No-Churn Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

This Mexican chocolate ice cream was inspired by a recipe my grandmother used to make for my mom, just adapted slightly to a hassle-free, no-churn process. We start with a base of cream and condensed milk, which is then flavored with a whole lot of cinnamon. The star of the show though, of course, is the Mexican chocolate. Rich chunks of Ibarra chocolate are folded into the whipped ice cream base, and layered with swirls of cinnamon. With only six ingredients and very little prep, this ice cream recipe is something anyone can tackle. Perfect for those summer heatwaves when you want a minimal effort recipe and turning on the oven is the absolute last thing you want to do!

Mexican chocolate cinnamon ice cream scooped into waffle cones.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Ibarra Mexican Hot Cocoa – These are sold in what look like hockey puck disks of chocolate. You will need one of these disks, roughly chopped, to fold into the ice cream base and sprinkle on top.
Heavy Cream – You will need 1 pint of heavy cream, which will be whipped until soft peaks form before combining with the condensed milk.
Cinnamon – You will need 1/2 tablespoon for the ice cream base, plus a few extra pinches to sprinkle and swirl through the final mixture.
Vanilla – You will need 1 teaspoon of vanilla for the ice cream base.
Table Salt – To help round out the flavors, you will need 1/8 teaspoon of salt, or a pinch.
Condensed Milk – You will need one 14-ounce can of condensed milk for this recipe. The condensed milk is the key ingredient that allows for the “no-churn” aspect of this recipe. It prevents any large ice crystals that would normally ruin a no-churn ice cream and ensures a smooth, easy-to-scoop final texture.

Ingredients for no churn chocolate cinnamon ice cream — Ice cream base ingredients, flavors, and add-ins.

Cream whipped to soft peaks with cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.

Notes

Mastering the folding technique:

Folding is a technique used to gently combine two components without knocking out any whipped air in order to preserve a light, airy texture. The whipped cream and condensed milk are folded together in this recipe to prevent any major loss of air in the whipped cream. A flexible rubber spatula is ideal for this step as it is gentler on whipped mixtures and makes the folding motion easier. To fold, begin by scraping in a circle around the outer edge of the mixture, scoop under slightly at the end of the circle, and gently fold the mixture on top of itself. Work slowly, and simply repeat these motions until the two mixtures are combined.

How much to whip the heavy cream:

Beat the heavy cream (with the cinnamon, vanilla, and salt) on a medium speed for a few minutes, checking occasionally on the consistency. You want soft peaks to form, meaning the whipped cream will hold a pointed “peak” shape when the whisk is pulled out, but still droops down. Be sure to keep a close eye on the consistency as you go, cream can easily be over-whipped and start to take on an unpleasant, fatty texture.

Where to buy Ibarra Mexican chocolate:

Most stores carry the Ibarra brand of Mexican chocolate, usually found in the aisle where hot chocolate and coffee are sold. I always find it in a pack of 4 discs (which just means more for extra ice cream or hot chocolate later…), but you only need one disk for this recipe.

Ibarra Mexican chocolate ice cream scoops closeup in a pan

Other Chocolate & Cinnamon Recipes You’ll Love

Frozen ice cream with cinnamon swirls before scooping

A few more tips

Make sure not to over-whip the cream to the point where it starts looking grainy! You only want soft peaks before folding in the condensed milk.
Allow the ice cream to freeze fully through before attempting to scoop, no matter how tempting! It should be easy to scoop right out of the freezer though, no need to let it sit out to soften.