German Chocolate Ice Cream
Silky, rich chocolate ice cream swirled with classic German chocolate coconut filling. This spin on the Oktoberfest classic cake is so refreshing and perfect to enjoy all year long—especially during fall festivities when the weather is still warm!
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We are Oktoberfest fans in this house. Ever since we visited Germany five years ago, we’ve held an annual Oktoberfest party, grilling up various brats, making warm potato salad, and even trying to master homemade spaetzle. We also try to hit up all of the Oktoberfest festivals in our area, mostly for the food. And even though it’s usually more time intensive, I usually make German food a few times a year just for my husband and I.
In fact, one of my cooking goals is to master schweinshaxe—German pork knuckle. So far, I don’t even know where to buy pork knuckle. It’s one of those goals that’s not quite in the works yet.
Anyway, this year I finally carved out time to make some German themed desserts to share for Oktoberfest! And while German chocolate cake was actually created in America by an English baker, our Oktoberfest parties usually have some of this amazing dessert anyway.
So this year, I had the idea to make extra filling and try swirling it into ice cream. What. A. Great. Idea.
Why this recipe works
First, this recipe is simple. The ice cream can be made the old-fashioned way, in your ice cream maker, or you can make it no-churn. An ice cream maker will yield a slightly creamier texture, but the taste will be the same. As well, the coconut caramel swirl comes together quickly and easily. There’s no special trick or a step you need experience to really nail down perfectly.
More importantly, this recipe is delicious. It really is German chocolate cake in ice cream form. The silky, rich ice cream provides that chocolate fix we all love in a German chocolate cake. And the classic cake filling works perfectly as-is in this recipe—no changes needed! You can drizzle it in or break it into pieces. Together, the taste is a refreshing twist on the classic cake!
Key ingredients
Egg yolks. Don’t be intimidated! Using egg yolks is fairly quick and makes the ice cream just so, so creamy and delicious. You’ll also use some in the German chocolate filling, so feel free to save the whites for a meringue or to make a healthy breakfast (so you can have ice cream for dessert!).
Sugar. Granulated is used in both the ice cream and german chocolate cake filling. When you whisk it with the yolks for the ice cream, it will be lumpy at first, but keep whisking, as the sugar will melt and become fluffy.
Whole milk. Try to use regular whole milk instead of nonfat. You won’t actually save very many calories per serving using nonfat here, and it’s much creamier with whole.
Cocoa powder. Use unsweetened, since you already have plenty of sugar here.
Vanilla extract. Use pure vanilla, not imitation.
Chocolate chips. You can also use chopped baking chocolate.
Heavy cream. Don’t try to sub half and half or milk—you need heavy whipping cream to get the best ice cream!
Brown sugar. You can use light or dark. This will go into the German chocolate filling, to create the caramel sauce.
Butter. Use salted butter, or add a pinch of sea salt with unsalted butter. This will go into the German chocolate filling, to create the caramel sauce.
Evaporated milk. This goes into the German chocolate filling. It’s thicker than plain milk, so be sure to use evaporated.
Shredded or flaked coconut. Use the sweetened kind, for the best flavor. I toasted mine, but you can leave it raw. Also, I prefer the texture of flaked coconut, but shredded works, too.
Pecans. These are optional, but pretty classic. You can use toasted or plain, but be sure to use chopped or chop them yourself.
How to make german chocolate ice cream
1. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. At first it’ll be goopy and lumpy and seem like it can’t be whisked. Just keep going and the sugar will melt then it’ll all turn fluffy and pale. You should be able to pull the whisk up and create ribbons that stay visible for a few seconds.
2. Heat milk, vanilla, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium, until steam comes off and bubbles begin to form along the edges.
3. Temper the milk into the eggs. I always temper all of my milk to be safe. Pour slowly and whisk the eggs quickly. Then pour it all back into the saucepan.
4. Heat until thickened. It should be able to coat the back of a spoon (meaning if you run your finger on the custard on the back of your spatula, it leaves a distinct line that doesn’t fill in). I usually cook it until it resembles instant pudding before it’s been chilled.
5. Melt in chocolate chips. Stir well so they’re fully melted.
6. Chill. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the custard to prevent a film forming while it cools. It needs at least an hour to chill.
7. Make the German chocolate cake filling. This is sooo simple. Combine everything but the coconut, pecans, and vanilla in a saucepan and boil over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until thick (like a thin caramel sauce). Stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla. Let cool while you churn the ice cream.
8. Churn custard and heavy cream. Stir the two well then churn according to your manufacturer’s directions. Be sure you have enough ice or have frozen it long enough, per direction. (*See note below for making this without an ice cream maker, i.e. no-churn.)
9. Layer ice cream and German chocolate cake filling. You’ll do three layers of ice cream swirled with filling, either drizzled or dropped by spoonfuls. You can use a bread loaf pan or an actual ice cream container.
10. Freeze. It needs at least 3-4 hours to freeze, ideally overnight. Let sit on the counter a few minutes before scooping.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
*How do I make this a no-churn ice cream?
