Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Ice Cream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Ice Cream
Yield: 8 servings
Equipment: mixer, 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, bowls
Time and setting: 20 minutes plus 6 hours freezing
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
- 3/4 cup crushed pretzels
Method
- Whisk condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla, and salt smooth.
- Whip cream to medium peaks. Fold one-third into cocoa mixture, then remaining cream.
- Layer base, peanut butter drizzles, and half the pretzels in pan; swirl lightly. Add remaining pretzels just before serving for crunch.
- Cover surface and freeze at least 6 hours. Stand 5 minutes before scooping.
Preparation notes
Read the method, prepare equipment, and arrange ingredients in order. Divide evenly and preserve all rest or chilling time.
Substitutions
Sunflower butter may replace peanut butter. Gluten-free pretzels may be used after label review.
Storage and safety
Keep at 0°F up to 2 weeks. Do not refreeze fully melted ice cream.
Whipping and cocoa incorporation
Chill the bowl and beaters for 10 minutes. Medium peaks should hold shape while their tips curl; stiff cream is harder to fold and can make the base feel buttery. Whisk cocoa into condensed milk until no dry pockets remain before any cream is added. Fold with broad strokes, rotating the bowl, to preserve air.
Swirl and pretzel timing
Warm peanut butter only until it flows from a spoon, not until hot. Layer small spoonfuls through the base and make two or three knife passes; excessive stirring removes the visible swirl. Put only half the pretzels inside because frozen pretzels soften. Reserve the other half in an airtight container and scatter them over portions at serving.
Freezing and scoopability
A shallow 9-by-5-inch metal pan freezes more evenly than a deep bowl. Press wrap directly on the surface, then add a lid or foil. Freeze on a level shelf for six hours. If frozen overnight, stand five minutes before using a scoop dipped in warm water and dried. Do not microwave the container. External lineage means the legacy image must be replaced with an owned photo showing the pretzel variation.
Service notes
Crush pretzels into pieces about 1/4 inch rather than powder so their shape remains visible. Salted pretzels sharpen the chocolate flavor, so taste the base before adding any extra salt beyond the measured amount. Portion eight servings by marking the frozen surface into quarters, then dividing each quarter in half. Return the pan to the freezer promptly after scooping.
If cocoa remains lumpy, press the condensed-milk mixture through a fine sieve before folding in cream. Do not continue whipping the completed base, because that collapses its incorporated air.
Keep the reserved pretzels tightly covered until serving.
