Rich coffee flavor runs through this no-churn ice cream, with dulce de leche for sweetness and a ribbon of dark chocolate ganache. The method uses whipped cream for a light, scoopable base and needs no ice cream machine.

Prep: About 30 minutes | Freeze: At least 6 hours | Total: About 6 hours 30 minutes | Servings: About 8 | Difficulty: Moderate (3 of 5) | Cost: Moderate (3 of 5) | Region: American-inspired

Ingredients

Chocolate-coffee ganache

• 4 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped, or about 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 small pinch kosher salt

Coffee ice cream base

• 1 can (14 ounces) dulce de leche
• 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 1–2 tablespoons instant espresso powder, depending on preferred coffee strength
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon crème de cacao, optional

Instructions

1. Make the ganache: Place the chopped dark chocolate, coffee extract, 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, and pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cream until steaming with small bubbles at the edges, then pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute and stir gently until smooth. Cool until just fluid and no longer hot.
3. Make the coffee mixture: In a separate large bowl, stir the dulce de leche, vanilla, salt, and optional crème de cacao. Mix in 1 tablespoon espresso powder, tasting before deciding whether to add more. If the powder does not dissolve readily, mix it into a small spoonful of the dulce de leche first.
4. In a cold bowl, whip the 2 cups heavy cream to firm, softly holding peaks. Avoid overwhipping until grainy.
5. Fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the dulce de leche mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until mostly uniform.
6. Spoon one-third of the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe loaf pan. Drizzle with one-third of the cooled ganache. Repeat with the remaining mixture and ganache, then run a knife through the layers once or twice for a marbled effect.
7. Cover securely and freeze until firm enough to scoop, at least 6 hours. Keep frozen until serving.

Cook’s notes

• Use dark chocolate for the ganache to create a bold contrast against the coffee ice cream.
• Dulce de leche supplies the sweetness; no additional sweetened condensed milk is needed.
• Espresso powder strength varies by brand. Start with the smaller amount and increase to taste.
• The optional crème de cacao adds flavor but is not required; omitting it produces an alcohol-free recipe when other ingredients are alcohol-free.
• Store covered in the freezer; allow a few minutes at room temperature to soften before scooping.