamy Chocolate Malt Ice Cream

Brown Butter Ice Cream

Crème Brûlée Ice Cream

Equipment

I use an ice cream maker to churn this ice cream. The one I currently use, and some other options, are linked below:

• Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker (the one I currently use)
• Kitchen Aid Mixer Ice Cream Attachment
• Bosch Mixer Ice Cream Attachment
• Dash Ice Cream Machine

Don’t have an ice cream machine or not ready to buy one? Check out my post: How to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine.

This recipe uses espresso powder. While stores carry it, you can also find it on Amazon from brands like King Arthur Baking Company (what I used in this recipe) and Anthony’s.

Mocha Cookie Crunch Ice Cream

Brookside Kitchen

This smooth and creamy ice cream is the perfect blend of chocolate and coffee flavors. The chocolate cookie crunchies swirled throughout send it to the next level. You'll want to save this one.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Chilling & Churning 10 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Yield 1 quart

Equipment

• Ice Cream Machine

Ingredients

  

Cookie Crunch Pieces:

Wafer Cookies

• 3 tbsp (43 g) butter, melted
• ¼ cup (46 g) sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• a pinch baking soda
• a pinch salt
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp (38 g) flour
• 2 tbsp (13 g) dutch-process cocoa powder

Magic Shell Topping

• ¼ cup (45 g) dark chocolate
• 2 tsp (9 g) refined coconut oil

Ice Cream:

• 4 egg yolks
• ¾ cup (160 g) sugar
• 1 ½ cups (390 g) whole milk
• 1 ½ cups (380 g) heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp espresso powder (I use King Arthur brand)
• 3 tbsp (20 g) dutch-process cocoa powder

Instructions

 

Prepare the Ice Cream Base:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside.
• Add milk, cream, vanilla, salt, espresso powder and cocoa powder to a pot. Place over medium heat, stirring frequently, until warm and beginning to steam.
• Slowly pour some of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking constantly to temper the egg yolks. Continue until all of the milk has been added.
• Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
• Pour the mixture into a heat-safe container. Cover and let cool slightly at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then, place in the fridge and chill overnight, or until completely cold.

Prepare the Wafer Cookies:

• Preheat oven to 350℉.
• Add melted butter and sugar to a bowl. Mix until combined.
• Add salt, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
• Mix in cocoa powder until combined. Mix in flour until combined.
• Form dough into a log about 3 inches long. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
• Once the dough is chilled, slice the dough into ⅛ inch thick slices.
• Transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cookies appear slightly deflated and the kitchen smells of chocolate*.
• Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Churn the Ice Cream:

• Churn ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, prepare the magic shell topping and cookie crunchies.

Prepare the Magic Shell Topping:

• Add coconut oil to a bowl and microwave until fully melted.
• Add chocolate and stir until smooth. You may have to place back in the microwave for 10 second bursts, stirring well in between, to get chocolate to fully melt into the coconut oil.

Prepare the Cookie Crunchies:

• When the wafer cookies are completely cooled, break into small crumbles, similar in size to the crumbles used between layers of an ice cream cake.
• Pour the magic shell topping over the cookie crumbles and mix well to fully coat.

Finishing the Ice Cream:

• Once the ice cream has reached soft-serve consistency, transfer to a freezer-safe container, alternating between ice cream and cookie crunchies, so the crunchies are evenly distributed throughout the ice cream.
• Freeze for 2-4 hours until firm and scoopable.

Notes

Prepare Your Ice Cream Machine – If your ice cream machine has a bowl that needs to be frozen, remember to freeze it in advance so it’s ready when you need it. I like to freeze it for at least 24 hours to ensure it’s fully frozen before using.

Tempering the Egg Yolks – This step is important because it allows the eggs to heat up slowly, so they don’t curdle and cause little egg lumps in your ice cream mixture.

Cooking the Ice Cream – When cooking the ice cream, you’ll know it’s done when it coats the back of a spoon. If you want to use a thermometer, it should reach this point around 170℉.

Chilling the Mixture – I prefer to chill the ice cream base overnight to ensure it’s fully cold and allow everything to meld together. If you don’t want to wait that long to churn your ice cream, you can move on to the churning step once the ice cream base is fully cold.

Wafer Cookie Bake Time – Bake time for the wafer cookies will vary depending on how thick you’ve cut the cookies and your specific oven. Because the cookies are very dark in color, it can be a bit difficult to know when they’re done cooking.

About 5 minutes into baking the cookies will puff up ever so slightly. They will then begin to bubble on the surface as they cook. The bubbles will eventually slow down and the cookie will deflate slightly. This is when you’ll notice your kitchen begins to smell of chocolate. At this point, the cookies are ready.

Serving – If the ice cream has been in the freezer for an extended period of time, you may want to let it sit out on the counter for a few minutes to allow it to soften slightly before scooping.

If you try out this mocha cookie crunch ice cream recipe, I’d love to know what you think! Please leave a comment with a rating below and share a photo of your creation on Instagram using the hashtag #BrooksideKitchen and tag @BrooksideKitchen