How to Make Helado de Chocolate (Chocolate Ice Cream)

This helado de chocolate (Mexican chocolate ice cream) recipe is inspired by my delicious chocolate paletas, both of which are inspired by the sipping chocolate that’s famous in Oaxaca. It’s to-die-for and there’s definitely no mistaking it for ordinary chocolate ice cream.

I created this recipe because my chocolate paletas were such a hit with my family and friends. When I made it recently, my husband ate the entire quart before I even had a chance to taste it! The canela (cinnamon) and Mexican chocolate give this ice cream its unique flavor and texture.

Cacao, which has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, is grown in Mexico and other parts of the world, and is the key ingredient in America’s favorite flavor: chocolate!

To learn more about which Mexican chocolate brands I use, check out my hot chocolate recipe.

FUN CHOCOLATE FACTS

• The Aztecs and Mayans held chocolate in high esteem and considered it, “food of the gods.”
• Aztecs also used cacao medicinally to relieve stomach pains, colds, and fevers.
• Legend has it that the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma, drank upwards of 50 cups of chocolate a day (and an extra one when he was meeting with a lady friend!) because it was considered a powerful and effective aphrodisiac.
• Aztecs used cacao as currency to pay for food, clothing, taxes, gifts, and offerings to their gods.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

You’ll need just 5 ingredients to make this decadent Mexican chocolate ice cream: heavy cream, milk, Mexican chocolate, sugar, and cinnamon. See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.

I use the same ingredients to make my Mexican Chocolate Paletas, which my children love!

STEP-BY-STEP-INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the chocolate mixture 

• Add cream, milk, chocolate, sugar, and cinnamon to a saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture is hot and starts to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the cinnamon flavor to fully infuse. To prevent scorching, stir occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula. Be sure to break up any large pieces of chocolate, too.

2. Strain and cool 

• Allow mixture to cool and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl with a spout for easy pouring. 
• Refrigerate until chilled or cool bowl with chocolate mixture over an ice bath (larger bowl with ice and water).

3. Prepare ice cream

• Once chilled, pour the mixture into your pre-frozen ice cream maker bowl. Churn according to your machine’s instructions until the ice cream is thick and has a soft-serve consistency.
• Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4-6 hours to allow it to harden to a scoopable consistency.

4. Serve and enjoy

• Serve alone or topped with pomegranate arils or cacao nibs for extra texture, if desired.

LOOKING FOR MORE INSPIRATION?

In Oaxaca, Mexico, people love to place chocolate on altars for Day of the Dead. For this reason, I like to make different chocolate recipes for my guests, both living and dead. Check out the following posts for more Day of the Dead inspiration.

• 80+ Best Day of the Dead Food and Drink Recipes
• Popular Day of the Dead Flowers and Their Symbolism
• Best Bilingual Day of the Dead Books for Children
• How to Make Calabazas Dulces (Mexican Candied Pumpkin)
• 10 Creative Day of the Dead Crafts
• Unique Day of the Dead Decorations for Your Home Altar
• Mole Negro (Black Mole Sauce with Chicken)
• Papel Picado: Fun Facts, Cultural Significance, and Day of the Dead
• Chocolate Flan (Flan de Chocolate)
• Orange Blossom Mezcal Sour Cocktail
• Easy DIY Buñuelos + DIY Edible Calavera Ornaments
• Arbol de la Vida (Tree of Life) to Celebrate Day of the Dead
• Marigold and Orange Blossom Sugar Cookies to Celebrate Day of the Dead
• Green Pozole de Pollo Recipe
• Sugar Skulls and Spirits: Decoding the Symbolism of Altar Items
• Day of the Dead: Passing on Cultural Traditions from One Generation to the Next
• Ricardo Soltero’s La Calavera Catrina Exhibition at Denver Botanic Gardens
• Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life!
• Chocolate (Mexican Popsicles)
• How to Make Enmoladas de Pollo (Mole Enchiladas)
• How to Make Camote Enmielado (Mexican Candied Sweet Potatoes)

This recipe was originally published on October 28, 1017 and updated with step-by-step instructions and images on August 27, 2025.

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