Creamy vanilla ice cream topped with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups and hot fudge sauce. This rich and decadent Reese’s ice cream is easy, quick, and dangerously delicious!
Table of Contents
Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
If I could only have one type of candy for the rest of my life, it would without a doubt be Reese’s peanut butter cups. The sweet chocolate exterior paired with the creamy peanut butter filling is just seriously divine. Pure genius I tell ya! I love them so much I’ve even recreated the recipe, queue these delicious no-bake peanut butter bars.
For all the chocolate and peanut butter fans this ice cream is for you! Keep this homemade ice cream with Reese’s on hand for all your dessert night parties. Your palette will be thanking you!
So I thought, why not combine them with one of my other favorites: ice cream? The combination is a match made in heaven and tastes super creamy and rich. You can either mix the chopped Reese’s cups into the base or serve them on top after scooping the ice cream. Either way, you get the perfect amount of chocolate and peanut butter in every bite!
Ingredients for Homemade Reese’s Ice Cream
Get ready to have an epic ice cream party with this signature Reese’s peanut butter swirl ice cream. Take it up a notch with your favorite Reese’s peanut butter & chocolate combination. This will be your new dessert obsession!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Heavy cream: This creates the thickness of the ice cream as well as the creaminess.
- Whole milk: Adds to the heavy cream and gives it a thick and creamy texture and flavor.
- Sugar: Added in for sweetness.
- Salt: Just a pinch! This also balances out the ingredients.
- Vanilla extract: Use a splash of vanilla to bring the flavors together.
- Reese’s peanut butter cups: We used Reese’s brand for this recipe. Take small or mini-Reese’s peanut butter cups and cut them into small pieces or chunks of Reese’s.
How to Make the Best Reese’s Ice Cream
Take this classic peanut butter candy to the next level and enjoy scoops of ice cream without the artificial flavor or high fructose corn syrup! This ice cream with Reese’s peanut butter cups is perfect for birthdays to just an ordinary day. It is the perfect dessert!
- Ice cream machine. Prep your ice cream machine according to package directions. Some machines require you to freeze the bowl first and for others, you will need to have ice and rock salt.
- Mix together. Combine heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl or the base of the ice cream container you plan to use.
- Make ice cream. When you’re ready to make the ice cream, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker bowl. Follow the instructions for your specific machine. Turn on the machine and let it churn and stir until it looks like frozen yogurt (about 25 minutes). At this point, you can mix in the chopped Reese’s or leave them out and save them for topping when serving. Then store in an airtight container in the freezer to become firm.
- Serve. Scoop into a bowl when ready to serve and top with Reese’s cups and a drizzle of hot fudge if desired. Enjoy!
Tips + Variations
Follow these simple tips to make this special treat the best every time! Taking your favorite candy and making it into the best ice cream may seem overwhelming. With these tips and variations, you will have perfect homemade ice cream every time!
- Ice cream maker. This recipe does require an ice cream maker to get started. I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker and use it all the time in the summer. If you don’t have one, my no-churn ice cream recipe is a great alternative!
- Freeze the bowl. Don’t forget to freeze the bowl of the ice cream maker the night before you make the recipe. This is an important step that most of the machines require.
- Peanut butter. For a bolder peanut butter flavor, mix 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter into the base mixture and only add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Chop the candy. Make sure to chop the peanut butter cups before mixing them in (or adding them on top). The pieces don’t have to be even…the beauty of this recipe is that some bites may have a bit more or less of the candy. I especially love the bites with a bigger chunk of Reese’s.
- Mix OR top. This recipe gives you the option to either mix the Reese’s into the base mixture or make plain vanilla ice cream and add the Reese’s on top. We have a nut allergy at our house, so I prefer to top mine instead of mixing it in so that my family can choose their favorite toppings.
- Consistency. Let it freeze for a few hours for a consistency that’s firm and scoopable. Or enjoy it immediately if you prefer a soft serve.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Reese’s ice cream is packed with sweet milk chocolate and peanut butter candy. Ice cream tubs, cones, or sandwiches are made out of Reese’s ice cream. This will be your next ice cream obsession!
