Chocolate Trail Mix Ice Cream

How About Some Chocolate Ice Cream with a Bit of Trail Mix

While I was down in the basement working out, I heard my youngest daughter upstairs in the kitchen preparing something. My daughter has cerebral palsy and uses a walker to get around, so I could hear the wheels rolling back and forth as she pulled ingredients out of the refrigerator and prepped them to make this chocolate trail mix ice cream.  

She made a chocolate ice cream with a trail mix consisting of M&M's, assorted nuts, and craisins. I couldn't have been prouder.

This ice cream is so easy to prepare because you don't need to combine the main ingredients over heat before chilling as you do with egg-based ice cream or gelato. Just mix everything in a bowl, set it in the refrigerator for a while, and prepare it in an ice cream machine.

The addition of the trail mix comes in the last 5 minutes of freezing in the ice cream maker. For the record, I didn't serve the ice cream with trail mix. It's just for the photo.

Trail Mix

Trail mix is a snack typically consisting of a mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and sometimes chocolate or other candies. It's called "trail mix" because it's often associated with outdoor activities like hiking, biking, or camping, where it can provide a convenient and energy-boosting snack.

The ingredients in trail mix can vary widely depending on personal preference and dietary restrictions. Still, common components include peanuts, almonds, cashews, raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chocolate chips. Some variations may also include pretzels, coconut flakes, or other types of nuts and fruits.

Trail mix can be added to ice cream as a mix-in ingredient. Adding trail mix to ice cream can provide a crunchy texture and a variety of flavors that complement the creamy base of the ice cream.

You can either fold the trail mix into the ice cream during the churning process or sprinkle it on top of it as a garnish before serving. It's a versatile addition that can add an interesting twist to traditional ice cream flavors.

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is a powdered form of cocoa solids, which are the non-fat parts of cocoa beans that have been ground and processed. Cocoa powder is typically produced by extracting cocoa butter from cocoa beans, leaving cocoa solids behind. These solids are then dried and ground into a fine powder.

Cocoa powder comes in two main varieties: natural cocoa powder and Dutch-processed (or alkalized) cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder is acidic and has a more intense chocolate flavor. In contrast, Dutch-processed cocoa powder has been treated with an alkaline solution to neutralize its acidity, resulting in a smoother, milder flavor.

Cocoa powder is commonly used in baking and cooking to add chocolate flavor to various recipes, such as cakes, cookies, brownies, and beverages like hot chocolate. It can also be used as a dusting on desserts or as an ingredient in savory dishes to add depth of flavor. Additionally, cocoa powder is often used in conjunction with sugar and cocoa butter to make chocolate bars and other chocolate confections.

Why Sift Cocoa Powder

Sifting cocoa powder (or any dry ingredient) while cooking or baking serves several purposes:

• Breaking up clumps: Like many dry ingredients, Cocoa powder can form clumps during storage due to moisture absorption or settling. Sifting helps break up these clumps, ensuring a smoother texture and more even distribution when incorporating the cocoa powder into the recipe.
• Aerating: Sifting cocoa powder incorporates air into the powder, which helps to aerate it. This can contribute to lighter and fluffier baked goods by creating a more uniform texture and improving the overall rise of the batter or dough.
• Removing lumps and impurities: Sifting helps to remove any lumps, debris, or foreign objects that may be present in the cocoa powder. This ensures that only the fine, pure cocoa powder is used in the recipe, enhancing the quality and appearance of the final product.
• Mixing with other dry ingredients: Sifting cocoa powder along with other dry ingredients, such as flour, baking powder, and salt, helps to evenly distribute them and ensure thorough incorporation into the batter or dough. This promotes uniform flavor and texture throughout the finished dish.

Overall, sifting cocoa powder before using it in a recipe helps to improve the quality, texture, and appearance of the final product, resulting in a more satisfying culinary experience.

What's the Difference Between Ice Cream and Gelato?

I get asked this a lot, so go to my post Difference Between Ice Cream & Gelato

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe

Chocolate Trail Mix Ice Cream

Prep Time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10 servings

Equipment

• Ice Cream Machine

Ingredients

• ¾ cup cocoa powder sifted
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup sugar dark or light brown
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup trail mix

Instructions

• In a bowl big enough to hold all the above ingredients, combine the cocoa powder mix with the sugars and salt.
• Add the milk and combine using a hand mixer set on low speed or a whisk like I did until everything is dissolved and combined well.
• Add the heavy cream and vanilla and whisk until everything is again well combined. You now have your ice base.
• Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or as long as overnight. Maddie let it sit overnight before adding to the ice cream machine.
• Before you add the base mixture to your ice cream maker, be sure to whisk it again.
• Follow your cream maker’s instructions and let it do its magic for about 40 - 50 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the trail mix so it gets well combined with the ice cream.
• At this time, the ice cream will be soft with a creamy texture, too soft for my liking so I stick it back into the freezer for a couple of hours to let it firm up.
• Before serving, remove it from the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, if you can wait that long.