A few weeks ago I saw on Cupcakes & Cashmere’s Instagram that she was making homemade ice cream. Homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream to be exact. Which is my absolute favorite ice cream flavor (next to chocolate chip cookie dough of course). But she was torn between using York Peppermint Patties, Junior Mints (my all-time favorite candy) or Andes Mints as the chocolate chip mint part. She ended up doing the patties and I’ve never disagreed more with a candy choice. Although I like a York Peppermint Patty, it’s more pepperminty versus spearminty. And I prefer the green spearmint flavor over peppermint any day.
So I decided I’d make my own. With Andes Mints instead of course! And BIG chunks, none of this little fleck crap. I want to chew it! So I gave my hand at homemade ice cream for the first time. And let me tell you, it was MUCH easier than I anticipated.
How To Make Homemade Mint Ice Cream
The thing I love about this recipe is how easy it is. There’s no heating up milk, adding eggs, or any of that fussy custard base situation. It’s solely milk, cream, sugar and flavoring. It couldn’t be simpler. Plus, there’s no need to track down fresh mint leaves for this either. If you really love mint and have it on hand, you can infuse your milk with it, but that would be an added step. This recipe is designed to be super easy so you can be on your way to enjoying homemade mint ice cream in no time.
The only tools you’ll need for this as well is your ice cream maker obviously. You can shop some favorites at the bottom of this post. A large mixing bowl and a container to freeze and store the ice cream in.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1 cup chopped up Andes Mints – or your favorite mint and chocolate candy! Oreos would also be delicious mixed in alongside all the minty goodness.
- 2-3 drops of green food coloring (optional)
- 1-2 drops of peppermint extract – start with a little and taste! You can always add more but this stuff is potent! A little goes a long way. .
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, I left this out and it was fine but would totally add another layer of flavor)
DIRECTIONS
Before you begin, make sure you pull out your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This is vital to the ice cream making process or you’re just sitting in the kitchen with a giant bowl of sweet milk. I like to throw mine into the freezer the night before, typically that’s plenty of time to allow it to freeze. And you can totally go old school with an ice bath and hand crank that baby. But that’s too much work, trust me. I think an ice cream maker is a great appliance to have on hand. Sure you may not use it a ton, but when you do use it, you’ll be so glad you have one. It’s such a fun activity to make your own homemade ice cream.
Step One
In a large bowl, add your whole milk, heavy whipping cream and the sugar. Whisk until your sugar has mostly dissolved. You may not get it all dissolved and that’s fine. It’ll continue to mix and dissolve in the ice cream machine.
Step Two
Chop your Andes Mints up (or any candy you like!) and then toss it into the milk and sugar mixture. You can even add in some dark chocolate too to mix it up. Also, add in your flavorings and green food coloring to amp up the color! Food coloring is completely optional, but I like that it makes it feel like a true mint chip. A little goes a long way, so be careful!
Step Three
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker. I have a similar one to this Cusinart ice cream maker and it was great. Set it up according to the manufacturer’s instructions (usually 20-30 minutes). Just let it mix and harden and slowly start to become ice cream.
Step Four
You’ll then pour your homemade ice cream into a bowl or container. I topped mine with additional dark chocolate and mint candies to make it look extra special. You’ll want to make sure you cover it with plastic wrap and press the plastic wrap into the ice cream gently to form a seal. This will prevent any ice crystals to form on top. Then freeze it for a few hours so it can firm up.
How To Serve Andes Mint Homemade Ice Cream
Are you into sugar cones or cake cone? I grew up on a sugar cone. Never even considered a waffle cone, too big. A sugar cone to me is everything, so when dreaming up this recipe I knew I had to serve this homemade mint chip ice cream in them. But what makes it even more fun, is adding it to a bowl and then topping with more chocolate!
This recipe is great to serve for a crowd for summer parties or BBQs. You could easily make this into a fun ice cream bar and let people add in their favorite mint flavored candy instead of adding in the Andes Mints. Or have a fun toppings bar with ice cream cones, sprinkles, chocolate sauce, gummy bears, all the things! And don’t forget the whipped cream too.
Nutrition Facts
Clearly ice cream isn’t the healthiest choice, but who cares! It actually can fit into a balanced diet just fine. And I think one should be able to indulge without feeling immense guilt. Here’s what’s in the good stuff.
- Calories Per Serving: 375
- Fat Per Serving: 28g
- Cholesterol 88 mg
- Sodium 54 mg
- Potassium 126 mg
- Total Carbohydrate 30 g
- Sugars 29 g
- Protein 4 g
Mint Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 18 pieces Andes Mints
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 drops mint extract
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir together
- Pour mixture into ice cream maker
- Once your mixture is done mixing in the ice cream maker, transfer to a container
- Add plastic wrap to the top and freeze until firm
