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Loaded with chocolate bits and fresh mint flavor, this homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream is better than anything you can get in the store! The perfect cooling treat for any day of the week.
When it comes to ice cream, do you go for the new ingredient combinations or stick with the classics? Over here we love strawberry pretzel pie ice cream, but we can never resist a big bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream too!
Mint chip has been a classic flavor for years, and it’s not hard to understand why after one taste. Cooling mint flavor paired with sweet chocolate bits in every single spoonful… what’s not to love?
This recipe for mint chocolate chip uses fresh mint (you probably have it taking over your garden) and egg yolks for the ultimate rich and creamy treat. It’s easy to make in just a few steps, so get your ice cream maker ready and let’s get in the kitchen!
Ingredients for mint chip ice cream
This is just an overview. For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card, or use the button on the side.
You’ll need:
- Heavy cream (heavy whipping cream)
- Whole milk
- Egg yolks
- Fresh mint leaves
- Vanilla extract
- Semisweet chocolate
- Neutral oil or refined coconut oil
- Fine sea salt
Because you’ll only be using the egg yolks here, make sure to save the whites for another recipe like chocolate macaroons! It’s helpful to set up 3 bowls for separating the eggs to prevent contamination if one of the yolks breaks.
The oil is for creating the chocolate bits. Refined coconut oil does not have a coconutty flavor, but you can also use another neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil.
This recipe uses FRESH mint, so don’t swap in dried! It won’t have the same flavor.
How to make this recipe
Grab a medium saucepan and pile in mint leaves. Add the cream, milk, and salt, and turn the heat to medium. Bring the liquid to a simmer—not a boil—and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Press down on the mint leaves as needed to keep them submerged.
Remove from heat and cover. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes. We’re steeping the mint in the liquid to infuse it with as much flavor as possible.
After steeping, set a fine mesh strainer over a saucepan and pour the mixture through it, pressing on the mint to get out extra flavor. Discard the mint.
Set the saucepan over medium until hot.
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Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until smooth and pale yellow. Slowly pour in 1 cup of the hot liquid, whisking the entire time to mix and prevent the eggs from curdling. Then, gradually pour the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot cream mixture.
Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. This will take 5-7 minutes. Don’t walk away—it can go from thin to thickened quickly!
Once thickened, remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, then whisk in the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and make sure the bowl of your ice cream maker is frozen!
When ready to churn, pour in the custard and churn according to your machine’s instructions.
While it’s churning, melt the semisweet chocolate with the oil, stirring until smooth. From here you can make the chips one of two ways:
- Pour onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper * and chill until solid, then cut into small pieces; OR
- Toward the very end of churning, slowly pour the melted chocolate into the opening of the ice cream maker. As the drizzle hits the ice cream it will freeze into ribbons throughout the ice cream.
Once the ice cream is churned, scoop into a container (layering with the chocolate bits if you did option 1) and freeze until solid.
Make sure to store in a container with a tight-fitting lid if you are not serving all of the ice cream at once, to prevent freezer burn.
Recipe tips
Make sure to cook the custard long enough so that it thickens nicely. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon or silicone spatula * without immediately dripping off. If you don’t cook the custard long enough, it won’t be as firm when churning (but still delicious!).
This ice cream isn’t bright green because it relies on the fresh mint for color, but if you want that classic color you can mix in a drop or two of green food coloring. Gel food coloring * will give a bolder color, so use it sparingly!
Use spearmint or chocolate mint for this recipe. If you prefer peppermint flavor, make my peppermint ice cream instead.
I don’t recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe, even mini chocolate chips. They don’t freeze quite right in ice cream, so you will have hard chunks of chocolate rather than nice melty bits that are easy to eat.
If you like mint, this recipe is a must!
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves, packed
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil, or neutral oil
Directions
- Make sure the bowl of your ice cream maker is frozen before making this recipe!
- Heat the fresh mint leaves, heavy cream, whole milk, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until simmering but not boiling. Simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.2 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean saucepan, pressing lightly on the mint leaves to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the mint leaves.
- Heat the infused cream mixture over medium heat until hot again.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a medium bowl until smooth and pale yellow. Slowly ladle 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Gradually pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan.3/4 cup granulated sugar, 6 large egg yolks
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract *
- Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Using a double boiler, melt the semisweet chocolate with the coconut oil, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Pour onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, spreading into a thin layer. Let the mixture firm up (you can speed up the process by chilling it). Use a knife to cut the chocolate into small pieces. (See notes)4 ounces semisweet chocolate, 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- Churn the chilled ice cream base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, layering the ice cream with the chocolate pieces. Cover tightly, and freeze until firm, about 3-4 hours before serving.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can pour the melted chocolate directly into the churning ice cream, toward the very end of the churning process. Use a slow drizzle to pour so the chocolate is dispersed evenly as it churns.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.
About Megan
I learned how to cook by exploring seasonal ingredients, and you can too! Meal time shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and with fresh ingredients and easy methods, I’m here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen. Read more…
