Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream is the one of the most popular ice cream flavors around. And now you can make it homemade in your own kitchen!
My son and I were watching the Red Sox beat the Yankees last night, and the pitcher was literally dripping with sweat. I said to my son, “Wow, it must be hot back East!” We happen to live in San Diego, where the temperature is pretty mild all year long, and it’s currently only in the low 70’s. So my son’s response was, “No way Mom. It must be raining.”
I guess it’s kind of difficult to comprehend that it’s already sweltering in places like Boston and NYC and Atlanta and Dallas… when we’re still feeling a slight chill in the air. So for all of you experiencing that icky, HOT weather already, I made some Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. You’re welcome.
Ingredients needed for Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream:
This is such a super simple ice cream recipe- only the ingredients you see here are involved. You’ll need milk, cream, vanilla, peanut butter, sugar and peanut butter cups. There are no eggs in the recipe… which means no heating up and no custard-making and no waiting for the mixture to chill before you process it in your ice cream maker. You have an ice cream maker, right??
If you’re a fan of peanut butter and chocolate together, you’re mostly likely a big fan of peanut butter cups. And if you’re a fan of peanut butter cups, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that they are really, really awesome when they’re fresh out of the freezer.
So it’s really a no-brainer to put them in ice cream, where you can eat a piece of frozen peanut butter cup in every bite. Yep.
This is an easy ice cream recipe to make because you just mix the base ingredients together and you can put it in your ice cream machine right away. You don’t have to wait for it to chill overnight. Immediate gratification!
When I made this for the first time, I had a bite, or two, or more likely about 36. It was worth every calorie. It was worth every peanut buttery, slightly salty and chocolatey chunky bite. It was worth the extra miles I had to run at the gym and the salad I ate for lunch.
I suggest you make it, especially if you’re in one of those HOT places right now, or if you’re a Red Sox fan (because I like you), or if you’re just craving chocolate-peanut butter things. And just for the record, I like Yankee’s fans too (the nice ones) 🙂
Here are a few more ice cream recipes you might enjoy:
- Cookies n’ Cream Ice Cream
- Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Snickerdoodle Ice Cream
- Cake Batter Ice Cream
- Low Fat Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Toasted Marshmallow- Brownie Malt Ice Cream
- Peppermint Ice Cream
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
Recipe Details
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups chopped chocolate peanut butter cups (8 to 10 regular size PB cups)
Instructions
MAKE THE BASE:
- In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine peanut butter and sugar until smooth. Add milk and mix on low until sugar is dissolved- a full two minutes. You don't want to be tasting crunches of sugar in your ice cream, so give it a chance to dissolve. Mix in heavy cream and vanilla and beat until well combined and smooth.
PROCESS THE ICE CREAM:
- Turn on your ice cream machine, pour the base in the freezer bowl (make sure it has been in your freezer for 24 hours), and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. A couple of minutes before you're ready stop the mixing, add in the chopped peanut butter cups. The ice cream will be a soft-serve consistency. You can eat it right away, or freeze to eat later. If you freeze it for later, it will be more ice-cream-scoopable. Let it sit out for a few minutes before you try to scoop it.
Notes
- *This recipe is GLUTEN FREE adaptable. If you're preparing this recipe as Gluten Free, make sure you use Reeses snack size or miniatures (those are known to be GF), and use a brand of peanut butter that is recognized as GF.
- *Here's an easy way to measure sticky peanut butter: Just spray the measuring cups with nonstick spray before you spoon the peanut butter into them. It'll slide right out!
- *Make sure you freeze your ice cream processor's freezer bowl for a full 24 hours before processing your ice cream.
Recipe Girl, you are the best! This ice cream is the bomb. Everyone loves it. Thanks for another great recipe!
I made this last weekend and it was amazing ! Love that it comes out thick, like a store bought ice cream, but with simple ingredients. Will definitely be making again !!!
All I can say is YUM!!! I made this for my husband who LOVES peanut butter. This recipe is fantastic. It is creamy, peanut buttery bliss! Thank you for the recipe.
will this recipe work in old fashioned Ice Cream freezer using ice, ice cream salt, etc.??? I think mine is gallon size. Whatcha’ think???
Yes, I believe it should work in an old-fashioned ice cream maker!
Have made this three or four times now and it’s delicious. I always let it freeze after I make it so I think I added too many peanut butter cups cause it wasn’t the burst of candy goodness I wanted. I have added Heath bits the last few times and it was delicious. Ice cream base is the fantastic.
Is the base of this peanut buttery enough without the candy? I don’t have the candy but want the ice cream lol
Just made this! It turned out great and I look forward to making it many more times!
My boyfriend and I made this for our New Year’s Eve treat. So creamy and good! The recipe was super easy! Thank you 🙂
O*M*G!!! Get thee behind me Satan!!! If you don’t, then I am going to have to get an ice cream maker and forget about losing weight!!! This sounds absolutely decadant…two of my all time favorite flavors in one bowl!!!
Any suggestions on how to make a chocolate base? I’m not sure how much cocoa to add to it. This looks great tho, definitely gonna have to try it out! 🙂
I’d just go with a recipe for chocolate ice cream and then add some peanut butter cups!
Wow does this look amazing!! I recently got an ice cream maker and I think this will be the first thing I try out! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Made this with my roommates tonight – it was positively delicious, but even though we ran the ice cream maker for probably 2 hours, it never got that smooth texture. Oh well!
Just made this – all I can say is O>>>>M>>>>>G>>>>> 🙂
This is a good reason to use my ice cream maker, a very good reason.
