No-Churn Dulce de Leche Ripple Ice Cream

4.7 from 6 votes
A red circle with the letters GF

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Salty-sweet, ultra-rich, and indescribably creamy, this Dulce de Leche Fudge Ripple Ice Cream might be new to you. But once you try it, it’s a flavor you’ll never forget. With a base of caramelly no-churn ice cream, a chocolaty swirl, and plenty of mini chocolate chips, you won’t believe how easy it is to make a frozen treat this decadent.

Scoops of ice cream in a glass sundae dish.

Why You’ll Love This Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

  • Cuisine Inspiration: American
  • Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
  • Dietary Info: Gluten-free
  • Skill Level: Easy

You know that song by Sarah McLachlan that goes, “Your love is better than ice cream.”? Well, maybe she hasn’t tried this ice cream. OK, that may be an exaggeration. My salty-sweet husband is pretty darn amazing, but so is this salty-sweet ice cream. When I eat it, it reminds me of our first ice cream date, and all the thousands we’ve had since then. That’s a lot of ice cream, so you know if this one stands out to me, it must be something special. Here’s why…

  • Not your basic fudge ripple ice cream. Think about combining dulce de leche ice cream and chocolate chip ice cream. Now add a ribbon of chocolate swirled throughout. Yes, that’s what we are talking about!
  • So easy to make. Like all no-churn ice cream recipes, you don’t need an ice cream machine. So it’s perfect if you crave homemade ice cream but don’t have space or budget for another appliance. You only need a hand mixer, a spatula, and some bowls.
  • It’s gluten free too. No worries about cross-contaminated scoops or sneaky gluten. The ingredients here are naturally gluten free and there are many brands available that are labeled as safe, no need to be suspicious. So you can be GF and enjoy gourmet ice cream flavors!
A closeup of scoops of the dulce de leche ice cream studded with chocolate chips.

What You’ll Need

Here’s a rundown of the ingredients to make this fudge ripple ice cream recipe. Everything is pretty straightforward. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full amounts and detailed instructions.

  • Water.
  • Cocoa powder.
  • Corn syrup. I use light corn syrup. If you prefer to avoid corn syrup, you can use honey or agave.
  • Mini chocolate chips. Divided, with some stirred into the fudge ripple mixture, and the rest folded into the ice cream base. You can also use chopped chocolate or regular chips. I like the minis because they distribute more.
  • Heavy cream. Make sure it’s well-chilled. Use some to thin out the dulce de leche, and the rest to whip for the ice cream base.
  • Dulce de leche. You can buy a can or make your own dulce de leche using a can of sweetened condensed milk.
  • Salt.
  • Vanilla extract.
Labeled ingredients to make the ice cream on a countertop including dulce de leche, heavy cream, slt, vanilla, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and mini chocolate chips, plus a small saucepan.

How to Make Dulce de Leche Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

Let’s make some no-churn ice cream. This is a quick overview to show you how easy it is!

  • Make the fudge. Bring the water, cocoa powder, and corn syrup to a boil, and simmer till thickened. Stir in some of the chocolate chips. Let cool.
  • Thin the dulce de leche. Stir some of the heavy cream into the dulce de leche to lighten it up and make it easier to fold in to the ice cream base.
  • Whip the cream. Add the cold heavy cream, vanilla, and salt to a chilled bowl and whip to soft peaks.
  • Make the ice cream base. Fold in the dulce de leche, followed by the chocolate chips.
  • Transfer to a container. Pour half of the ice cream base into a freezer-safe container and drizzle half of the fudge sauce on top. Swirl it in. Repeat with the remaining base and fudge.
  • Freeze the ice cream. Cover the ice cream and freeze for at least 6-8 hours or overnight, until firm. Scoop and enjoy!
An ice cream scoop standing up and scooping fudge ripple ice cream from a loaf pan.

Tips for Success

Better-than-basic fudge tipple ice cream:

  • Chill out. I always like to remind you, when whipping cream, it will whip better if the heavy cream is very cold and you use a chilled bowl. But for this recipe, its also important to make sure the fudge ripple mixture is cooled off so that it doesn’t melt and deflate the ice cream base.
  • Give it a swirl. I like to use a skewer to make nice swirls, but you can use the tip of a knife or a small offset spatula. Don’t mix too much or you’ll end up with chocolate ice cream instead of ripples. I also recommend only swirling half at a time as detailed in the instructions.
  • Store properly. You’ll want to cover the ice cream tightly and make sure you odn’t leave it in the ice cream for more than a month, Homemade ice cream is particularly susceptible to freezer burn.
  • Soften slightly. If your ice cream is too hard, let it sit out on the counter for a few minutes before scooping. Don’t try to microwave it or it will just melt and when you refreeze it, it will get very hard and won’t have a good texture.

