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Chocolate Sage Ice Cream Recipe

This chocolate sage ice cream is a creative, fresh sage recipe sure to delight your taste buds. First, make a custard with Dutch-process cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and a few classic homemade ice cream ingredients, then finish it off in an ice cream maker and enjoy.

Two jars of chocolate sage ice cream with spoon and green herb garnish.

How to Make Sage Ice Cream

Have you ever thought about sweet Recipes that use sage? Maybe not until now, but adding a savory herb like sage to a sweet treat like ice cream is quite exquisite! Both earthy and slightly peppery, sage also has hints of mint and lemon.

Plus, once you add cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and lots of sugar to the mix, you know you have a good thing! Sage and chocolate is a sophisticated flavor combination that really delights the mouth.

I recommend making this sage chocolate ice cream anytime during the summer when fresh sage is in season.

This recipe was adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.

Equipment

Ideally, you cook the ingredients into a custard and transfer it to an ice cream maker. Other than that, all you need are some basic kitchen tools.

  • Ice cream maker
  • Small saucepan
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Spoon

Ingredients

Sage leaves – Prepare two small bunches or about 20 large leaves by bundling them together with cotton kitchen string. Tying the leaves together ahead of time makes removing them from the liquid later on all the easier. Since fresh leaves are best, these are great to plant in an herb garden.

Heavy cream – We use two total cups but divide the amount in half and add each separately. First, use one cup in step one, then the second cup in step five.

Milk – Whole milk will be best since it has the most fat content.

Sugar – Standard white baking sugar will be the perfect sweetener in this sage recipe.

Dutch-process cocoa powder – Intense and fully flavored, Dutch-process cocoa is different from regular cocoa because alkalizing agents reduce the normal bitterness and acidity. However, substituting with regular cocoa powder will be fine, too, since they are often interchangeable.

Salt – Believe it or not, salt accents the sugar and enhances the sweet flavor! It’s a secret ingredient that no ice cream should be without.

Dark chocolate – Finely chop a few ounces of your favorite dark chocolate bar. The finer, the better, so it melts and mixes evenly. Adding double chocolate ingredients makes this homemade ice cream recipe every chocolate lover’s dream! 

Egg yolks – Yolks are key for a perfect custard texture. Do not use whole eggs. You’ll want to temper them carefully, so read the directions and avoid scrambling.

Two jars of chocolate sage ice cream with spoon and green herb garnish on a cutting board with burlap design.

Step-By-Step Directions

At first glance, it might look like a long recipe, but each step is very easy and straightforward. If you need convincing, look at the result! It’s worth it!

Step 1

Infuse the sage in the milk and cream over low heat. Tie fresh sage leaves in two small bunches with cotton kitchen string. Whisk 1 cup of cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sift the cocoa powder into the pan also and mix well. Add the sage leaves and stir. Heat, but do not boil. Remove from heat when the mixture starts to steam and bubbles first appear around the edges.

Step 2

Melt chocolate into the cream. Stir the chopped chocolate in the pot of cream, and continue mixing until smooth. Let it stand for one hour. Then, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the sage leaves. Return liquid to the stove over medium heat until it’s warm again.

Step 3

Pour sage chocolate mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Next, temper the eggs by slowly pouring the warm liquid into the yolks while stirring gently yet continuously. The idea is to slowly bring the temperature of the eggs up, so they cook but don’t scramble. Then, transfer the milk egg mixture back to the saucepan.

Step 4

Cook custard and prepare an ice bath. Continue stirring over low heat while scraping the sides and bottom frequently. Cook until a custard forms, about 5 to 7 minutes. An instant-read thermometer will read 170 degrees F. Otherwise, you’ll know it’s thick enough when the mixture coats the back of your spoon. 

While the custard cooks, make an ice bath by filling the bottom of a large bowl with ice and placing a medium bowl inside, over the ice. Add the remaining 1 cup of cream to the empty medium bowl. Arrange a fine mesh strainer over it.

Step 5

Strain, cover, and chill the custard. Once the custard is ready, pour it through the strainer into the cream. Straining again ensures a uniform, creamy finish by removing any egg solids that may have inadvertently formed while cooking. Mix cream and custard thoroughly; continue stirring until cooled. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Step 6

Churn in an ice cream maker. Finally, transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Chocolate sage ice cream in a jar with green herb garnish and a spoon.

