Love and Olive Oil

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream

After making these brownies a few weeks back, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. That topping, like an extra chocolatey, peanut butter rice krispie treat, had wedged itself into the fissures of my brain.

Apparently there were some stray thoughts of ice cream floating around in there too, because it didn’t take long for me to put the two together.

I don’t know, something about the idea of a crunchy ice cream got me up off the couch and into the kitchen. Sometimes I sit and let an idea marinate for a few weeks (or at least a few hours while I finish that made-for-tv movie), but this was one of those ideas that needed to be executed post haste.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream

The ice cream on its own would be worth it, and why I’ve never done a straight-up peanut butter ice cream before I have no idea. But with the added element of crunch from the rice cereal, plus chocolate and even more peanut butter…

Well, let’s just say it’s worth tearing up your biceps to scoop it (literally the hardest-to-scoop ice cream I’ve ever made), since you’re cutting through chunks of solid frozen chocolate as well as the ice cream. I, as usual, made a pretty weak attempt to scoop the stuff, gave up, and promptly summoned Taylor from upstairs. He groaned and grunted and scooped maybe a tablespoon into my bowl before declaring he had to up his game at the gym. Not to work OFF the ice cream, mind you, but just so he’d be able to scoop it more easily in the future.

That’s my kind of guy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream

After making the crunch concoction, you want to spread it out as thinly as you can on a baking sheet before freezing it. The thinner it is the easier it will be to break or chop into pieces after it has set. The smaller the pieces, the easier it will be to scoop. At the same time, you want to keep the rice krispies as whole as possible, as the chocolate covering the krispies is what keeps them crunchy even when surrounded by frozen cream. Ideally you’d have each individual krispie separated and completely surrounded by chocolate, but realistically that’s not going to happen.

Just consider it a win-win… how many foods do you actually burn calories before and during the consumption process? Two, I believe: celery, and this ice cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream

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Ingredients:

For Peanut Butter Ice Cream:

  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt (increase to 1/4 teaspoon if using unsalted peanut butter)
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup creamy salted peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch:

  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (about 3 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal

Directions:

  1. To make the ice cream, pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a heat-proof bowl and nest inside a larger bowl filled with ice water. Place a fine mesh sieve over the top of both bowls.
  2. In a saucepan, combine remaining cream, milk, sugar, and salt. Cook gently over medium heat, stirring regularly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture just starts to steam. Remove from heat.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly whisk in some of the warm cream mixture, 1/3 cup at a time, until about half of the cream mixture has been incorporated and yolk mixture is warm to the touch. You want to do this gradually; doing so will temper the egg yolks rather than cook them.
  4. Pour yolk mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spatula, about 5 to 7 minutes, or until it reaches approximately 165 to 170ºF. Do not allow it to boil.
  5. Remove from heat, then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Pour mixture through sieve into cold cream, discarding any solids. Add vanilla extract and stir until cool. Cover mixture with plastic wrap, carefully pressing wrap down onto the surface of the cream mixture. This will prevent a skin from forming on top of the custard. Refrigerate until completely cool, at least 3 hours or overnight if possible.
  6. Meanwhile, combine chocolate and peanut butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium speed for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth. Fold in rice cereal until evenly coated. Spread mixture in a thin layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then freeze until firm. Just before using, coarsely chop into bite-sized pieces.
  7. Churn ice cream according to manufacturer’s instructions. When ice cream is the consistency of soft serve, stir in the crunch pieces, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze overnight until firm.

“Crunch” portion inspired by this recipe from Peanut Butter Comfort.

All images and text © / Love & Olive Oil

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43 Comments

  1. I am new to the homemade ice cream scene. Just never have had the time. I’m so going to make time now. Can you tell me how much this recipe makes approximately?  

    • It makes about 1 to 1 1/2 quarts, which is the capacity of most small home ice cream machines (I used the basic KitchenAid attachment for mine).

