Top down photo of fresh scoops of mint ice cream with chocolate chips in and bowl.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe

Mint chocolate chip ice cream is an impossible-to-resist treat any time of year. Most supermarket brands offering this flavour are delicious, so imagine how good the homemade version tastes.

This recipe harnesses the power of fresh mint and rustic chunks of dark chocolate. While an ice cream maker is best, there’s a no-churn option down the page if you don’t have one.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup full cream milk
  • 1¼ cups thickened cream
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1½ cups fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • 100g dark chocolate, chopped

Method

  1. Combine milk, cream, and sugar in a saucepan and heat on medium-high until simmering.
  2. Remove from heat and whisk the yolks in a large bowl until pale.
  3. Slowly add 1 cup of the hot milk to the yolks, all the while whisking. Once combined, whisk back into the hot milk and continue heating until the custard base thickens.
  4. Remove the custard base from the heat and allow it to cool slightly before pulsing in a food processor – roughly six pulses are sufficient.
  5. Add the custard base to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight, allowing the mint flavour to infuse.
  6. Once chilled, strain and add to an ice cream machine; churn following the manufacturer’s instructions.
  7. When the ice cream is almost ready to be removed from the machine, toss in the chocolate pieces. Allow a minute for the add-ins to distribute.
  8. Add the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours or until you get the desired hardness.
Mint choc chip ice cream in a waffle cone with a green background
Fresh mint makes this mint ice cream unbeatable.

What type of chocolate is best?

Any type of chocolate works in mint ice cream, including milk chocolate. I recommend using bitter dark chocolate, though. Its lack of sweetness is a good match for sweet ice cream.

Chopping up bars of chocolate gives you the freedom to choose the size of your add-ins. The fine pieces left over on the chopping block are also delicious tossed in with the bigger bits.

Use chocolate chips if you’re in a hurry, but they’ll turn into tooth-breaking bullets once frozen. When serving, allow the dessert to sit out long enough for the chocolate to soften.

Chopping dark chocolate on a board
Dark chocolate is the best option for mint ice cream.

What is stracciatella mint choc chip?

Stracciatella is a classic Italian flavour. Instead of choc chips, melt the chocolate and allow it to cool.

As the ice cream almost finishes churning, add ribbons of chocolate. It will break up into tiny bits and provide a chocolatey crunch to your ice cream.

Do I need to use fresh mint?

If you don’t have fresh mint, then peppermint extract makes a great substitute in ice cream. There’s no chopping involved, and it’s a much cheaper ingredient.

A bunch of fresh mint on some newspapers outside
Fresh mint is easy to find and fairly cheap.

How to make this recipe without an ice cream maker

Follow the recipe until step six, strain directly into a freezer-proof container, and freeze. Remove every half hour and whisk before returning to the freezer. Continue repeating this step until it is too thick for the whisk.

Did you know?

Mint chocolate chip ice cream usually ranks in the top handful of ice cream varieties. Other popular options include cookies and cream, chocolate, and vanilla.

Tips for improving your ice cream

  • Chill the freezer bowl and whisk before getting started.
  • Melt the chocolate, freeze it, then chop it up just before adding to the ice cream. It’s a little extra work, but you’ll get softer mix-ins.
  • Don’t allow the custard base to boil. It takes about 3-5 minutes to heat the yolks and dairy. It’s ready when the milk coats the back of a spoon.
  • Give the ice cream sufficient time to harden in the freezer. At least 3 hours is recommended.
  • Add a few drops of green food coloring if you want ice cream to look more like the store-bought product.
  • Adding a splash of spirits like vodka at the end of churning will help keep the ice cream soft once frozen.
Top down photo of fresh scoops of mint ice cream with chocolate chips in and bowl.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe

A fresh-tasting ice cream with mint and chocolate chips.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Keyword: chocolate chip, mint
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Freeze time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup full cream milk
  • 1¼ cups thickened cream
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1½ cups fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
  • 100 gm dark chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Combine milk, cream, and sugar in a saucepan and heat on medium-high until simmering.
  • Remove from heat and whisk the yolks in a large bowl until pale.
  • Slowly add 1 cup of the hot milk to the yolks, all the while whisking. Once combined, whisk back into the hot milk and continue heating until the custard base thickens.
  • Remove the custard base from the heat and allow it to cool slightly before pulsing in a food processor – roughly six pulses are sufficient.
  • Add the custard base to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight, allowing the mint flavour to infuse.
  • Once chilled, strain and add to an ice cream machine; churn following the manufacturer's instructions.
  • When the ice cream is almost ready to be removed from the machine, toss in the chocolate pieces. Allow a minute for the add-ins to distribute.
  • Add the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours or until you get the desired hardness.

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