Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
My all-time favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. It has all the sweetness and richness of other ice cream flavors, but with an ultra-refreshing twist.
And this year, I was extra excited to eat mint chip ice cream because I knew I could make it myself! I've been waiting all spring and summer to turn my patio mint plant into mint ice cream and the time has finally come.
This mint chip ice cream is super minty, not too sweet and features flecks of chocolate chips. To get the chocolate chips extra thin and ribbony, I melted dark chocolate with a bit of oil and poured it into the ice cream towards the end of churning, a la Serious Eats.
This recipe works best with an ice cream maker. (Pst! I love my KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker attachment!) If you don't have an ice cream maker, consider supporting a local creamery instead!
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 8 hours
Makes: about 2 quarts of ice cream
Ingredients
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1½ cups granulated sugar
A handful of mint leaves
4 ounces dark chocolate
1 tablespoon oil
Methods
Prepare your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. For example, if you have the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment, don't forget to place the bowl in the freezer the night before.
Place the heavy cream and half-and-half in a medium pot over medium-high heat to bring to a boil. While the cream mixture is heating, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl until well combined. Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk again to combine.
When the cream mixture starts to boil, remove it from heat. While whisking the eggs, very slowly (like 1 tablespoon at a time) add the cream mixture to the eggs. To prevent the eggs from scrambling, be sure to whisk constantly and add the cream mixture super slowly. This process is called “tempering” the eggs.
Once you have added all the cream to the eggs, add in the mint leaves. Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Whisk continuously until the mint leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes.
Refrigerate the mixture until completely cooled. This is very important because it will make your final product more creamy and less icy. This could take 2-4 hours depending on how cold your fridge is.
Once the ice cream base is completely cool, churn it according to your ice cream maker's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Stir together the chocolate and oil. When the ice cream is almost done churning, drizzle in the chocolate.
Freeze your ice cream and dig in! I froze my ice cream in two containers: one 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and one 2-cup pyrex container. Using several smaller containers can help your ice cream freeze faster, but feel free to freeze in one larger container. This ice cream will last in the freezer for several months, so you can take your time enjoying every last bite!
Sustainability Tips
Mint: Your best option here is to grow the mint yourself, but local or organic mint is another great option. Be sure to make this recipe during the spring or summer, when herbs are in season. This way, your mint won't have to travel very far to get to you.
Dairy: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to buy my dairy products from B Corps, which are held to really high environmental and social standards. You could also try out vegan dairy options if you're feeling adventurous, but keep in mind that I have not tested vegan options with this recipe.
Eggs: Local eggs are really easy to find if you look for them. Buying locally means your eggs won't have to travel as far, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.
Sugar: I like to buy coconut sugar because it's easy to find fair trade varieties, but organic or fair trade granulated sugars are other sustainable options here. Read all about it in my sustainable cane sugars post!