  2. Such beautiful photography :0 Here in South Africa it’s prime ice cream weather so I made an ice cream based on your recipe, It’s the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Thank you :)

  3. Chocolate and peanut butter.  Who can say no to these two?

  4. Oh man, my heart just sank!! This is a dream dessert :)

  5. To get the crunch layer extra-thin I’d try the following: pour the crunch mixture onto the parchment, spread into an even layer, then top with another parchment and flatten with a rolling pin.
    You think that might work?

  6. This is genius! genius! genius!

  7. Funny story….ha ha…maybe there should be a ice-cream scooping event in the Olympics using this ice-cream?

  8. Ah this looks amazing, I wish summer lasted forever so I could eat this everyday!

  9. Ok brilliance! I’ll bring over a spoon…probably one that’s just come out of the dishwasher so it’s still hot and makes it easier to scoop ;)

  10. Wow! Wow! Wow! This is on my must make list.

  11. Oh wow! This looks amazing. I must try it with my peanut butter:)

  12. I promised my hubby some ice cream after his business trip, now I know what kind I’m gonna make.

  13. This sounds great! Love, love, love chocolate and PB together.

  14. You know the way to my heart!

    xo Jennifer

  15. I would have such a hard time not eating that crunch concoction! Goodness, this looks just perfect, I’m so hungry now!

  16. This ice cream sounds beyond! Just beyond! I don’t care how hard it is to scoop…it will just make me feel like I earned a leetle bit extra! Dying over your photo compositions, btw. They are inspired.

  17. sooooo peanut butter and crisp rice cereal means this totally counts as breakfast, right? seriously, going to make this for the bf, it’s his absolute favorite combination.

  18. I love that you’re using that brownie topping in the ice cream. GREAT THINKING! I’ve always wanted to put that topping to use, and have sort of re-done it on the top of other bars, but never found a truly novel way to use it – but you did. Amazing & pinned!

  19. I love the chocolate peanut butter crunch part! I was reading the description and was wondering how the rice crispy cereal was going to stay crunchy, but now I see. Wonderful!

  20. Divine!

  21. This is INSANE. !! And your pictures are just amazing!!

  22. this just looks gorgeous, i love the photographs too. lovely site x

  23. WOW!! I made peanut butter ice cream a couple weeks ago and am now absolutely obsessed!! I love a little crunch in my ice cream, and this sounds absolutely perfect!

  24. Ohhh my goodness, this is everything I LOVE. Ice cream, chocolate, crunch, YES!

  25. You are amazing for turning that into an ice cream!

  26. I want this in my life asap! LOVE!

  27. What I wouldn’t give for a cone of this ice cream right now – it sounds amazing!

  28. Yep, this looks amazing!!

  29. OK so I made your PB Chocolate Brownie Bars and they were a huge hit at the last pot luck party. I have no doubt that this ice cream will top even that recipe. Luckily, I have your dad to do the heavy lifting, scooping!!!
    AMAZING PHOTO!!!!

  30. Definitely a genius combination!! And it is not helping my lunch cravings right now.

  31. Ohhh this looks amazing.

  32. YUM!

  33. Oh these are definitely a win-win!

  34. This sounds amazing as we get our last bites of summer in!

  35. omggg!! it is unnatural for me to crave this for breakfast, but here I am, wishing I had a big bowl of this right now!!! so amazing

  36. I could (and want to) eat that chocolate peanut butter crunch with a spoon. Such a great ice cream recipe Lindsay!

  37. I have zero upper body strength, but I might consider holding planks for a week before trying to make this. The photos are seriously stunning! I stared at my email for a good 2 minutes gawking at these gorgeous photos. And, let’s be real, peanut butter and chocolate are the best combo in the history of ever, so obviously, this needs to happen in my kitchen. *flexes*

  38. These look pretty amazing! Love it!

  39. Chocolate and PB and crunch in ice cream form?!!!? The best things every combined in to one… Love this!

  40. I love that crunchy topping, and the idea of flexing my big guns just to get a scoop sounds totally worth it :)

  41. Oh my gosh! I am dying over this. It is insanely awesome!

  42. My eyeballs have never had a better time. Ever.

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