Lori, Started following your blog a few weeks ago – always enjoy visiting! Made your margarita cupcakes for a summer party! They were a hit!
This ice cream looks amazing, and I just got an ice cream maker too! I’d love to try it, but unfortunately….as much as I love the chocolate/PB combo, I’m allergic to PB. I could easily sub another candy bar for the PB cups, but do you have suggestions as to what to replace the peanut butter itself with?
I think it would be okay to use almond butter- especially if you can find Barney Butter, which is a very smooth and already mixed brand of almond butter. Check their website.
Nice…love that PB!
This looks absolutely wonderful! I think I’m gonna have to dig my ice cream maker out. Thanks for posting!
I bought an ice cream maker just so I could make this! Mine doesn’t let you take off the lid to add in the peanut butter cups before it’s done mixing, so I just mixed them in by hand before putting it into the freezer to harden. So excited for it to be ready!
Made it this weekend for my family and it was so yummy! All I can say is its a good thing I didn’t have this recipe when I was pregnant….reeses pb cup ice cream was my craving! Sent my hubby to the store for some while I was in labor.
DEAR LORD.
Looks delicious! 🙂
That sounds sooo…. good! I love peanut butter cups. I think I’m gonna have to get me an ice cream maker.
This looks delicious Lori! I recently made a peanut butter cup ice cream but with a chocolate ice cream base, I really want to try this one!
I’m making this right now — so excited!
Uh oh. I’m seriously in trouble now.
I love that we both LOVE the Red Sox. And I love that the first line of your post is that were defeating that “other” team. We fans – we stick together!
Ok – I admit I haven’t had a Resee’s since going GF and dairy free. But, that sweet and salty combination is such a winner. Love your recipe, Lori 🙂 And love that it’s so easy!
Yay, Red Sox fan! 🙂
OH MY GOSH.! This looks soooo good and you can make it for me gluten free. I’m putting in my request a couple weeks early!
This looks absolutely amazing! I was thinking of making ice cream soon. I have some pistachios, so I was going to use them – but I am not sure if I can avoid this one!
I was just thinking of making some pb cup ice cream very soon with the little teeny-tiny mini Reese’s pb cups I have waiting to be used in the cupboard. I was going back and forth between chocolate or vanilla ice cream to put them in but I like this idea of peanut butter ice cream…what could be better than even more peanut butter?!? ; )
I cannot think of a better thing to eat! Thank you!! I heart you!!
I cannot think of a better thing to eat! Thank you!! I heart you!
Yes – it was sweltering here in Boston for a few days! Luckily, it’s cooled off a bit, but I could eat this ice cream in any weather :).
I want a scoop right now!
thank you from a Red Sox fan from Galway Ireland:)
Definitely hot out here on the east coast! So… I need that ice cream to cool me off 😉
Oh holy cow. That looks absolutely to die for. My favorite ice cream ever created is Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup. I could die and go to heaven.
There must be something wrong with me….I’ve never liked peanut butter cups. Do you believe it?
And I’ve never met an ice cream I didn’t like either….am still debating. Shall I try it or not?
Maybe stick another candy bar in there??
I would have totally eaten the whole thing. You can come down here to Tampa an and drip sweat from the second you walk outside!!!!
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Thanks, I did just that!
Wow that looks amazing! I bet my hubby would looooove this 😀
I just pulled this up and this is so what I need right now. May have to fudge it and get me a pack of reeses and some ice cream and do my own mix ins! I could eat this off the page! mmmmm. xx
O…M…G…!! Yes, ma’am, this will be in my freezer tonight!!!
Nothing in the world, no NOTHING, is better than PB and Chocolate!!
I could just KISS you for this!!!
Lori–This looks amazing! I am in a serious ice cream mood right and this looks perfect!
Be still my heart. The Red Sox beating the Yankees, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and homemade ice cream all in the same blog post?! This may just be the most perfect blog post ever. LOL!
This makes me want to go out and buy an ice cream maker, stat! But I’m with Lauren, that would probably be super dangerous.
This is dangerous stuff! I need an ice cream maker too. Any suggestions on which ones work best?
I love my Cuisinart 2 Quart Frozen Yogurt- Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker. It does the job!
ooooooooohhhh my lord! This looks to die for!
I really need an ice cream maker. Mmmm.
YUM! I’d be all over this!!
It’s reasons like this that purchasing an ice cream maker was 100% worth it. I love having my own private ice cream parlor in my freezer! I am totally making this when I get back from my scuba diving trip! I <3 peanut butter and chocolate almost more than life itself.
Yum! I need to break out the ice cream maker!
Oh, the lovely peanut butter. That would definitely help in this Atlanta weather. If only my son wasn’t allergic to ALL nuts…
I have an ice cream maker on my wish list and am hoping to get one this summer! This recipe looks fantastic… and yes, it is a heatwave out here right now… so this would be perfect!
Lori it looks AWESOME! I just made this ridic decadent PB based dessert today that I will be blogging about in a few days. I adore Reeses PB cups. I love that you ran 2 extra miles for this ice cream…I would have too:)
Yep, it’s pretty hot back here (KY)! Went out to work in my garden and I looked like those baseball players! This ice cream would take the edge off any hot day! Looks delicious, as usual!
Oh my delish! Reece’s are my favorite. I am pulling out the ice cream maker this weekend and this will be on my list of homemade treats. Thanks so much for sharing!
omg does this look amazing, I so want to make it but I’d be at risk of eating the entire batch! it is probably safer that i don’t have my own ice cream maker.
This is totally worth the extra 2 miles… YUM!