This creamy and delicious homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream is made with just a handful of ingredients and is better than anything you could buy at the store. Made with a custard base and flavored with vanilla and mint extract, and dark chocolate, it’s wonderfully refreshing and tastes like an Andes mint!
When out grocery shopping with the boys a year or two ago, I stopped in the ice cream aisle to pick up another container of vanilla and chocolate when one of them pointed to the mint chocolate chip and asked what it was. When I told them, they asked if we could get it. I said sure and put it in the cart. Lo and behold, mint chocolate chip has become their very favorite ice cream flavor, and who’s to blame them?
I certainly can’t turn down anything that tastes like an Andes mint, especially if it’s homemade!
Ingredients in Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
This ice cream is made with a traditional custard base using heavy cream, whole milk, and egg yolks.
It’s sweetened with sugar and flavored with mint extract and vanilla extract, then studded with chocolate chips – I prefer dark or semisweet, but you could use milk, too – whatever type you prefer. You can also omit them if you prefer to make mint ice cream without the chocolate chips.
A few drops of green food coloring gives the ice cream its traditional light green hue!
What Kind of Mint To Use
Plain mint extract uses spearmint, which is much milder than peppermint. Peppermint extract contains significantly more menthol, which gives it a more intense flavor.
For this reason, mint chocolate chip ice cream is traditionally made with plain mint extract. If you do opt for peppermint extract, you will get a stronger punch of mint flavor. Think peppermint candy canes versus Thin Mints. As a result, you may want to use a little less.
How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream From Scratch
No need to be intimidated by making homemade custard from scratch, just a few easy steps, and you’ll be well on your way to the best ice cream of your life!
Warm the heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves.
Place 1 cup of heavy cream in a clean bowl. Set a fine-mesh sieve over top of the bowl.
Whisk together the egg yolks.
Pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking together, then scrape the mixture back into the saucepan.
Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
Strain the custard through the fine-mesh sieve and stir into the cold cream.
Add the vanilla and mint extracts and green food coloring, stir to combine, then cool over an ice bath.
Chill overnight in the refrigerator.
Churn the ice cream, adding the chocolate chips towards the end.
Choosing an ice cream maker
If you don’t have an ice cream maker yet, I have a few recommendations for you!
Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment – This is the one I have used for well over 10 years and if you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, then it’s an easy choice.
Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Compressor – Much more expensive than the previous two options, but it doesn’t require a separate bowl that needs to be frozen between batches, so you can make quart after quart without missing a beat.
What if you don’t have (and don’t want to buy) an ice cream maker?
Just like most ice cream, the sky is the limit when it comes to deciding how to garnish! While this is absolutely wonderful served as-is, if you’re looking to jazz things up or want to offer some options to guests, here are some ideas to get the wheels turning:
Keeping your ice cream fresh and tasting fantastic is our goal here, so some tips for you:
How long to store it: The ice cream will taste the best within the first two weeks of making; after that, it will begin to get hard and pick up ice crystals.
Prevent freezer burn: Press a piece of plastic wrap against the ice cream surface to keep it from being exposed to air.
Store it in a shallow, flat container: Many people prefer using a loaf pan, or you can use a dedicated ice cream container such as this.
Store in the back of the freezer: This keeps the ice cream from warming and cooling when the freezer door is opening and closing, which will help prevent hardening and ice crystals.
This creamy and delicious homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream is made with just a handful of ingredients and is better than anything you could buy at the store.
Warm 1 cup of the heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
Pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (if using a thermometer, it should be right around 170 degrees F). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Add the vanilla and mint extracts and the food coloring (if using), and stir until cool over an ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (preferably overnight). Churn according to your ice cream maker's directions, adding the chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of churning. Store in the freezer and eat within 2 weeks for freshest and best-tasting ice cream.
Recipe Notes:
Chocolate: Any type of chocolate will work in this recipe - dark, semisweet, or milk. You can also omit the chocolate if you like.
Mint Extract: If you choose to use peppermint extract instead of plain mint extract, I recommend cutting the amount in half.
Ice Cream Makers: Please see information in post above regarding ice cream makers.
Storage Tips: Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the ice cream, store in a loaf pan or shallow, flat container, and keep in the back of the freezer.
We just made this and its very tasty! We only had peppermint extract and we did a full teaspoon in our mix and thought it was the perfect amount for our mint loving family.