A pink spoon digging into a dish of dulce de leche fudge ripple ice cream.
A glass dish of dulce de leche ice cream with chocolate chips.
4.7 from 6 votes

Dulce de Leche Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

Rich and creamy Dulce de Leche Fudge Ripple Ice Cream has an irresistible salty-sweet flavor, plus plenty of mini chocolate chips. This easy no-churn ice cream recipe is a treat for any sweet tooth!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings: servings

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup corn syrup
  • 10 oz. bag mini chocolate chips (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 13-14 oz can dulce de leche (1 can)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Whisk together the water, cocoa powder, and corn syrup in a small pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and add 1/2 cup (about 3 1/4 oz.)of the chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use, cooling at least to room temperature (it will be fairly liquidy, not thick).
  • Add the dulce de leche and 1⁄2 cup heavy cream to a medium bowl and mix until combined and smooth. Set aside.
  • Add 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sea salt to a large chilled bowl. Using an electric mixer or whisk, beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.
  • Gently fold in the dulce de leche, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.
  • Pour half of the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container and top with about half of the fudge mixture. Swirl with a knife or skewer.
  • Top with the remaining ice cream mixture and fudge ripple mixture, and swirl with a knife or skewer.
  • Cover and freeze for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition Facts
Dulce de Leche Fudge Ripple Ice Cream
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 299 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 12g60%
Trans Fat 0.01g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 43mg14%
Sodium 80mg3%
Potassium 238mg7%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 510IU10%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 101mg10%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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69 Comments
  1. Dolores

    5 stars
    Hi! I’m new here. I loved your story. Just wanted to say Awww. So cute. Our 50th will be this year on August the 2nd. Yay!! Also, can I use dulce de leche that comes in the can?

  2. Sheila

    Happy Dating Anniversary! Well, who wouldn’t love ice cream especially this salted ripple chip?! We tried this yesterday and it was so good. It is a perfect mix of something salty and sweet that you don’t really want to stop eating. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    1. Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips

      Thank you, Shelia! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the salted ripple chip no-churn ice cream recipe. It’s one of our favorites!

  3. What a fun post! So funny that you actually couldn’t even stand your future husband back when he was just a co-worker. 🙂

    And this ice cream?! Oh my gosh. So much happening at once. And I love it!

    Happy 10th dating anniversary!

  4. Brianne, this sounds amazing and I’ve been meaning to try an Ice Cream recipe that doesn’t require a machine. This might just be the one! Thanks for sharing at Thursday’s Treasures, I’m featuring you this week on the blog and FB!

  5. What an absolutely adorable and cute story about your hubby! I love that he helped tie all those favor bows too…he’s a keeper! And this ice cream? Seriously I wish it was in my freezer right now. I love the drippy yumminess that you captured!!!

  6. Brianne,
    Wow, that looks good! I saw your thumbnail on the Thursday Treasures link party and had to check it out – I’ve been looking for a really good no-machine ice cream recipe and since this has all Mr. Juggling Act’s favorite things in it, I’m going to whip it up very soon (Pinned it!)
    Happy Thursday,
    Ang, Juggling Act Mama
    ps – happy anniversary! 🙂

  7. I love this story Brianne! When I first met my future husband, we were teenagers and I am 3 years older than him. He was my friends bratty little brother. 15 years later, I ran into him at my younger brothers wedding. We started dating instantly and 3 1/2 years after, he put a ring on my finger. So strange how love works out!

    PS – AMAZING recipe. Your killing my wedding diet!

  8. I love the story of how you and your husband met, and even though I’m originally from Long Island, I totally got the we go to the shore reference! You know it’s like us saying we are going to “the city” i.e Manhattan!

    I must say, hard to believe this ice cream is no churn. It looks incredible and I love that fudge ripple throughout!

    1. This no churn ice cream is genius – so many ways to change it up! I go to “the city” too, but when my friends in So. Jersey go to “the city”, they go to Philly. Too funny.

  9. This week was my first #sundaysupper and i love the theme so much it produced such good recipes! I just love this super indulgent Ice Cream! It sounds amazing!

  10. Mark me down for also making ice cream with wayyyyy too many flavors/ingredients this week to make a catchy name for it 🙂 haha. Your ice cream turned out amazing – I seriously CANNOT believe you made this without an ice cream maker. You’re so talented!

    1. Thanks Liri! Can’t take all the credit – got the basic idea from a few other bloggers out there with the basic recipe, but it was fun to jam too many flavors and textures into it.

  11. Okay, that was just so sweet. And me, being the big baby that I am, am having a hard time typing through the tears in my eyes. I think that story (and your guys’ love) is definitely better than ice cream, but boy does this come close – YUM!

    1. tao

      Love this. I made this for my husband for the first time a month ago and now he wants it at least twice a week!
      Thank for sharing

      1. Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips

        I’m glad to hear that you and your husband are enjoying the ice cream recipe. It really is pretty addictive! 😉

  12. What a sweet story of you and your husband! Love the ice cream too. Giggling over the second photo and understanding how challenging it is to photograph ice cream. One distraction is all it takes.

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