If you're a beer lover, you need to try this Chocolate Stout Ice Cream! And if you're not a beer drinker? You still need to try it because I'm almost positive it will make you fall in love with chocolate stout (and you can always add fudge sauce if necessary!).

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Admittedly, I've been adding alcohol to a lot of the desserts I've been making lately. From cupcakes to brownies to cookies, you might think it's been getting a little out of hand.
But is it? I mean, alcohol is the key ingredient in a lot of recipes and generally the alcohol all burns off and doesn't have any effect on you anyway. Right? Er, except for this chocolate stout ice cream.
I've always said that chocolate stout is a good "introduction beer" for people who don't really like beer. I think stouts often scare people because they're so dark, but they're actually super smooth and not hoppy (it's the hoppy flavors that make a lot of people dislike beer).
Chocolate stouts can be decadent, kind of like a dessert!
But if you're still too iffy to pour yourself a glass for chocolate stout beer just yet, make this boozy ice cream first. It will ease you right into a beer loving life.
And no, you don't have to wait for spring or summer to start making ice cream again. The beer has a warming effect, which makes this ice cream perfect for cold weather. I promise.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
This ice cream is so unique and fun and perfect for impressing your friends and family.
Beer lovers will be thrilled with it, but I'm pretty sure non-beer drinkers will also love it. It's packed with chocolate flavor and just a little bit of beer flavor (but no hops!).
It's easy to make and fun to jazz up with any of the ice cream add-ins you want.
🗒 Ingredients
You don't need too many ingredients for this easy ice cream recipe. Here's everything required (but be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe directions):
- Large eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Dark brown sugar: you can subtsitute with light brown sugar if you want
- Heavy cream
- Whole milk
- Chocolate stout
- Chocolate shavings: optional for topping
🍺 What kind of chocolate stout to use
You can use any kind of chocolate stout you want for this ice cream! Young's Double Chocolate Stout is one of my favorites for the price, but I also absolutely love Southern Tier's Choklat and Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout.
But if you have a favorite, go ahead and use it!
I really want to try using a coffee stout next time I make this.
🥚 Is it OK to eat raw eggs in ice cream?
One thing you'll notice about this chocolate stout ice cream is that there's no cooking involved. That means the two eggs (both the egg whites and egg yolks) go directly in to the ice cream mixture without being cooked. So, you may be wondering if that's OK.
Obviously I'm not here to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do, but I will tell you that I eat ice cream made with uncooked eggs all the time. If I know I'm not going to be cooking them, I always use organic, farm-fresh eggs and keep them refrigerated until ready to use.
Of course, there’s always a risk of salmonella or foodborne illness when working with raw eggs, but that's also the case with a many other ingredients (many people don't realize it's often the raw flour and not the eggs that cause illness from eating cookie dough!). There are also only 2 eggs in this ice cream recipe that makes 1 ½ quarts.
However, if you’re immune-compromised or pregnant, I wouldn’t recommend using them and would make a custard-based ice cream instead (heat the milk/cream and sugars and mix them with the eggs to temper and then add everything back to the pot to heat to a temperature that ensures the eggs are cooked).
Personally, I often like raw egg ice cream better than custard-based, but really, I love ANY ice cream!
🍦 How to make chocolate stout ice cream
This beer ice cream recipe is super easy, though you do need an ice cream maker (I use the KitchenAid attachment for my stand mixer and love it). Otherwise, it's just whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl.... And spending a lot of time waiting for the ice cream to chill. That's the worst part!
In a large bowl, you'll whisk the eggs until they're light and fluffy, about two minutes. Then add both sugars a little bit at a time, whisking as you go, until they're well blended.
Add the milk and cream and continue whisking to combine. Then stir in the beer!
And put that beautiful bowl of creamy chocolate stout in the fridge for at least 5 hours. Major snooze-fest. But you really do need to do it. So don't try to skip this step.
I guess you could just drink this mixture straight from the mixing bowl and it would be kind of like an ice cream float... Hmmm.
After 5 hours, you can FINALLY churn your ice cream, according to your ice cream maker's directions. Because there's alcohol in this ice cream, it will likely take a bit longer to churn and thicken up. Maybe even up to 50% longer.
Because this ice cream base has alcohol in it, it may take a little longer to freeze than the average ice cream. I recommend letting the mixture churn for about 40 minutes. It may still be a little soft, but that's OK because it will continue to chill in the freezer.
