Chocolate soft-serve ice cream with the Thermomix® is ready in 4 ingredients and 10 minutes, plus 2 hours in the freezer. The base: 400 g Greek yoghurt at 10 per cent fat. The fat content is non-negotiable, otherwise the ice cream freezes solid and grainy.
We make this ice cream as a lighter alternative to classic cream-based ice cream. Around 180 kcal per serving, with 8 g protein from the yoghurt. That is a third of the calories of shop-bought ice cream and twice the protein.
Chocolate Soft-Serve Ice Cream with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 4 ✓
- 100 g cocoa powder (sweetened)
- 30 g sugar
- 400 g Greek yoghurt (10% fat)
- 100 g double cream
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Add cocoa powder and sugar to the mixing bowl and pulverise for 10 seconds / speed 10.
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2
Add yoghurt and double cream and mix for 10 seconds / speed 5.
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3
Pour the ice cream mixture into ice cube trays and freeze for 2 hours.
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4
Insert the butterfly whisk. Add the frozen cubes to the mixing bowl and whip for 10 seconds / speed 4.
Tip: Finish your chocolate soft-serve with chocolate sauce and fresh fruit.
Nutrition per serving
10 per cent fat in the yoghurt is the critical threshold
Greek yoghurt at 10 per cent fat (sometimes labelled as cream yoghurt or full-fat Greek style) is essential. Yoghurt with less fat freezes into ice crystals that will not turn creamy. Yoghurt with more fat (20 per cent) also works, but the result is very rich.
If you only have low-fat yoghurt: replace 100 g of it with 100 g double cream. That brings the total fat content up to a similar level. Skimmed-milk yoghurt does not work here as it turns grainy once frozen.
Pulverise the cocoa first, then add the yoghurt
The 100 g sweetened cocoa powder and 30 g of extra sugar go into the mixing bowl first for 10 seconds at speed 10. This is not optional. Lumps in the cocoa would taste like bitter spots in the finished ice cream. Pulverising first ensures everything is evenly distributed.
If you use unsweetened cocoa: add an extra 50 g of sugar, so 80 g in total. Otherwise the ice cream will taste bitter. Cocoa powder brands such as Bensdorp or Van Houten are the more professional choice, though supermarket cocoa also works.
Pour the ice cream mixture into ice cube trays, not a large container
The second step after mixing: pour the mixture into ice cube trays, not a large box. The reason: the small cubes freeze completely in 2 hours (a large box would need 6 hours). The frozen cubes are then whipped for 10 seconds at speed 4 in the Thermomix®.
This step is what makes the ice cream soft. Blending frozen, solid cubes at high speed creates a creamy texture. If you skip this step and serve the ice cream straight from a frozen block, you end up with hard water ice rather than soft-serve.
Whip with the butterfly whisk, not without
The butterfly whisk in the Thermomix® (Schmetterling) makes the difference between grainy and creamy. Without the butterfly whisk, the blade chops the frozen cubes into small ice pieces; with it, you get a smooth, airy mixture. Important: only 10 seconds at speed 4. Longer and at higher speed, the ice cream warms up and melts.
If you do not have a butterfly whisk: the ice cream still works without one, but will be slightly more grainy. Alternative: after blending, put it in the freezer for 30 minutes, then blend again for 5 seconds at speed 4. This improves the texture.
Chocolate soft-serve without sugar: with erythritol or agave syrup
If you want to reduce the sugar: replace the 30 g of sugar with 25 g of erythritol. Erythritol is a 1:1 swap, has 0 kcal and tastes almost the same as sugar. Note: erythritol can leave a slight cooling sensation in the mouth, and this is more noticeable in cold desserts.
With agave syrup (20 g instead of 30 g sugar), the mixture will be slightly more liquid because of the extra water content. Freeze for an extra 30 minutes. Honey also works but has a strong flavour that comes through.
Banana variation: chocolate ice cream without added sugar
If you want to skip sugar entirely: use 300 g frozen bananas (about 3 ripe pieces) instead of the yoghurt and cream base. Plus 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt. Chop the bananas for 4 seconds at speed 8, add the cocoa and yoghurt, then blend for 3 seconds at speed 8.
This is known as nicecream and is banana ice cream style without any added sugar. The ripe bananas provide enough natural sweetness. It only works with fully ripe, brown-spotted bananas (the sweetness increases with ripeness). If you try this: slice the bananas before freezing and freeze them individually, not in a clump. Otherwise they will not separate.
Frozen yoghurt science: why 10 per cent fat works
The frozen yoghurt industry uses the same logic: a 10 per cent fat content disrupts crystal formation during freezing. Less fat produces large ice crystals that make the ice cream hard and grainy. More fat (15 per cent or above) makes the ice cream heavy and mouth-coating. 10 per cent is the ideal threshold, which is also why Greek yoghurt manufacturers offer this fat level.
This is also why skimmed-milk yoghurt does not work (too little fat, too much water). For soya yoghurt: look for an extra-creamy or cream-style variety with at least 4 per cent fat. Otherwise add oat cream.
Vegan chocolate soft-serve variation
Instead of Greek yoghurt: use 400 g soya yoghurt with at least 4 per cent fat (e.g. Alpro Plant-Based Greek style) plus 100 g oat cream. The cocoa and sugar stay the same. The flavour will be slightly nuttier from the soya, but the texture is almost identical.
With coconut yoghurt, the ice cream takes on a tropical flavour (coconut and chocolate), though this does not suit every palate. If you want fully vegan and neutral tasting: soya yoghurt is the best choice.
What goes well with chocolate soft-serve
As a solo dessert with fresh berries, in a waffle cone with homemade chocolate sauce, as a topping on warm cake, or paired with caramel spice cream for a two-layer sundae. If you want to serve it like a pro: pipe it from a piping bag into sundae glasses and garnish with ice cream toppings.
Chocolate soft-serve keeps for 4 weeks in the freezer
The ice cream has the best texture straight after whipping. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Before serving: leave to thaw at room temperature for 10 minutes, then whip again for 5 seconds at speed 4. This restores the creaminess.
If you want to make it in advance: divide into 100 g portions in small individual containers and freeze. That way you only need to thaw what you need, rather than thawing and refreezing the whole batch, which reduces the texture.
Goes well with: Waffles, fruit and brownies.
