Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Mint chocolate chip ice cream is a beloved classic and making it yourself takes to a whole new level!

Now that summer is undoubtedly well underway, the drum for my ice cream maker permanently resides in the freezer. That way it’s ready to go whenever my craving for homemade ice cream hits, which is pretty much daily.

This summer I’m hoping to go through my ice cream archives and revisit some old favorites, many of which I’ve largely forgotten about. I’ve started with mint chocolate chip, which in my opinion is the greatest ice cream flavor of all time. If I had to pick just one flavor of ice cream to eat for the rest of my life, it would be this.

It’s simple, nostalgic, and refreshing.

It’s smooth and creamy with a little crunch from the chocolate.

It’s ice cream at its best!

This ice cream starts the traditional way, with a custard base made from milk, cream, sugar and eggs. Only, I’ve infused the cream with fresh mint from my garden for a fresh mint flavor you won’t find in a store-bought pint. If you don’t happen to have mint growing in your backyard you should be able to buy a bundle from the supermarket for a few bucks or less, or of course you can just use mint extract.

For this particular batch of ice cream, instead of adding chopped chocolate into the ice cream maker, I melted the chocolate and slowly drizzled it into the ice cream as it churned. So instead of big chunks, there’s thin strips of chocolate throughout. I loved it, but I’ve included instructions for both methods below so you can do what you like.

Either way, mint chocolate chip ice cream is a classic for a reason! And homemade just makes it so much better. Churn up a batch today!

Recipe originally published June 2010.

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Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Servings: 12 servings

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 10 mins

Freeze Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins

Mint chocolate chip ice cream is a beloved classic and making it yourself takes to a whole new level!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (500 ml)
• 1 small bunch fresh mint
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (375 ml)
• 3/4 cup sugar (150 grams)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract , optional
• Green food coloring , optional
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate (85 grams), chopped or use chips
• 1 tablespoon  coconut oil or vegetable oil

Instructions

• Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. Do not boil. Remove from heat, add mint, and cover. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours. If desired, you can chill in the fridge overnight.
• Strain to remove mint.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and set aside.
• Combine the whole milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Heat until steaming, do not boil.
• Slowly add the milk mixture to egg yolks in a small steady stream, while whisking constantly. Once the mixture is completely combined, return it to the saucepan and place over medium heat.
• Cook mixture until thickened, stirring constantly. You want the mixture to coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove from heat and pass through a strainer to catch any bits of cooked egg. Stir in heavy cream, mint extract and food coloring, if using. Cover and chill completely in the fridge, at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
• Freeze ice cream in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.
• In a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate and oil in 1 minute intervals until smooth (see Notes).
• During the last 5 minutes of churning, use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate into the ice cream machine. It should harden immediately.
• Transfer the ice cream to a bowl or ice cream cream container and freeze for an additional 1-2 hours to harden.

NOTES:

• If desired, omit the bunch of mint, skip steps 1 and 2, and increase mint extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
• If desired, skip step 9 and instead add chopped chocolate directly to ice cream during last 5 minutes of churning.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 123mg, Sodium: 32mg, Potassium: 117mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 719IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Annalise

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