Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie Dough Ice Cream (No Machine!)

Ben & Jerry make a fabulous Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream. It has bites of baked brownies. This is not a copycat of that ice cream (not that that ice cream isn’t amazingly delicious and not that I don’t love a copycat recipe). Instead, this is gluten free chocolate brownie dough ice cream. No machine, no baked brownies (although you could totally chop up our gluten free flourless brownies and use those instead of the brownie dough).

But I think that edible brownie dough is just more fun. And there’s always the option of doubling the brownie dough recipe for sampling and snacking purposes. It’s important to sample and snack.

This no machine chocolate ice cream is different from my chocolate mousse no machine ice cream, which is made with melted chocolate. That ice cream is a bit richer, and if you’re man enough (I’m not!) you could totally use it for this brownie dough ice cream. But this one is made with a homemade rich chocolate syrup instead. It’s super easy to make, and can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. It may crystallize a bit if you leave it for more than a day or so, but there will be enough extra syrup that you’ll be fine.

There may seem like a lot of ingredients, but each stage is super easy and fast. The hardest part?

Waiting for it to freeze! Did we just take Ben & Jerry’s brownie dough concept … and make it better??

By the way, don’t forget that this month’s Live Gluten Free Baking Q&A session is TONIGHT on my Facebook page from 8:30 pm to 9:15 pm EDT. Come one, come all and bring your burning gluten free baking questions. You’ll have my undivided attention for 45 minutes. :)

Prep time: 15 minutes       Cook time: none

Ingredients

For the rich chocolate syrup
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

6 tablespoons (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)

1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the brownie dough
3 tablespoons (27 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend (18 g superfine white rice flour + 6 g potato starch + 3 g tapioca starch/flour)

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum

3 tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar

3 tablespoons (41 g) packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk, at room temperature (plus more by the quarter-teaspoonful as necessary)

For the ice cream
2 cups (16 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream, chilled

12 ounces sweetened condensed milk (2 ounces less than a whole can)

1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) rich chocolate syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

• Make the chocolate syrup. In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, place all of the chocolate syrup ingredients and whisk to combine well. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has just begun to thicken. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large, heat-safe bowl, and allow it to cool to room temperature. You can speed the cooling by stirring the syrup occasionally.

• Make the brownie dough. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with wax paper and set it aside. In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar, and whisk again, working out any lumps. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk, mixing to combine after each addition. Knead the dough together with your hands, adding more milk by the quarter teaspoonful as necessary for the dough to hold together without crumbling. Break off small pieces of brownie dough and roll tightly into balls about 1/2-inch in diameter. Place on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, and place in the freezer until firm (about 10 minutes). Remove the cookie dough from the freezer and cut each ball of dough in half right down the center. Place the cookie dough pieces back in the freezer.

• Make the ice cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), place the cream and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. In a separate, medium-size bowl, place the sweetened condensed milk, the 1/2 cup of the cooled rich chocolate syrup, the vanilla and the salt. Mix to combine well. With the mixer on low speed, add the chocolate syrup mixture in a slow, steady stream. Continue to whip until the mixture has become one uniform color. Pour the ice cream into a 2 quart freezer-safe container with a lid. Add the brownie dough chunks, and fold them in carefully to avoid deflating the ice cream. Smooth the top and cover tightly with the lid. Place in the freezer until firm (at least 4 hours). Serve directly from the freezer.