This Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is an ice cream lover’s dream, with just the right amount of mint flavor and little bits of chocolate throughout. It’s creamy and delicious.
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I’m sure this mint chocolate chip ice cream has made the list of your favorite flavors of ice cream over time. Even if you’re one to go for plain vanilla or chocolate, once in a while a mint chocolate chip cone just hits the spot. Even better, add it to baked brownies for a quick and easy ice cream sandwich.
They key to good mint chocolate chip ice cream is to use a very small amount of high-quality mint extract and chop the chocolate bits nice and small so they blend in well.
We use our ice cream maker for this recipe, so be sure to put the barrel in the freezer a day ahead so it’s good and frozen by the time you want to use it.
David says: 
Tried our hand at home made ice cream. Looked over several recipes and decided to try this one.. was not disappointed. It is creamy and delicious.
Shaban says: So lovely yummiest ice cream in the world
Ingredients You’ll Need
This ice cream uses a custard base, so it has egg yolks in it. If you don’t want to add any eggs, you can follow this vanilla ice cream base and add the flavoring ingredients to it.
- 60% dark chocolate – I use these Ghirardelli 60% cacao bars for this recipe, roughly chopped. If you don’t like dark chocolate, you can use semi-sweet. If you use chips, chop them up into smaller pieces.
- Heavy cream – Be sure to use heavy whipping cream for the creamiest ice cream
- Whole milk – I always use whole milk – we’re not pretending this is a low-fat dessert
- Egg yolks – Set the eggs and milk out about 15 minutes before you start to get them to room temp
- Sugar – Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract – Also a good idea to use a high-quality vanilla extract for the best, most authentic flavor.
- Pure peppermint extract – I use McCormick brand mint extract but there are many different brands. Choose a high quality one with a good flavor. Here’s another option. Keep in mind that mint extract is extremely strong and can be very powerful. Proceed with caution.
- Salt
What Peppermint Extract to Use
I use McCormick brand culinary mint extract, which is very good, but it’s also quite expensive. The only bottle I could find was a 16-ounce size. There are many different brands. Choose a high quality one with a good flavor. Watkins Pure Mint Extract is a good, less expensive option.
Helpful Tips For The Best Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- While food coloring is not a must, it does add a nice mint-greenish color to the ice cream.
- Use either peppermint or mint extract to get the best mint flavor. Peppermint is very potent, a little goes a long way. Mint extract is less potent than peppermint.
- You don’t want to over-churn this recipe or it can ruin the texture. Check on the ice cream after 15 minutes. When done, it should have a soft-serve texture; it will firm up in the freezer.
- Allowing the ice cream enough time to freeze up and you will be rewarded will better texture.
- Adding a few tablespoons of alcohol will help maintain the soft texture of the ice cream for longer. This is the trick to avoiding the hard texture that most homemade ice cream gets after a few days in the refrigerator.
How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
We use this same base for this mint chocolate chip ice cream as we do for cookies and cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate chocolate chip, and any other flavor of ice cream we make. It’s an easy base and it tastes great and very creamy.
The other great part about using this base for everything is that it starts to become second nature to make it. There are quite a few steps to making custard-style ice cream, but it’s not hard and very much worth the effort.
Step One: Heat the Milk Mixture
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, salt, and half the sugar. Stir the mixture constantly as you bring it just to a simmer. Remove from heat.
Step Two: Temper the Egg Mixture
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar just until combined.
You need to temper the eggs, so they don’t cook. Tempering is just bringing the egg mixture up to a higher heat in a slow way so the egg doesn’t cook from flash heat. It will be easier to temper the eggs if you have allowed the eggs to come to room temperature before you started.
Slowly stir 1/2 cup of the milk mixture in a drizzle into the egg mixture. If you do this slowly enough, the eggs won’t begin to resemble scrambled eggs.
Step Three: Combine the Mixtures and Thicken
Pour that egg mixture back into the saucepan with the milk mixture. Heat over medium heat until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Do not boil the mixture. If the mixture gets too hot and boils you could end up with scrambled eggs.
Step Four: Chill the Mixture
Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl. To avoid putting the hot mixture in the refrigerator, you can chill the bowl over another bowl filled with ice for 10-15 minutes to cool it down first. Just get a second bowl that’s similar size or larger than the one your mixture is in. Fill it with ice and set the bowl with the custard over it. When it’s cooled down a bit, refrigerate it for about two hours, until it’s cold.
Step Five: Churn the Ice Cream
After the custard mixture has completely cooled, stir in the cream, vanilla and peppermint extract. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. After 5 minutes, add the chopped chocolate so it can blend into the ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this ice cream have to be made in an ice cream maker?
This ice cream recipe is made in the ice cream maker. It’s an easy way to churn the ice cream mixture to make it freeze faster and make it super creamy, so we prefer it.
However you can still make it without an ice cream maker. At the end, mix in only half of the heavy cream and reserve the rest. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. When ready to eat, add the ice cream cubes to the blender with the remaining heavy cream and blend until smooth.
Do I have to add eggs to the ice cream?
Eggs add flavor, prevent ice crystallization, and create a smooth and creamy texture, so they are an important ingredient for delicious ice cream. You can make ice cream without eggs. Here is a chocolate ice cream recipe that doesn’t include eggs.
What chocolate chips to use for ice cream?
It’s important to use high-fat, high quality chocolate chips or chocolate bar in ice cream, because when it gets cold, the chocolate chips can become too hard to eat or too chalky. They should easily and quickly melt in your mouth if they work well. We use Ghirardelli chocolate chips or bars, but you can use any high-quality chocolate.
What is mint chocolate chip ice cream made of?
Mint chocolate chip ice cream is typically made from a base of milk, cream, sugar, and often egg yolks to create a rich and creamy texture. The mint flavor is added to the ice cream using mint extract or natural mint leaves. Sometimes, green food coloring is used to give the ice cream its characteristic green color. Chocolate chips, usually dark or semi-sweet chocolate, are mixed into the ice cream to provide the “chocolate chip” element
What toppings are good on mint chocolate chip ice cream?
Toppings that pair well with the cool, refreshing taste of mint and the rich chocolate in the ice cream include; hot fudge sauce, crushed Oreos, chocolate cookies, chocolate syrup, chopped nuts, fresh berries, shaved chocolate, caramel sauce, sprinkles, toasted coconut flakes, and candy pieces..
What Ice Cream Maker to Use?
If you’re really wanting to make great ice cream at home, you have to invest in an ice cream maker. I’ve had the same one for many years and it’s never made a bad ice cream.
The one I recommend is the Cuisinart 1.5 quart ice cream maker. It comes in a few different colors and it looks neat and tidy. You just have to keep to recipes that are small enough to fit, which shouldn’t be a problem.
The Cuisinart ICE-70 Electronic Ice Cream Maker is a slightly more professional model that’s 2 quarts and has an LCD screen and 3 settings plus an improved paddle with faster processing time.
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Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup (237 ml) whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/4 to1/2 teaspoon (1.23 ml) mint extract strength varies, so start with a small amount and increase as needed
- 2 cups (473 ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) vanilla extract
- 3-4 drops green food coloring
- 4 ounces (113 g) 60% dark chocolate bar chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, salt, and half the sugar. Stir the mixture constantly as you bring it just to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar just until combined.
- To temper the eggs, slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk mixture, in a drizzle, into the egg mixture. Do this slowly so as not to cook the eggs.
- Pour the entire egg mixture back into the saucepan with the milk mixture. Heat over medium heat until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Do not boil the mixture.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate for about two hours until cold. To avoid putting the hot mixture in the refrigerator, you can chill the bowl over another bowl filled with ice for 10-15 minutes to cool it down first.
- After the mixture has completely cooled, stir in the mint extract (start with 1/4 teaspoon, then taste and adjust), cream, vanilla, and food coloring. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufacturer's directions. After 5 minutes, add the chopped chocolate so it can blend into the ice cream.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Be very mindful of how potent your mint extract is. Some are very strong and using a full amount will overpower. Add slowly and taste.
- Add the food coloring one drop at a time to reach your desired coloring. You don’t want it to be too dark!
- This recipe makes 1.5 quarts.
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes.
Tried our hand at home made ice cream. Looked over several recipes and decided to try this one.. was not disappointed. It is creamy and delicious. I find the mint to be strong so we only used 1/3 of the suggested amount.
We have since used this base for 3 additional flavors. (Coffee, cookie dough, coffee with chocolate chips).
Will recommend for others.
So lovely yummiest ice cream in the world
This recipe made such a delicious ice cream! I followed it exactly and it tasted like the Hagen Daz mint flavour… only better!
Can’t wait to try this! Why do perform the “simmer” of the ingredients?
This is a custard based ice cream, so the first simmer is to heat up the milk mixture so that you can temper the eggs. Then you mix it all together and simmer again (stirring constantly) until the custard thickens. This is what gives you the really creamy dreamy ice cream.
Can I use lactose free half and half in place of the heavy cream?
Hi Holly, using the lactose free half and half will work great. We use it quite often.
I’m a newbie at the homemade ice cream game and this recipe was my second attempt. The recipe is fabulous and it turned out well! I don’t feel it came anywhere close to being a half gallon recipe. There are less that a quart’s worth of “wet” ingredients and I did not get major expansion while churning, so I would definitely double the recipe to get to the half-gallon measure.
3 times too much mint extract, made me sick to my stomach and wasted a lot of ingredients
I’m sorry to hear that Trevor. We made our best effort to alert users that different extracts have varying degrees of strength. I’ve updated the post to make it even more clear.
The combination of refreshing mint and rich chocolate chunks is absolutely heavenly.
Thanks Charlotte, we think so too!
The creamy texture is perfect
It’s become a staple in my freezer, and I love making it for friends
Happy to hear that Amelia.
It’s incredibly easy to follow
My kids are obsessed with it, and we can’t wait to make it again
Is it better to use fresh mint leaves or mint extract?
You can use either. We almost always use extract just because it is easier. Just beware, a little goes a long way.
Should I use regular chocolate chips or do you recommend a specific type of chocolate for the best flavor?
We like to use these Ghirardelli 60% cacao bars, roughly chopped. If you don’t like dark chocolate, you can use semi-sweet. You can use chips, but make sure to chop them up into smaller pieces. It’s important to use high-fat, high quality chocolate chips or chocolate bar in ice cream, because when it gets cold, the chocolate chips can become too hard to eat or too chalky. They should easily and quickly melt in your mouth if they work well. We use Ghirardelli chocolate chips or bars, but you can use any high-quality chocolate.
I made a slightly healthier version of this mint chocolate chip ice cream by reducing the sugar content, and it was still incredibly tasty!
Absolutely brilliant recipe – made about the right amount for my ice cream maker.