Wow! Mint chocolate chip is my favorite, so I have tried quite a lot of it. This is excellent! The mint is just the right amount of refreshing and the amount of chocolate is spot on. Not overwhelming. I made the recipe as written, no alterations. Thanks!
Sounds wonderful, but I think the calories listed are too good to be true. Check your number of servings made–I wish one quart gave you 64 half-cup servings :) Wouldn’t that be nice!!
Hi. Vanilla extract. Do you buy that at penzeys? /Oskar 😊 And almond extract What kind is it. I see that there are vanilla fluors on penzeys. Best regards. Your fan in sweden.
I’ve made this twice and both times it turns up perfect. My husband is always requesting it over and over again. The custard is easy to cook up (I advise using a thermometer of some kind to reach that perfect 170). I’m making it again tonight except just making a simple vanilla icecream. My favorite part is that it seems to stay soft. I use freezer containers and have never need any more than a spoon to scoop it out.
I made this recipe yesterday. It came out creamy and delicious. I used my old RCW ice cream maker. The directions and recipe were fantastic.
thank you,
I made this recipe yesterday. It came out creamy and delicious. I used my old RCW ice cream maker. The directions and recipe were fantastic.
thank you,
Ray
What kind of mint extract did you use? I want to make sure I get a true mint flavor and not spearmint.
Also, did you use green food dye? Your ice cream does not look that green :)
I would like to add color, but I am afraid that it would destroy the flavor if I accidentally add to much.
First time making ice cream and I’ve used this recipe. When stirring the mixture constantly over medium heat(step 3) it came out quite lumpy and wouldn’t turn like a custard. I didn’t have a thermometer so wasn’t too sure if too hot or not hot enough or if I did something wrong. It was on the heat for about 20-25 mins.
Oh and I doubled the recipe if that caused any issues I’m not sure/
Oh! 20-25 is way, way too long. It should take less than 5 minutes (at the most) to thicken appropriately). I know you said you don’t have a thermometer, but did you do the coating test on the back of a wooden spoon or spatula? It likely turned lumpy because the eggs actually cooked.
Ok, I wasn’t sure if that was normal time or not.
I was doing the coating test but it was always pretty runny.
How thick should it be? Should it be like a custard or yoghurt? Maybe I am underestimating the consistency.
It won’t be as thick as yogurt, more like a thin custard at the point when it thickens. If you are uncertain, I would highly recommend grabbing a thermometer (you can get digital ones for as little as $15) so you have any idea of what the consistency is at the exact right temperature.
Michelle,
I have tried your pistachio ice cream (ABSOLUTELY LOVED!) and just tried the mint chocolate chip. I used the wrong chips (semisweet chocolate chips meant for cookies). Next time I’ll use chopped-up dark chocolate. The mint ice cream came out creamy and light (used 2% milk), and the flavor was perfect (didn’t have mint extract so I substituted with peppermint extract). My family DEVOURED it! I also love that this base didn’t use too many eggs. The green color was wonderful. I’m going to try your chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream next. Do you have any suggestions for how to make taro ice cream; green tea ice cream; and blueberry ice cream? I’ve been scouring the web for these recipes but haven’t found anything good yet. Please post if you do happen to try these flavors!!!!
Mint chip is one of our favorites. Try adding Andes choc mint chips instead of hocolate chips or buy the Andes mints in shiny green wrappers and chop yourself. So delicious!
The best!! So refreshing, minty, creamy and perfectly sweet. I used chopped Andes
mints. Took it over the top! So much better quality than the mint chip we grew up with!
This ice cream is absolutely fab! I made it for my parents, who were in town visiting this weekend. My dad claimed he doesn’t like homemade ice cream, but I’m pretty sure he ate every drop of this ice cream! I cannot wait to try the other recipes you have on here.
I made this tonight and I am glad that I did! The ice cream turned out so creamy and wonderful that I didn’t want to share it with the rest of the family. I didn’t have any mint extract in the house; however, I had pure peppermint oil. I used 1/2 teaspoon of the oil and it created a VERY intense mint flavor. Next time I will use a bit less to get a more mellow flavor. Also, I used chopped up Andes Mints instead of the chocolate chips. I can’t wait to try your chocolate ice cream recipe next!
oh.my….this is my favorite ice cream flavor…and dessert EVER. I love the slight sweetness, cool refreshing mint and chocolaty goodness :) looks fantastic…I’m jealous!
I think I will try your recipe, but since I am a diabetic, I am going to try and make the custard base with Stevia instead of sugar, and use 90% chocolate for the chips. I think I see a post in my future…
I NEVER forget that mint chocolate chip exists! It’s my favorite and since the weather has turned hot and I’m eight months pregnant, I crave it just about all the time!
Love mint cc! I just made some with fresh mint I found out back. I let about a cup of mint leaves seep in the warmed milk. It was really good! Had a great fresh taste.
Yours looks de-lish.
Mint Chocolate Chip is just about the only ice cream flavor that my husband and I agree on – it’s SO good. But I’ve never made it myself… I’m going to have to break out the ice cream maker and try this out! Yum!
This looks amazing!!! I love mint chocolate chip ice cream and I definitely will be making this. I made a mint gelato which was great but there is nothing like the richness ice cream with the chocolate chips! I promised a friend profiteroles Sunday (she read my post) and I think I may use this recipe for the filling and then top with chocolate sauce! Looks delicious! Thanks for the post!
This looks fabulous! I bet it tastes amazing. I’m all about my ice cream maker right now. Will have to add this to my list to try. I’m super excited, giving away a Cusinart ice cream maker from Sur La Table this week ~ spreading a little ice cream love! BTW, I love the look of your new site. It is so clean and sleek!
Just realized ACE might not make much sense…I’ve gotten it in Croatia, Israel, Germany..it’s a fruit drink made with carrots, orange and some other stuff. There was this ice cream shop in Tel Aviv that made a great one which was sugar free and used coconut milk.
Have you considered maple nut? That was always one of my favorite flavors when I was a kid… (although since then I have found mojito and ace to be among my favorites). I don’t have an ice cream maker so I have to live through your photos.
So glad you liked the ice cream! I’ve made quite a few other flavors lately, but my family keeps requesting this one again, so I’ll have to make another batch. I want to try to make it with fresh mint now that the mint in my garden is ready to be picked.
I hear ya! Bring on summer. I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker, but usually just do low fat vanilla ice cream to go with a cookie or brownie sundae, but I think I’ll go out on a limb and try this because it’s making my mouth water!
We just made this and its very tasty! We only had peppermint extract and we did a full teaspoon in our mix and thought it was the perfect amount for our mint loving family.
Wow! Mint chocolate chip is my favorite, so I have tried quite a lot of it. This is excellent! The mint is just the right amount of refreshing and the amount of chocolate is spot on. Not overwhelming. I made the recipe as written, no alterations. Thanks!
Sounds wonderful, but I think the calories listed are too good to be true. Check your number of servings made–I wish one quart gave you 64 half-cup servings :) Wouldn’t that be nice!!
HA! Thank you for catching that! It’s been fixed :) It WOULD be nice 😋
This looks so delicious! My sons love this flavor of ice cream, so we might need to try this.
Hi. Vanilla extract. Do you buy that at penzeys? /Oskar 😊 And almond extract What kind is it. I see that there are vanilla fluors on penzeys. Best regards. Your fan in sweden.
Hi Oskar, I usually buy vanilla and almond extract from King Arthur Flour. I hope that helps! :)
I’ve made this twice and both times it turns up perfect. My husband is always requesting it over and over again. The custard is easy to cook up (I advise using a thermometer of some kind to reach that perfect 170). I’m making it again tonight except just making a simple vanilla icecream. My favorite part is that it seems to stay soft. I use freezer containers and have never need any more than a spoon to scoop it out.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream used to be my absolute favorite as a kid. I don’t eat it as often now, but I love it when I do. Yum!
I finally purchased the Kitchenaid ice cream attachement and this was the first recipe I made! Came out perfect! Thanks for the recipe
Does anyone have to T-Fal ice cream maker instructions?
I made this recipe yesterday. It came out creamy and delicious. I used my old RCW ice cream maker. The directions and recipe were fantastic.
thank you,
I made this recipe yesterday. It came out creamy and delicious. I used my old RCW ice cream maker. The directions and recipe were fantastic.
thank you,
Ray
Does anyone have to T-Fal ice cream maker instructions?
I finally purchased the Kitchenaid ice cream attachement and this was the first recipe I made! Came out perfect! Thanks for the recipe! :)
Hi!
What kind of mint extract did you use? I want to make sure I get a true mint flavor and not spearmint.
Also, did you use green food dye? Your ice cream does not look that green :)
I would like to add color, but I am afraid that it would destroy the flavor if I accidentally add to much.
Hi Sara, I used McCormick mint extract. Yes, per the recipe, I used 3 drops of green food coloring.
First time making ice cream and I’ve used this recipe. When stirring the mixture constantly over medium heat(step 3) it came out quite lumpy and wouldn’t turn like a custard. I didn’t have a thermometer so wasn’t too sure if too hot or not hot enough or if I did something wrong. It was on the heat for about 20-25 mins.
Oh and I doubled the recipe if that caused any issues I’m not sure/
Any suggestions?
Oh! 20-25 is way, way too long. It should take less than 5 minutes (at the most) to thicken appropriately). I know you said you don’t have a thermometer, but did you do the coating test on the back of a wooden spoon or spatula? It likely turned lumpy because the eggs actually cooked.
Ok, I wasn’t sure if that was normal time or not.
I was doing the coating test but it was always pretty runny.
How thick should it be? Should it be like a custard or yoghurt? Maybe I am underestimating the consistency.
It won’t be as thick as yogurt, more like a thin custard at the point when it thickens. If you are uncertain, I would highly recommend grabbing a thermometer (you can get digital ones for as little as $15) so you have any idea of what the consistency is at the exact right temperature.
Michelle,
I have tried your pistachio ice cream (ABSOLUTELY LOVED!) and just tried the mint chocolate chip. I used the wrong chips (semisweet chocolate chips meant for cookies). Next time I’ll use chopped-up dark chocolate. The mint ice cream came out creamy and light (used 2% milk), and the flavor was perfect (didn’t have mint extract so I substituted with peppermint extract). My family DEVOURED it! I also love that this base didn’t use too many eggs. The green color was wonderful. I’m going to try your chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream next. Do you have any suggestions for how to make taro ice cream; green tea ice cream; and blueberry ice cream? I’ve been scouring the web for these recipes but haven’t found anything good yet. Please post if you do happen to try these flavors!!!!
Hi Lyds, I have done a blueberry cheesecake ice cream (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2008/12/28/blueberry-cheesecake-ice-cream/), but not the other flavors. I will certainly add them to my list!
Mint chip is one of our favorites. Try adding Andes choc mint chips instead of hocolate chips or buy the Andes mints in shiny green wrappers and chop yourself. So delicious!
The best!! So refreshing, minty, creamy and perfectly sweet. I used chopped Andes
mints. Took it over the top! So much better quality than the mint chip we grew up with!
I was wondering if I could make this without the mint extract; how do I make this using real mint leaves?
Hi Enzo, If you’d like to use real mint leaves, you might want to check out this recipe: http://www.andreasrecipes.com/2008/10/03/fresh-mint-ice-cream/. I haven’t experimented with fresh mint in ice cream yet.
This ice cream is absolutely fab! I made it for my parents, who were in town visiting this weekend. My dad claimed he doesn’t like homemade ice cream, but I’m pretty sure he ate every drop of this ice cream! I cannot wait to try the other recipes you have on here.
Isn’t it great to please the parents?! So happy your dad enjoyed this ice cream!
I made this tonight and I am glad that I did! The ice cream turned out so creamy and wonderful that I didn’t want to share it with the rest of the family. I didn’t have any mint extract in the house; however, I had pure peppermint oil. I used 1/2 teaspoon of the oil and it created a VERY intense mint flavor. Next time I will use a bit less to get a more mellow flavor. Also, I used chopped up Andes Mints instead of the chocolate chips. I can’t wait to try your chocolate ice cream recipe next!
Hi Drew,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the ice cream and LOVE the idea of using chopped Andes mints, I am definitely doing that next time! Thank you for the idea!
oh.my….this is my favorite ice cream flavor…and dessert EVER. I love the slight sweetness, cool refreshing mint and chocolaty goodness :) looks fantastic…I’m jealous!
Hey!
Just wanted to let you know I’ve just featured your icecream in today’s spotlight on Foodwhirl.com!
Here’s the link…
http://foodwhirl.com/spotlight/spotlight-mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream
thanks!
This looks so good. Can I have a couple of scoops?
I think I will try your recipe, but since I am a diabetic, I am going to try and make the custard base with Stevia instead of sugar, and use 90% chocolate for the chips. I think I see a post in my future…
Thank you for the inspiration!
