Follow this easy Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream recipe with no eggs for the best spicy chocolate ice cream you’ve ever had!

What is Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream?

I’m so glad you asked! Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream is different than your basic chocolate ice cream for three reasons:

1. You use Mexican hot chocolate for the base.

2. You add cinnamon.

3. You add cayenne pepper. No, I’m not joking. Just a tiny bit goes a long way and it’s what MAKES this ice cream!

Most of us are familiar with classic Mexican fare, but very few of us are aware of Mexican Hot Chocolate. This is a shame, because it is fantastic. It has a deep, dark flavor with a little je ne sai quois. (Don’t you love that I am speaking French while talking about Mexican stuff?)

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Where Can You Buy Mexican Chocolate?

To make this ice cream, you’ll need to get some Mexican chocolate, which you can find at any grocery store. The kind I use is called “Abuelita,” and it’s made by Nestle. I usually find this in the Mexican section of the store rather than the hot chocolate section of the store.

(Some stores group the ethnic foods in the same aisle, often putting the Mexican and Asian foods next to each other. So if you find the Sriracha sauce, you might be closer than you think!)

This chocolate comes in large disks that you melt in milk. The instructions on the packaging say to dissolve one disk in four cups of milk. Since we want to intensify the flavor and yet keep the smooth texture of ice cream, we are going to melt one disk in two cups of milk instead of four.

(Originally, I had you use the full four cups of milk and then use 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate milk in the ice cream, but this resulted in a somewhat icy, crumbly texture. I’ve since changed the recipe to eliminate that issue).

You’ll have 1 cup of super concentrated Mexican chocolate milk leftover. If you want to drink it, add another cup of milk before drinking.

Just click here or on the image below to order Abuelita Mexican Chocolate from Amazon with my affiliate link.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream Ingredients

• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Whole Milk
• Cocoa Powder
• Vanilla
• Sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper

How to Make Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

1. First, you’ll need to dissolve one tablet of the Mexican chocolate in two cups of whole milk. Just pour the milk into a medium-sized pot on the stove, add the disk of chocolate, and heat over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate disk is all melted.

2. Pour 1 cup of the hot chocolate into a large mixing bowl and add 2/3 cups of sugar. Stir together until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Whisk together until the cocoa lumps have disappeared.

4. Put this mixture into the refrigerator to cool for 1-2 hours. (If you want to hurry up the process, you can put it in the freezer. But don’t forget about it!)

5. When ready to churn, add 2 cups heavy whipping cream to the chilled chocolate mixture and blend well.

6. Add to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions.

That’s it! No eggs or other fancy things!

Important note:

Don’t add extra cinnamon or cayenne pepper. I know it’s tempting, especially if you love both of those spices! But I have tried adding extra of each, and it doesn’t work well. These flavors need to be understated, not take center stage. Especially the cayenne. Just trust me.

What you want is to be enjoying the lovely chocolate and cinnamon flavor and then be surprised by the little kick of cayenne at the end.

The next time you have a Cinco de Mayo party, bring large amounts of this ice cream, and you will elicit phrases such as, “Ay caramba!  Este helado es el mejor del mundo!” (Translation: “Holy crud! This ice cream is the best in the world!”)

Time Commitment: Medium

I recommend the Cuisinart 1.5-qt. Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker.

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Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Yield: 1.5 quarts

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Active Time: 30 minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Follow this easy Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream recipe with no eggs for the best spicy Mexican chocolate ice cream you've ever had!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups whole milk, divided
• 1 tablet Nestle's Abuelita Mexican Chocolate
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Pour the 2 cups of milk in a pot on the stove. Add the disk of Mexican chocolate and heat over medium heat until the tablet is melted and incorporated.
2. Pour 1 cup of the hot chocolate into a large mixing bowl and add the 2/3 cup of sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. (Reserve the rest of the hot chocolate for another use. If you want to drink it, add another cup of milk before doing so).
3. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper and mix well.
4. Put in the refrigerator to chill several hours or overnight.
5. When chilled, add the 2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Mix well.
6. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's directions.
7. When the ice cream reaches soft-serve consistency, transfer to an airtight container and let harden in the freezer for several hours.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 343Total Fat: 16.6gSaturated Fat: 10.8gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 187mgCarbohydrates: 47.9gFiber: 2.1gSugar: 42.6gProtein: 6.2g

Common Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream Questions

Do I have to use whole milk?

When it comes to ice cream you want to use something with a high butterfat content.

If you don’t have whole milk — don’t panic — you can use skim milk, 1%, 2%, or even goat’s milk! Although, I don’t recommend goat’s milk unless you already know you like how it tastes!

Just remember, that the higher the fat content, the richer and creamier your ice cream’s texture will be. 

This recipe doesn’t use eggs, BUT, if you’re using milk with a lower fat content you might want to think about adding a few egg yolks to the recipe. The reason most ice cream recipes include egg yolks is for two reasons; they not only add more fat to the mixture but they are a natural emulsifier — which simply means it binds fat and water, resulting in a creamy texture. 

Are there any health benefits to eating spicy ice cream?

Yes! Well, kind of — it is still ice cream after all. Ice cream isn’t exactly known for being the healthiest of desserts, but some of the ingredients do have some health benefits*.

For example:

Chocolate has been shown in studies to lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure, prevent memory decline, reduce heart disease, and prevent stroke.

(See “What are the Health Benefits of Chocolate?“).

Cinnamon may help fight fungal infections, diabetes, help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, and lower the negative effects of high-fat meals.

(See “Cinnamon: Health Benefits, Research, Risks“).

Cayenne Pepper helps fight the cold and flu, has anti-fungal, anti-allergen, and anti-bacterial properties.

(See “17 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper“).

*Disclaimer

Can I use Abuelita’s Syrup?

Definitely! When I made the recipe, I was unaware that there was an Abuelita Syrup. Now that I know there is an alternative to the tablets, I say go ahead and use it! 

What toppings go with this ice cream?

Honestly, there are a few things that come to mind. I think sliced almonds would make a great topping. One reader mentioned that she put strawberries on top, which I think sounds delicious. I even think whipped cream could be nice. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let me know in the comments what toppings you’ve tried, want to try, or recommend avoiding. 

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