Summer in my kitchen is all about homemade popsicles and no-churn ice creams. Sweet treats you don’t need to put a ton of effort into, but taste delicious and are made with fresh, real ingredients you can feel good about.

This No-Churn Cherry Garcia Ice Cream was a recent favorite and I’m excited to be sharing not just the recipe with you – but also our first recipe video! (Scroll down to after the recipe instructions to see the video.)

This smooth and creamy chocolate cherry ice cream is a homemade take on the classic Ben and Jerry’s flavor. The only difference between our recipe and their’s is that we made our ice cream vanilla-flavored, but you can use a few tablespoons of fresh cherry juice to make a cherry-flavored ice cream, if desired.

However, I loved the contrast of the fresh vanilla ice cream sprinkled with chunks of dark chocolate and juicy fresh cherries and will definitely be sticking to this version for future batches!

No-churn ice cream requires no special ice cream making equipment – any type of stand or hand mixer is the only thing you need. (I mean, you could use a whisk but it’s 4-7 minutes of whipping so I’ll just stick to a hand mixer!)

This is a great, easy dessert that you can customize many different ways – we’ve made blueberry pie ice cream, Snickers ice cream, root beer float ice cream… the list goes on!

But my favorite part of making no-churn ice cream is that the kids can help make it. They will probably want to take turns holding the mixer because that can get tiring on little arms, but they love stirring in the mix-ins and customizing their flavors.

You could even make a plain vanilla base and then allow the kids to customize smaller batches of the ice cream with their own mix-in choices. Today, though, it’s all about the chocolate cherry!

Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream

• Heavy whipping cream (35%)
• Sweetened condensed milk, to taste
• Vanilla extract
• Cherries
• Dark Chocolate <– can use milk chocolate

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

*Tip: The amount of sweetened condensed milk affects both the sweetness and texture. I often substitute for 1/3 cup of honey, or just use a smaller portion of the can.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
• Large mixing bowl
• Loaf pan
• Ice Cream Scoop
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Wooden spoon or spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.

How to Make Homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

First, chop and pit your cherries. Then chop your chocolate and set aside.

Place the cold whipping cream in a large bowl and whip with a mixer for 4-7 minutes until the cream appears fluffy and cloud-like. It takes a full four minutes (and sometimes a bit longer depending on the humidity) to achieve the perfect texture.

Be careful not to over mix the cream, as that can reverse all of the hard whipping work!

Next, add in the vanilla and sweetened condensed milk or honey to your personal preference. For this batch, I only used 1/2 cup and it was sweet enough for my family and the texture of the ice cream was very light.

Stir it in, being careful not to over mix.

Next, gently stir in the chopped cherries and dark chocolate chunks.

Add more as called for so you have the perfect amount of mix-ins for you!

Fold the ice cream mixture out into a loaf pan or reusable ice cream container. Smooth with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula and sprinkle more toppings over the top.

Freeze for 4 hours or overnight. (Sometimes it’s ready in two hours, but plan for 4 just in case!)

Pin this Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream recipe:

This easy chocolate cherry ice cream was a total hit with my daughter and her friends and it would be perfect to finish off a fun barbecue or enjoy as a late-night treat!

For more delicious homemade ice cream recipes, check out our homemade Snickers ice cream or our blueberry pie ice cream recipes: