This post was last updated on March 23, 2015 to include new images.
I don't know about you, but I find it odd how often I see people settle for mediocre mint chocolate chip ice cream. Really?
Where's the cool mint flavor? Where are the rich chocolate pieces?
I find most store-bought mint chocolate chip ice creams to be mellow, at best.
Even some of my best friends are guilty of this travesty.
I know, right? How did I let this kind of thing happen?
A while back, I cooked dinner for some good friends while they brought over the wine and dessert. I made my Easy Orange Chicken and, for dessert, they brought a boxed cherry pie and mint chocolate chip ice cream from the store.
Ok. Weird combination, but whatever. I was willing to look past that. We all know I like me some cherry pie. But, wait!
[record skipping]
Cheap, bad mint chocolate chip ice cream? No! I cannot have this! Not them, too!
If I sound like I'm an uppity, snobby mint chocolate chip ice cream connoisseur, I'm sorry. But...I guess I am!
It's just so sad because good quality ice cream is really easy to make at home. If you've made my Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, you already know this.
This is not your ordinary mint chip ice cream, folks. You wont find mild mint flavors or unnecessary green food coloring to trick you into thinking your ice cream tastes "minty." No itty-bitty slices of thinly shaved chocolate here.
Nope.
What you'll get is a refreshing, creamy, homemade mint ice cream with chunks of heaven wrapped with mint and chocolate.
That's right: chunks. of. heaven (otherwise known as chopped Andes mints).
I hope to bring out the best mint chocolate chip ice cream connoisseur in you, too!
Best Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2-2 ½ teaspoon pure mint extract
- 4-5 oz Andes mints 1 small package, or your favorite bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into uneven pieces
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well blended. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and cream until it begins to steam.
- Slowly (temper) incorporate the egg mixture, spoonful by spoonful, into the milk mixture, and stir. I like to add a tablespoon at a time of the hot mixture into the cold, egg mixture until the egg mixture has heated through. Be careful with this step as moving too quickly will cause the eggs to scramble and will ruin the custard.
- Once the egg and milk mixtures are fully combined, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and smooth, about 15 min. You will be able to make a line on the back of a spoon with your finger.
- Add the mint extract and allow to cool.
- Transfer cooled mixture to ice cream maker. Follow according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.
- Add chopped pieces of chocolate during last five minutes of mixing. Freeze for at least 4-5 hours prior to serving. In my freezer, it usually takes up to 6 hours to get the way I like it.
lisa p
This is a MUST MAKE recipe. SO easy and SO SO delicious. I made it for a dinner party and people were talking about it all night. It's creamy, smooth, luscious...all the things you want in a decadent custard type ice cream. I do have to confess I added a little splash of my favorite vanilla extract too and added a little less mint and I loved how the vanilla only seemed to enhance the mint. It's a total knock out recipe and one I'll be making a lot more.
Wendy Drew
Hello Lacey,
Made the chocolate chip mint today for family Fourth of July party,
followed the directions closely and patience paid off. The recipe mixed into
a smooth consistency, favor extraordinary. CHOPPING the chocolate step
with the chef's knife, do not use a machine or a hammer (really not a good idea).
The broken Nestle morsels worked best rather than Ghiradelli or Andes mints.
I froze the mints before chipping and both still looked and felt gooey. I also
decided to use 2% milk, it worked as well as whole milk.
Nice recipe
Jeff Timmins
Thank you for the recipe and I have to agree this is the Best Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream recipe around! I've tried this recipe a number of times (long story) and have come up with small modifications that work well for me.
* 1/2 cup sugar - Note, our family likes a little less sugar
* 2 1/4 tsp mint extract - Note, went half-way between your suggestion and worked well
* 4 oz Dark Chocolate (60% Cacao Ghirardelli's C-Chips), chopped into uneven pieces - my wife kept eating the Andes mints so went another way =}
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Dustin
This sounds so good.
Gwen
I recently discovered pasteurized eggs at our grocery store. Can I skip the first heating step and move onto the 2nd if I am using the pasteurized eggs, do you think? Thank you! And this sounds so wonderful!!
Lacey Baier
You certainly could do that since you don't have to worry about the bacteria and such, but the overall ice cream wont be as creamy.
Melissa
I picked out this ice cream to make as part of my special birthday-pig-out-on-all-my-favourites day. I am seriously counting down the days....