Put the chocolate stout ice cream in airtight containers and freeze it for another 5 hours or more (I like to freeze mine overnight).
This is what it looked like when I first put it into my containers:
And then here's what it looked like when it was done chilling. My kind of ice cream... Not too soft, but also super easy to scoop right out of the freezer!
I would say it's a little bit "icier" than some ice creams rather than creamy due to the beer. If you want to know the science behind all of this, I recommend this Serious Eats post.
Obviously the alcohol does not burn off since you're not cooking it all in this recipe. So, this ice cream tastes exactly how you'd expect a chocolate stout ice cream to taste. Full and rich, with a little bit of oomph. OK, a lot bit. And so, so amazing.
Of course, it's sweeter and creamier than a chocolate stout straight out of the can, but otherwise, it's pretty true to taste.
Oh and by all means, go ahead and sprinkle some chocolate shavings over the top.
🎉 Variations on recipe
In fact, in addition to adding on those chocolate shavings, there are lots of other fun add-ins you can use to make this ice cream even more your style. Here are some ideas:
- Add chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
- Drizzle with chocolate sauce, chocolate syrup, or caramel sauce
- Mix in crushed pretzels or toffee
- Mix in the nuts of your choice
- Mix cocoa powder into the ice cream to boost chocolate flavor
- Add in brownie pieces or cookie dough pieces
- Top with whipped cream or marshmallow sauce
- Sprinkles are always a great idea
Once you have the ice cream made, you can easily turn it into a delicious chocolate stout float.
I haven't made a whole lot of beer ice creams (this Pumpkin Beer Ice Cream is the only other one!), but I can imagine other types of beers would also make for delicious ice cream flavors.
Maybe a shandy ice cream in the summer? You can even reduce the alcohol before you add it to thicken it/remove water content/increase flavor impact.
I have made a Bailey's Ice Cream before and it's delicious!
The options are endless, but I'm telling you, I really think this chocolate stout ice cream could convince anyone to give beer a chance. I mean, there's chocolate involved!
🍨 More ice cream recipes
I make homemade ice cream all the time and love sharing my recipes with you here. They definitely go way outside the typical vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream recipes! Below are some of my all-time favorites!
Have you ever added alcohol to ice cream?
I clearly endorse adding beer to ice cream, but next up I'm making this Mudslide Cookie Swirl Ice Cream from If the Spoon Fits!
📖 Recipe

Chocolate Stout Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 8 oz. chocolate stout
- Chocolate shavings, optional for topping
Instructions
- In a large bow, whisk eggs until they’re light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add both sugars a little bit at a time, whisking as you go, until they're well blended.
- Add the milk and cream to the egg mixture and continue whisking to combine. Stir in beer.
- Cover bowl and chill mixture in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
- Add chilled mixture to ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Because there's alcohol in this ice cream, it will likely take longer to process and thicken.
- Once thickened, transfer to airtight containers and place in freezer for another 5 hours so ice cream can continue to harden.
- Scoop and serve! Sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired.
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
Wow, I didn't realize how much I need an ice cream maker until just now! I know what you mean about needing a vacation... right now I just need some warm weather!
Shannon says
Now you have me wanting an ice cream maker MORE THAN EVER. In addition to a donut pan 😉
Simply Life says
wow! this is so creative!!! what a fun flavor!
Michelle says
It is one of my goals to make ice cream for my 30 by 30 list and those Zak containers look AWESOME! I'm adding it to my Amazon wishlist now!
Lauren @ Healthy Food For Living says
Yes! I have been wanting to make a beer ice cream for a while now, and was going to try Guinness... but Southern Tier makes some of my favorite brews and the Choklat Stout is fantastic. I also need to get my hands on those ice cream containers, because I do make ice cream on a regular basis. Great post :).
sweeter salt says
I am so making this for the boy's bday in April. He's obsessed with icecream and stout (often eating a bowl while drinking a beer) so I think I would officially become the best fiancee ever 🙂
laura
Chris says
This is by far my favorite ice cream of all time. Everyone should make this right now. If you are working, tell your boss you quit and go home and make it now!
* Maybe you shouldn't quit, but if you do quit and then you bring your boss some of this ice cream you may get your job back as well as a promotion.
Spike says
Baking with beer is perfect- after all St. Paddy's is right around the corner!