It’s so simple! Instead of combining the custard and cream then churning, you’ll beat the cream to soft peaks then fold it into the custard in three additions. It will basically be a mousse at this point, so you’ll have to freeze it, unlike slow-churned ice cream that is a soft serve consistency when freshly churned. However, you’ll have to freeze it with the mix-ins, so either option works just fine.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! That’s the beauty of homemade ice cream—you can make it days before you need it and it will still be just as delicious. You can also split up your work to make life easier. You can make the German chocolate cake filling ahead of time and keep it refrigerated for up to a week (if well-sealed). The chocolate custard for the ice cream should be churned within a day of making it, but luckily there’s not much involved in that process—just combine it with the cream and churn according to your manufacturer’s instructions. Then, you can quickly layer the ice cream with the German chocolate cake filling.
Can I make this without eggs?
The ice cream can be made eggless, but I haven’t tried the filling without them yet, so I can’t say if that would work. I personally prefer the taste of egg-based ice creams, but you can make this recipe by using one 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk instead of the egg yolks, milk, and sugar (so replacing the custard). You’ll simply melt the chocolate chips and let them cool slightly stir them, the vanilla, and the cocoa powder into the sweetened condensed milk in a large mixing bowl. The replaces the custard, so you can then either add the heavy cream and churn with an ice cream maker or follow the no-churn option above.
What if my eggs scrambled?
Sometimes, the eggs scramble just a bit. If they’ve scrambled a lot, with large chunks of egg, you should start over. However, if you’re unsure or think you see some tiny egg bits, just use a large fine mesh sieve to strain the custard before chilling. It’ll remove any egg that didn’t temper properly.
What if the chocolate didn’t fully melt?
Personally, I don’t see this as a problem, since you now have teeny tiny flecks of chocolate in your ice cream. However, you can easily just strain it through a large fine mesh sieve to remove these bits. If you still see nearly whole chocolate chips or chunks, you probably need to heat it for longer to help those melt.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making ice cream. Affiliate links provided.
Ice cream container (or use a 8x4 loaf pan or 9x5 loaf pan)
Mesh sieve (in case some egg scrambles as you temper it)
German Chocolate Ice Cream
- prep time: 30-35 minutes
- chill time: 1 hour
- churn time: about 30 minutes
- freeze time: 4-8 hours
- total time: 10 hours
servings: about 12 (½ cup servings)
Ingredients:
for the chocolate ice cream
- 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) whole milk
- ¼ cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- ⅔ cup (4 ounces or 113g) chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate
- 2 cups (480g) heavy whipping cream, cold
- ice cream maker, prepped per directions (optional–see no-churn option at the bottom)*
for the german chocolate cake filling
- ¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113g) salted butter*
- ¾ cup (189g) evaporated milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (150g) flaked coconut (can sub shredded)
- 1 cup (125g) chopped pecans
Instructions:
make the ice cream
- Follow your ice cream maker’s directions to prepare it for use, which could include placing the bowl in the freezer for up to 24 hours*.
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until pale frothy, 2-3 minutes. At first it may seem thick and clumpy, but keep going until the sugar melts and it becomes pale and frothy. Set aside.
- Combine the whole milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and pinch sea salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to steam and small bubbles begin to form along the edge of the pan.
- Temper the milk into the eggs by very, very slowly streaming the milk into the eggs while whisking the eggs very quickly. Be sure to whisk constantly and quickly as you do this to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Once all of the milk has been added to the eggs, scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula (be sure to get to the edges and corners), until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should feel thicker as you stir, as well.
- Add the chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate and stir until the chocolate is mostly melted. Remove the pan from the burner and continue stirring until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Pour into a medium bowl (the bowl the eggs were in works just fine). Cover well and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
make the German chocolate filling
- While you wait for the custard to cool, make the German chocolate cake filling. If desired, you can toast the coconut and pecans. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes, stirring halfway. If omitting the pecans, increase coconut to 2 cups.
- Combine the brown sugar, sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and egg yolks in a medium to large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Let boil 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens an can coat the back of a spoon.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Once fully combined, stir in coconut and pecans. Set aside to cool (or place in a sealed container and refrigerate if not using right away–let come to room temperature while you churn the ice cream).
churn the ice cream and assemble
- Once the custard is cooled, combine with the heavy cream and mix well. Follow your manufacturer’s directions to churn the ice cream. Don’t overmix.
- Once the ice cream is finished, layer ⅓ of it into a 9x5 loaf pan or an ice cream container. Drop dollops or swirls of the German chocolate cake filling over the cream. (Use about ¼ to ⅓ of the filling in each layer–depending on how much your ice cream expanded during churning, you may not need all of the filling.) Repeat, layering ice cream and filling two more times, ending with the filling on top. You can sprinkle some extra coconut and pecans on top, if desired.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. You may need to let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes before scooping.
Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Ice cream should last at least 1-2 months, but this can vary depending on your freezer and how well-sealed it is.
*Use European butter, if possible. It has less water and will make a better filling. If you only have unsalted butter, add a couple pinches of salt.
**If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can make this a no-churn ice cream. Follow the directions up to step 7. While the chocolate custard cools, make the German chocolate cake filling. When the chocolate custard is cooled, place the heavy whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer). Beat on medium until frothy then increase speed to high until stiff peaks just begin to form (the mixture will turn matte in appearance–watch carefully and stop your mixer when this just begins to happen). Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the chocolate custard until fully combined, then continue with the next ⅓ of the whipped cream, followed by the final ⅓ until all whipped cream is mixed in. Assemble ingredients as directed in step 12 and freeze at least 8 hours.
