Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Print Version)

A creamy frozen dessert blending mint and chocolate chips for a cool, refreshing treat.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Sweeteners

03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar

→ Egg Base

04 - 4 large egg yolks

→ Flavorings

05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
06 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - Optional: a few drops green food coloring

→ Add-Ins

08 - 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, mini or chopped

# Directions:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, whole milk, and half the sugar. Heat over medium until steaming but not boiling.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with remaining sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
03 - Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper.
04 - Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon (170–175°F). Do not boil.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and food coloring if using.
06 - Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.
07 - Churn the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add chocolate chips during the final minutes of churning.
08 - Transfer to a lidded container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours until firm before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The fresh peppermint flavor tastes nothing like store-bought versions, hitting that perfect balance between candy and herb.
  • Making it yourself means no weird gums or stabilizers, just cream, eggs, and chocolate that melt on your tongue.
  • There's a quiet satisfaction in churning something cold and creamy that everyone at your table will ask for seconds of.
02 -
  • The temperature matters more than you think—a thermometer takes the guesswork out and saves you from cooking the eggs by accident.
  • Tempering the eggs feels fussy until you realize it's the difference between smooth ice cream and a grainy, broken custard that feels like eating sweetened sand.
  • Fresh mint steeped in the cream mixture before step 2 gives a deeper mint flavor, but strain it out carefully or you'll have flecks instead of smoothness.
03 -
  • Chill your ice cream maker bowl ahead of time—most models require this, and a cold bowl freezes the mixture faster, creating smaller ice crystals and better texture.
  • Don't skip straining the custard through a fine-mesh sieve; it catches any bits of cooked egg and makes the final ice cream silky instead of grainy.
Go Back