Ingredients
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup of cocoa
4 egg yolks
4 large eggs
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup erythritol or similar artificial sweetener (blue agave works too!)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt
1/4 cup unflavored / unsweetened almond milk
2-3 teaspoons of gelatin mixed with 3-4 tablespoons of water (optional)
2 ounces extra dark chocolate (90%) chopped without sugar or chocolate chips (optional)
4 tablespoons MCT oil or 2 tablespoons vodka or 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (all optional to reduce ice)
Note: you may need to play around with the sweeteners and cocoa ratio to appease your personal preferences. However, the cream, milk, and egg base will give it the consistency. MCT oil, vodka, and xanthan gum are popular choices for reducing ice and hardness while frozen, while gelatin will also help keep ice cream smooth by adding some richness and creaminess to the texture. However, if you don’t have those ingredients on hand or find them superfluous for the preparation process, leave them out, especially if you plan to eat your ice cream sooner rather than later.
Preparation
Prepare an ice bath (container with ice water). In a separate bowl (slightly smaller than the ice bath bowl), mix the egg yolks, eggs, sweetener, and vanilla extract.
Put the cream and cocoa in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add half of the cream mixture to the eggs to temper and mix. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan. Stir with a spoon for 10-15 seconds and remove from heat. The mixture should be thick enough to cover the back of the spoon, but if the eggs set, then it is overcooked and will not work.
Return all of the mixture to the container and place on top of the ice bath. Whisk together the salt, almond milk, and peanut butter. This is the step where you add the MCT oil, vodka or xanthan gum, and / or gelatin (plus water).
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature for 1 hour.
Pour the contents into an ice cream maker and whisk according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The shake usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. If you add chocolate, fold it in after the ice cream mixture has finished churning.
It can be served immediately or in a container to freeze. Freezing will toughen it up a bit, but you will need to sit for 10-20 minutes to soften before serving if it is frozen for more than a few hours.