The Hershey Company has partnered with Unilever to make Reese’s ice cream for the past 20 years.
Store-bought Reese’s ice cream has light ice cream with skim milk, corn syrup, sugar, cream, and Reese’s peanut butter swirl. In the peanut butter swirl are peanuts, sugar, peanut oil, dextrose, salt TBHQ. The TBHQ helps preserve freshness. Caramel color, mono, diglycerides, carob bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, vitamin A palmitate, tara gum, fudge swirl corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup.
Skip the freezer aisle and make this homemade Reese’s peanut butter ice cream right at home with simple ingredients!
5 star review
“My new favorite! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing reeses ice cream recipe! Super easy to make and it’s super tasty! Loved it!”
-Allyssa
How to Store Reese’s Ice Cream
This ice cream will stay fresh in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s always gone super fast at my house, so I give you serious props if you have the willpower to store it for that long.
When ready to enjoy, simply remove it from the freezer and let thaw on the counter for a few minutes. Then run your scoop under hot water and scoop the ice cream out of the container.
Try these other homemade ice cream favorites! This fresh strawberry ice cream recipe, chocolate ice cream, and s’more ice cream are the best summertime desserts.
More Chocolate and Peanut Butter Desserts
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Reese’s Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 Reese's peanut butter cups , chopped
Depending on machine: Ice and rock salt
Optional toppings: hot fudge or chocolate sauce
Instructions
- Prep your ice cream machine according to package directions. Some machines require you to freeze the bowl first and others you will need to have ice and rock salt.
- Combine heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla in a bowl or the base of your ice cream container you plan to use.
- When you're ready to make the ice cream, pour mixture into your ice cream maker bowl. Follow instructions for your specific machine. Turn on machine and let it churn until it looks like frozen yogurt (about 25 minutes). At this point, you can mix in the chopped Reese's or leave them out and save for topping when serving. Then store in an air tight container in the freezer to become firm.
- Scoop into a bowl when ready to serve and top with Reese's cups and a drizzle of hot fudge if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Chocolate, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Frozen Desserts, No-Bake
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
You have combined two of my favorite things. Reese’s and ice cream… genius!
I just had to try this as soon as I saw this online and I have to say its the best homemade ice cream we have ever eaten! My son is a huge peanut butter cups fan!
You’re after my heart with this recipe! Sounds SOOOOO good!!
xo Michael
Nothing better than good old fashion vanilla ice cream – unless you add peanut butter cups – of course ;-)
This look amazing….Got something new here….
This sounds so good!! thanks for sharing
This is such a fantastic summer treat!!
I have actually never attempted to make homemade ice cream – other than nice cream with bananas. My kids would flip! I will have to give this recipe a try!
I can’t get enough peanut butter and chocolate in my ice cream! This looks amazingly delicious!
Reese’s blizzards from Dairy Queen are my husband’s favorite! He will love this ice cream for sure!
Oooooooh my goodness. My family would LOVE for me to make this! Yum-O!
My favorite ice cream flavor just got even better !!
what is the yield for this recipe?
It’s a little over a quart!
This looks delicious Jamielyn! I have a question- do you think it would work to mix and cook it ahead of time and keep in the fridge until I’m ready to make in the ice cream maker? Thank you!
Yes, I think that would still work great. Just stir it before pouring into the ice cream maker. :)
pinned this last week and couldn’t wait to try! Made tonight with the kids and YUMMY doesn’t even describe. We did oreo and then batch of reeces! now have plans for banana this weekend and who knows!!
SO glad you enjoyed the recipe. Banana would be amazing!!
Hmm- I’m all about the homemade ice cream. YUM. Come summer that machine is going just about every day.
We always made ice cream when I was growing up. It was a really big deal and so, so good. Thank you for sharing this!
Yum. Reeses are my total weakness. I’m looking away now!