Leah @ L4L says
This is totally awesome and reminds me of my Stout Floats I make. You know, like root beer floats but with stout instead of root! 😀
Scott says
Thanks for sharing! However, Southern Tier makes a beer that would be even better for this than the Choklat, which is their Creme Brulee stout! Try that next time, and I'm sure your head will explode. I've made desserts with it with great success since it's a dessert beer.
Sues says
Thanks Scott! Yes, I mentioned Southern Tier's Creme Brulee stout as one of my faves 🙂 I just wanted to start off with a chocolatey beer for my first beer ice cream. Now the possibilities are endless!
emily @ the happy home says
DO i. actually giving away a copy of my new favorite cookbook "the boozy baker" today 🙂
Megan says
I made a chocolate cake with Choklat Stout last St. Patty's Day. It was really strong! I can just imagine how that ice cream must be savored.
Nicole says
Yum! I do enjoy using alcohol in baking and cooking. Every chance I get, in fact 🙂 I'm a bit obsessed with Charlie Sheen's rants, too. I just can't look away!
Jason Wulf says
We at Lake Effect Ice Cream make an amazing Chocolate Stout Ice Cream and Southern Tier Brewery is in our backyard. However we chose a local brew that I actually think uses Southern Tier as their bottler. We use Ellicottville Brewing Companies Blackjack stout. A lot of our customers love to make Stout floats with it. We add some tiny milk chocolate flakes to sweeten it up a bit. We have done many different beer ice creams but the Stouts and Lambics seem to work the best.
Kelly says
Hmmm. If you end up making this again, check out the recipe on my blog. It uses plain stout and chocolate and doesn't turn out icey at all. (Probably because there is less stout in it and more fat. The stout is there but more of a background flavor to the chocolate.)
Sharlene says
I don't typically bake with alcohol but it seems like a really great way to use up all the alcohol I have laying around that I don't drink! This stout sounds like my kind of beer!
Culinary Cory says
Dessert and alcohol a perfect combo. 🙂
Amy says
i've been to southern tier brewery!! i went in Dec w/ my girlfriends - did the beer tasting tour and got to try the choklat! definitely one of my favorites that they have. anyway, this ice cream looks pretty interesting. never made ice cream before...
Meghan@travelwinedine says
These look amazing! I recently made a rum rice pudding, and someone pointed out that the alcohol doesn't actually burn off as much as most people think. . . oh well! 🙂
Kelly says
Wow that looks delicious. I am definitely a fan of ice cream any time of the year, and ice cream with beer in it... yum!
emily says
stout is my favorite thing ever, and this ice cream looks seriously amazing. like, i would make an entire batch if i didn't live by myself and would be tempted to consume it all in one setting. 😉
Amanda @ The Artsy Kitchen says
Oh yum!! I have no words!!
I seriously love chocolate stout!
I do enjoy baking with alcohol, especially Amaretto, I put a little bit in lots of my baked goods for a little extra flavor.
Amanda L. (Tales From A Kitchen Misfit) says
This is totally amazing.
Kerstin says
What a unique ice cream - we're huge beer lovers so i'll have to try this 🙂
Susan says
My two favorite things mashed together - I love it!
5 Star Foodie says
This ice cream sounds amazing with the stout, yum!
Erin says
That sounds so interesting! Did the alcohol cause any freezing problems? I know the addition of a small amount is helpful when you find your ice cream becoming TOO hard, but you have to be careful not to add too much.
This reminds me I need to post my fresh strawberry ice cream recipe soon! So good and thank goodness for the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment huh? 🙂
rebeccaj says
i'm still having visions of how amazing this was. thanks for sharing! 🙂
Tami says
Very interesting! I would love to try it. 🙂 Those containers are look awesome. They would be very convenient, like you said. I just got an ice cream maker through Swag Bucks and I love it. It is quite bulky, though, and takes up some space that I really don't have for it.
Gongadin says
I love baking with beer - chocolate stout cakes, or chocolate beer blaster cookies. I think you made good decision in regards to your stout - the Dogfish has a strange metallic taste. I've tried all of the Southern Tier offerings except for Old Man Winter - I'll have to hunt that one down!
Peg says
This is the most amazing ice cream I have ever eaten!!!!! Can't eat chocolate, so we made the Southern Tier Creme Brulee version. Didn't have any milk, so using all cream was the only other change we made to the recipe..
Thanks for posting it.