So reminds me of my childhood. I can just imagine it with some homemade hot fudge sauce. Yum!!!!
That looks awesome, and just in time for the warm weather. Do you deliver? :)
You would make your way straight to my family’s heart with this ice cream. Mint and chocolate is our favorite combination!
Oh I love love love mint ice cream! Great photos!
Oh, it’s summertime now!
mint chocolate chip is one of my favorites! looks good!
You know, I’m not really a huge mint fan, but does this look amazing! I would definitely try it!
I love mint chocolate chip ice cream! Your pictures are too good–too bad I can’t reach into the screen and have a taste.
I NEVER forget that mint chocolate chip exists! It’s my favorite and since the weather has turned hot and I’m eight months pregnant, I crave it just about all the time!
Love mint cc! I just made some with fresh mint I found out back. I let about a cup of mint leaves seep in the warmed milk. It was really good! Had a great fresh taste.
Yours looks de-lish.
Mint Chocolate Chip is just about the only ice cream flavor that my husband and I agree on – it’s SO good. But I’ve never made it myself… I’m going to have to break out the ice cream maker and try this out! Yum!
I think that has to be one of my favorite flavors of ice cream. This looks absolutely delicious!
Looks great:)
This looks amazing!!! I love mint chocolate chip ice cream and I definitely will be making this. I made a mint gelato which was great but there is nothing like the richness ice cream with the chocolate chips! I promised a friend profiteroles Sunday (she read my post) and I think I may use this recipe for the filling and then top with chocolate sauce! Looks delicious! Thanks for the post!
Michelle I love your new site resdesign! It’s beautiful! major props! :)
I would say that Memorial Day wknd is the official unofficial start to summer! Wonderful looking ice cream :)
What a gorgeous photo of some VERY delicious looking ice cream. One of my favorite flavors! YUM!
OMG Mint Chocolate Chip is my absolute favorite. Someone always has to pry the carton out of my hands =) Love to new design! Looks great!
what do you mean you FORGET Mint Chocolate Chip exists, it’s the best kind!! :D
Which is why THIS is going to be made VERY soon!
Perfect for summer!
Oh, now you’re making me sad that we don’t have an ice cream maker!
This looks fabulous! I bet it tastes amazing. I’m all about my ice cream maker right now. Will have to add this to my list to try. I’m super excited, giving away a Cusinart ice cream maker from Sur La Table this week ~ spreading a little ice cream love! BTW, I love the look of your new site. It is so clean and sleek!
This ice cream looks so good and minty! This would be perfect to have during this hot D.C. day!
I think I might be making this tonight… YUM!
Just realized ACE might not make much sense…I’ve gotten it in Croatia, Israel, Germany..it’s a fruit drink made with carrots, orange and some other stuff. There was this ice cream shop in Tel Aviv that made a great one which was sugar free and used coconut milk.
Have you considered maple nut? That was always one of my favorite flavors when I was a kid… (although since then I have found mojito and ace to be among my favorites). I don’t have an ice cream maker so I have to live through your photos.
Heh! Great minds must think alike, David Lebovitz also just did a post on Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. I may have to make both batches!
i’ve never been a fan of mint chocolate chip ice cream (i know, i know!) but you might have just turned me into a convert with those photos…holy YUM!
Gorgeous creamy ice cream and the chocolate chips just make it better!
My all-time favorite ice crean flavor. Looks delicious!
Oh, that looks great! I love mint chocolate chip… I need to put an ice cream maker on my wish list.
I’ve been waiting for this one, your tweets were taunting us:) Looks fantastic!
Looks so great!! I love mint and chip flavor, bet yours is great!
So glad you liked the ice cream! I’ve made quite a few other flavors lately, but my family keeps requesting this one again, so I’ll have to make another batch. I want to try to make it with fresh mint now that the mint in my garden is ready to be picked.
This is my favorite ice cream flavour of all time! I don’t have an ice cream maker though. Sad…
Katrina – you don’t have to have a maker. chill the mixture in an ice bath then freeze in a freezer safe pan, mixing frequently. Like this : http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html
oh, that`s must be delicious!
I hear ya! Bring on summer. I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker, but usually just do low fat vanilla ice cream to go with a cookie or brownie sundae, but I think I’ll go out on a limb and try this because it’s making my mouth water!
Mint chocolate chip ice cream used to be my absolute favorite as a kid. I don’t eat it as often now, but I love it when I do. Yum!
Jenn