• Warm the base:

  In a medium saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder and maple syrup until smooth. Stir in the milk, cream, and salt. Heat over medium until steamy, whisking constantly. Do not boil.

  Whisk the yolks:

  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks vigorously for 1–2 minutes until pale and slightly thickened.

  Temper the eggs:

  Slowly drizzle a ladle of the hot cocoa mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Repeat with another ladle. Then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan.

  Cook the custard:

  Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon (170–175°F). Do not boil.

  Strain and chill:

  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until fully chilled—at least 4 hours or overnight.

  Churn:

  Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions—about 20 minutes for a 1.5-quart Cuisinart.

  Freeze until firm:

  Transfer to a container and freeze for 2–4 hours until scoopable.

To Use Cane Sugar Instead of Maple:

• Replace the ½ cup maple syrup with ½ cup pure cane sugar.

  Whisk the sugar directly into the egg yolks and proceed with the recipe as written.

 To Make It Egg-Free:

• Omit the egg yolks.

  Keep all other ingredients the same.

  Warm the cocoa, sweetener, milk, and cream just until steamy and smooth.

  Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, chill thoroughly, then churn and freeze.

  Note: Egg-free ice cream will be slightly lighter and may freeze firmer—let it sit 5–10 minutes before scooping.