Lacey Baier
lol, sounds amazing. Happy birthday! 🙂
sonaly
great flavor
Lacey Baier
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
Keith Sansevere
Do you have this recipe as a YouTube video? I like saving YouTube videos of recipes and then watching them on my tablet when I'm in the kitchen. I recently bought the ingredients for your pineapple/coconut ice cream which I should hopefully be making tonight. Seems super easy. I just had to finish off my strawberry ice cream I made but I'm always looking for new recipes on YouTube 🙂
Lacey Baier
Hey Keith! Unfortunately, I don't yet have a video for this recipe. Thanks for the feedback, though. I hope you enjoy the pineapple coconut ice cream 🙂
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Barb
I'm going to have to try your version with one slight change, instead of mint extract I heat fresh chopped chocolate mint from the garden in milk, until the milk turns green. 🙂
Kara
I'm making this tomorrow! Super excited! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Alex
Just wondering how much ice cream this recipe makes? Thanks!
Angelica
Nevermind. I got it..."two to two and a half" tsp. mint extract. Brain is a little slow today. It's hot here in CA
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Haha, Angelica! I'm glad you figured it out. I hope it's not too difficult to understand written that way? Say hi to CA for me and enjoy your ice cream 🙂
Angelica
I'm getting ready to make this ice cream. I just noticed on the measurements for the mint extract you show 2-2 1/2 tsp. is that supposed to be just 2 1/2 tsp? or do I bouble that?
Julie
What brand ice-cream maker do you have? We just have the regular ice cream churn...not so sure this would work in that. Thanks! :o)
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I use a Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic 1-1/2-Quart Ice-Cream Maker. Without knowing what exactly you use, it's hard to say -- but I bet it'll work too.
Alisha
Can't wait to try this, but I have two questions...I clicked on the link for instructions about pasteurizing the eggs and it only talks about the yolks. Do you need to add the yolks back to the whites after the pasteurizing process? Also when you talk about the liquid egg products, are you talking about Egg Beaters? Thanks a bunch! I really enjoy your site! I've tried several of your recipes and have loved them all!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Alisha! Very good question. Somehow, I missed that about the site I linked to -- thanks! You can actually purchase pasteurized eggs still in their shells in the store -- the egg carton should clearly state they are pasteurized. And, yes, Egg Beaters are pasteurized as well. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Juliana
Oh! I am so sad...I do not have an ice cream maker...your mint chocolate chip ice cream using Andes mint look amazing...great pictures!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Juliana! I'd really recommend getting an ice cream maker if you're interested. You can also make frozen yogurt and sorbet with them and they're not too expensive...I think mine was around $60. As always, it's nice to hear from you!
Joanne
I think this post really goes for most commercial ice cream...strawberry, pistachio...it never really tastes as good as it ought to as it's usually all synthetic. Yuck! Best to just break out the ice cream maker and do it yourself. At least then the calories will really be worth it.
This looks and sounds amazing! Next time I'm craving mint chocolate chip, this is what I'm going to make.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
You have a very good point, Joanne. And, now I want some homemade strawberry and pistachio ice cream! Though, not together 🙂
melissa
I can't wait to make this recipe. I do have one question. Do you cook the mixture before placing in the ice cream maker? Where do you purchase pasteurized eggs? Are you referring to the liquid carton type eggs that are sold in the same location that eggs are sold?
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Melissa! Good question! I was actually wondering if I should put this information ion my post, so I'm glad you asked. You can heat the mixture first if you'd like -- that is definitely a safe way to take care of the eggs. There are a few other options as well for pasteurizing the eggs. Yes, you can buy the liquid carton type eggs, as those are pasteurized for you. Or, you can also pasteurize your own eggs at home, which is a little work, but a good thing to know for sure. Here's a description of how to pasteurize your own eggs. Or, if you're feeling lucky, I've heard that eggs from organic, cage-free, vegetable-fed chickens are much, much safer than regular eggs (in terms of salmonella). I hope that helps you out. Good luck!
delicieux
I'm an uppity ice cream snob too!! There is nothing worse than cheap flavourless ice cream. That's why I recently purchased my own ice cream maker (I have to say seeing your watermelon sorbet was another huge source of inspiration).
This is also going to my must make list along with your watermelon sorbet.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yay! I'm so glad you bought an ice cream maker!! You won't be sorry. Glad to be your inspiration 🙂
Peggy
I love the fact that there are Andes mints in here! I tried making Mint Chocolate Frozen Yogurt not too long ago, and I must say... the ice cream version here definitely has it trumped!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Peggy! I have, somehow, yet to try homemade frozen yogurt. The Andes mints are so, so very tasty in the ice cream (and when you're chopping them, too!). Thanks for stopping by!