When is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day?

Mark your calendar for June 7 because that’s National Chocolate Ice Cream Day in the United States! The day has a fascinating history (1, 2) and is just one of the fun ice cream-themed days of summer.

Follow the June celebration with National Ice Cream month in July and National Ice Cream day on July 17 (2022). Did you know Ronald Reagan established these holidays for the first time in July 1984 and July 15, 1984? He signed H. J. Rex 543, a joint proclamation sponsored by a Texas representative and made it official.

There’s a fun fact to share!

What better way to celebrate than with this unique chocolate ice cream recipe? It will be great!

Two jars of chocolate sage ice cream with spoon.

More Creative Dessert Recipes

Yield: 1 quart

Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream with Sage

Two jars of chocolate sage ice cream with spoon and green herb garnish.

This chocolate sage ice cream is a creative, fresh sage recipe sure to delight your taste buds. First, make a custard with Dutch-process cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and a few classic homemade ice cream ingredients, then finish it off in an ice cream maker and enjoy.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Inactive Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 20 fresh sage leaves, bundled with cotton kitchen string
  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 5 large egg yolks

Instructions

  1. Tie fresh sage leaves in two small bunches with cotton kitchen string. Whisk 1 cup of cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sift the cocoa powder into the pan also and mix well. Add the sage leaves and stir. Heat, but do not boil. Remove from heat when the mixture starts to steam and bubbles first appear around the edges. 
  2. Stir the chopped chocolate in the pot of cream; continue mixing until smooth. Let it stand for one hour. Then, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the sage leaves. Return liquid to the stove over medium heat until it’s warm again.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Next, temper the eggs by slowly pouring the warm liquid into the yolks while stirring gently yet continuously. Then, transfer the milk egg mixture back to the saucepan.
  4. Continue stirring over low heat while scraping the sides and bottom frequently. Cook until a custard forms, about 5 to 7 minutes. An instant-read thermometer will read 170 degrees F. Otherwise, you’ll know it's thick enough when the mixture coats the back of your spoon. 
  5. While the custard cooks, make an ice bath by filling the bottom of a large bowl with ice and placing a medium bowl inside, over the ice. Add the remaining 1 cup of cream to the empty medium bowl. Arrange a fine mesh strainer over it.
  6. Once the custard is ready, pour it through the strainer into the cream. Mix cream and custard thoroughly; continue stirring until cooled. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  7. Finally, transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Notes

If you can’t bundle the sage, adding loose leaves is also fine.

Temper the eggs carefully in step 3. The goal is to slowly bring the temperature of the eggs up, so they cook but don’t scramble. 

Straining again in step 6 ensures a uniform, creamy finish by removing any egg solids that may have inadvertently formed while cooking. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

½ cup

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 438Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 210mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 33gProtein: 8g

More Easy Summer Recipes

Jacqueline Debono

Sunday 14th of August 2022

I'm so intrigued by the idea of making chocolate ice-cream with sage. We have sage in the garden and my hubby's favourite ice-cream is chocolate so the next batch of ice-cream I make will be this!

Jessica Haggard

Monday 22nd of August 2022

Let us know how it goes :)

Amanda

Saturday 13th of August 2022

What a delicious ice cream! It had the perfect chocolatey flavor that went so well with the sage. Really loved this!

Jessica Haggard

Monday 22nd of August 2022

Thanks Amanda - the flavors combo well. I'm happy to hear you loved it. Remember to bookmark the recipe to make again ;)

Andrea

Saturday 13th of August 2022

I love anything chocolate and this is no exception. It's so unique! We'd never had a sage ice cream before but it was good!

Jessica Haggard

Monday 22nd of August 2022

Unique flavors are always fun to try. Glad you enjoyed!! More unique recipes are on the way, so stay tuned!

Ann

Saturday 13th of August 2022

How interesting! Would have never thought about adding sage leaves to ice cream. Sounds delicious!

Chenée

Friday 12th of August 2022

I love the combination of the chocolate and Sage flavors! This is my new favorite homemade ice cream!

Jessica Haggard

Monday 22nd of August 2022

Happy to hear it makes the favorites list!

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