High-Protein Dubai Chocolate Ice Cream (No-Churn Cottage Cheese Ice Cream)
Creamy chocolate cottage cheese ice cream swirled with pistachio cream, melted chocolate, and crispy kataifi for the ultimate high-protein Dubai chocolate ice cream. No ice cream maker required
Equipment
- High-speed blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small skillet or baking sheet
- Mixing Spoon
- Loaf pan or freezer-safe container
- Spatula
- Butter knife for swirling
Ingredients
Chocolate Ice Cream Base
- 1 1/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup thick Skyr or Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup pistachio cream
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup or to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Pistachio & Chocolate Swirl
- 3 –4 tbsp pistachio cream
- ¼ cup melted chocolate - use premium belgian chocolate for the signature Dubai chocolate flavor
- 2 tbsp chopped pistachips
Crunch Layer
- ⅓ cup crushed toasted kataifi pastry or finely crushed phyllo
- 1 tsp melted butter or coconut oil
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Ice Cream Base
- Add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, pistachio cream, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. You shouldn't see any cottage cheese curds. I usually blend for about a minute longer than I think I need to. The first time I tested this recipe, a few tiny cottage cheese curds were still visible, and the texture wasn't quite as smooth. Once fully blended, taste and add more maple syrup if needed.1 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup thick Skyr or Greek yogurt, ¼ cup pistachio cream, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
Toast the Kataifi
- Mix the kataifi with the melted butter or coconut oil and spread into an even layer on on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 325°F for 8–10 minutes. Or toast it in a skillet with butter or coconut oil until golden brown and crispy. I tested this recipe with lightly toasted kataifi and with deeply golden kataifi. The darker batch stayed crunchier and added more flavor, so now I toast it until it's a rich golden brown. Let it cool completely to keep it crunchy after freezing.⅓ cup crushed toasted kataifi pastry or finely crushed phyllo, 1 tsp melted butter or coconut oil
Build the Layers
- Spread half of the chocolate mixture into a loaf pan. Sprinkle with half of the toasted kataifi. Drizzle with half of the pistachio cream and melted chocolate. Add half of the chopped pistachios. Use a spatula, a butter knife or a toothpick to gently swirl everything together. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.¼ cup melted chocolate - use premium belgian chocolate for the signature Dubai chocolate flavor, 2 tbsp chopped pistachips, 3 –4 tbsp pistachio cream
Freeze
- Cover the container tightly with a lid or a layer of parchment paper then plastic wrap. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours. Straight from the freezer, this ice cream is pretty firm. I found that letting it sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes makes a huge difference and gives it a much creamier texture. Before serving, drizzle with extra melted pistachio cream and crushed pistachios, if desired.
Notes
A Few Things I Learned While Testing This Recipe
- Let the kataifi cool completely before layering it into the ice cream. This helped it stay crunchy after freezing.
- Full-fat cottage cheese gave the creamiest texture in my tests.
- I prefer using Belgian chocolate here because it tastes the most similar to the chocolate used in Dubai chocolate bars.
- If the ice cream feels too firm, give it 10 minutes on the counter before scooping.