With peanut butter ice cream, the variations are endless! I started out with the base recipe and added Reese’s cups, but I didn’t like how they tasted once they were frozen. (Really, candy bars and regular chocolate don’t freeze well. They’re either impossible to chew or waxy.) Since then, I’ve added my own mix-ins to create some of my favorite candy bars.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Base

This recipe is adapted from my Cuisinart recipe book.

Use a mixer to combine thoroughly:

1 1/8 c. peanut butter (Both creamy and chunky work.)

3/4 c. sugar

Once combined, add gradually, scraping down the sides as necessary:

1 1/4 c. whole milk

2 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 t. vanilla

Chill the mixture in the fridge for 2 hours, or until it’s completely cold, then churn. Add mix-ins as directed.

Reese’s Cup Ice Cream

Layer the churned ice cream with 1 c. of fudge sauce. It takes about 1/3 of my homemade recipe. Freeze until hard.

Snickers Ice Cream

Layer the churned ice cream with 1 c. of fudge sauce, 1 can of dulce de leche, and 1/2 jar marshmallow creme (3.5 oz). The marshmallow creme somewhat resembles nougat and stays slightly chewy when frozen. Freeze until hard.

Take 5 Ice Cream

Layer the churned ice cream with 1 c. of fudge sauce, 1 can of dulce de leche, and 1 1/2 c. crushed pretzels. Freeze until hard. If you want the pretzels to remain crunchy, use them as a topping instead of adding them inside the ice cream.

Notes: I’d already made the other components from scratch, so I decided against homemade nougat. I also tried homemade caramel sauce, but it was a little too chewy once frozen. Dulce de leche is sweeter and a little runnier, so it’s the better option for a mix-in. It stays soft and gooey even when the ice cream is frozen solid.