Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

There is nothing quite like a scoop of Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream! The real mint leaves and rich chocolate chips make this an absolutely delicious treat. If you are a fan of chocolate mint, you are going to love this ice cream recipe!

The Best Fresh Mint Ice Cream Recipe

I absolutely love mint chocolate chip ice cream! But I hate food dyes so I decided to try to make my own fresh mint ice cream with real mint! The infusion of fresh mint makes it slightly herbaceous and bright. The process of steeping the mint into the milk allows the mint’s essential oils to seep into the base of the ice cream. 

By adding chocolate chips, you get the perfect contrast of taste and texture! Plus, the chocolate makes it a more indulgent treat which is exactly what I am looking for in my ice cream. This fresh mint chocolate chip ice cream is sure to become a family favorite!

If you love ice cream recipes like me, be sure to also try my butter brickle ice cream recipe and no churn blueberry ice cream recipe, too!

Ingredients Needed

• Whole Milk & Heavy Cream: The combination of milk and heavy cream gives the ice cream a rich, creamy texture.
• Sugar: To keep things sweet! Granulated sugar works well here.
• Egg Yolks: Egg yolks are essential to create a creamy consistency. They will thicken the ice cream and make it velvety smooth!
• Mint: Fresh mint leaves are the star of this recipe. They give the ice cream a pure, clean mint flavor that I prefer over using mint extract!
• Chocolate Chips: Technically these are optional, but I like adding semi-sweet chocolate chips for added flavor and sweetness. You can use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips if you prefer!

How to Make Mint Ice Cream

1. Combine Milk & Mint: Add milk, 1 cup sugar and mint to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to infuse the mint into the milk and dissolve the sugar.

2. Whisk Egg Yolks & Sugar: Meanwhile in a large bowl add egg yolks with 2 tbsp sugar. Whisk vigorously until the mixture has lightened and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Combine with Infused Milk: Strain hot milk into the egg mixture. Return to the saucepan.

4. Simmer: Bring the mixture back to a simmer and continue to cook stirring constantly until the temperature reaches 190 degrees (this will produce creamier ice cream)! Then, pour the mixture into a large bowl and add in the heavy cream to chill it down.
5. Place in Ice Cream Maker & Churn: Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to manufactures instructions. My ice cream maker took 60 minutes.

6. Freeze: Once the ice cream has churned remove from the ice cream maker and transfer it to a freezer safe container. Stir in chocolate chips then freeze for 3-4 hours to harden.
7. Enjoy: Remove it from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or so to soften then serve and enjoy!!

Tips for Success

• Infuse properly! For the best minty flavor, make sure to simmer the fresh mint leaves with the milk for at least 5 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more minty flavor will be infused into the milk.
• Temper the egg mixture! When pouring the hot milk into the whisked eggs, first pour just a small amount of the hot liquid into the eggs and stir the eggs vigorously while pouring. Once you have added some of the warm liquid into the eggs, you can pour the rest slowing into it. This will ensure that your egg yolks don’t scramble!
• Cook to the right temperature. Make sure to cook the custard base to 190 degrees F before continuing with the process. This will ensure a super creamy fresh mint chocolate chip ice cream! If you aren’t sure, use a candy thermometer for accuracy.
• Serve your mint chocolate chip ice cream with a sprinkle of extra chocolate chips, fresh mint leaves, and some homemade chocolate sauce!

More Dessert Recipes to Try

• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
• Peanut Butter M&M Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Blackberry Crisp
• Peanut Butter Nutella Milkshake
• Best Brownies Recipe