Home · Recipes · Desserts & Baking · Ice Cream Dark Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Author: Maryanne CabreraPublished: Jul 7, 2014Updated: Sep 8, 2023 View Recipe16 ReviewsThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy. Dark chocolate mint ice cream is infused with fresh mint and churned with chopped dark chocolate. Table of Contents Why This Flavor Combo WorksIngredientsRecommended Ice Cream MakersIce Cream StorageMore Mint Dessert RecipesFresh Mint Dark Chocolate Ice CreamView moreView less Mint chocolate ice cream, also known as mint chip ice cream is the common flavor. It’s mint ice cream studded with chocolate bits. This is the mint ice cream for those who prefer to different, unique, and sometimes a bit irrational! Upon initial inspection, this looks like regular old chocolate ice cream. However, one taste and you’ll immediately know it’s something special! Why This Flavor Combo Works This ice cream tastes quite similar to a Girl’s Scout Thin Mint cookie. More than often, regular chocolate ice cream is rather flat in flavor. The mint infusion and dark chocolate chunks really helps to bring dimension and complexity to chocolate ice cream. This recipes uses chopped chocolate instead of unsweetened cocoa powder to flavor the ice cream base. The resulting ice cream is a bit sweeter and creamier. Ingredients Milk : Use your choice of reduced fat 2% milk or whole milk. This recipe requires dairy milk. Heavy Cream : Also labeled as heavy whipping cream, it’s the thick fatty part of the milk that rises to the surface. It is different from whipping cream, which has slightly less fat. For this recipe, you may use either heavy cream or whipping cream. They results between the two are hardly noticeable. Mint Leaves : Use fresh leaves that are vibrant green in color. There over 30 species and 500 varieties of mint. The most commonly available for purchase at supermarkets are spearmint and peppermint. Sugar : Original recipe calls for white granulated sugar. For warmer flavors, swap in brown sugar. Resulting ice cream color will be slightly darker with brown sugar. Egg Yolks : Recipe uses large sized egg yolks. Six large yolks is roughly 84 grams. If you use extra-large yolks, measure out yolks by weight. Chocolate : Use your choice of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate ranges from bittersweet (70% chocolate liquor, 30% sugar) to semi-sweet (60% chocolate liquor, 40% sugar). For best results, stay within the 60-70% chocolate range. Recommended Ice Cream Makers I personally use this automatic compressor ice cream maker. It uses a commercial quality compressor-freezer allowing you to make ice cream quickly and efficiently. Compressor ice cream machines are a bit more expensive. It is worth the price if you make ice cream and sorbets often. Simply pour the liquid mixture into the machine. The compressor will automatically chill the canister. Within 30 minutes, you’ll have fresh churned ice cream ready! For infrequent ice cream makers, I suggest this insulated freezer bowl ice cream maker. I used this version for several years before upgrading. The only caveat with this simpler machine: you have keep the freezer bowl in the freezer for at least 24 hours before use. Other than that, it’s simple and easy to use! Ice Cream Storage For best results, keep homemade ice cream covered in an airtight container stored in the coldest part of the freezer. I recommend using this 2 quart Cambro container .It’s a durable, stackable container. It’s great for homemade ice cream and sorbet recipe since it can hold up to 2 quarts. This reusable ice cream tub or tight fitting silicone lid freezer storage container are also great options. Keep ice cream for up to two weeks. Overtime, it will inevitability develop freezer burn, dry out, or absorb other flavors from the freezer. More Mint Dessert Recipes Thin Mint Cookies Mint Mojito Coffee Ice Cream Mint Hot Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies Fresh Mint Dark Chocolate Ice Cream 1 from 1 vote Dark chocolate ice cream infused with fresh mint and churned with bits of chopped dark chocolate.Yield: about 1 quart Prep Time: 20 minutes minutesCook Time: 10 minutes minutesInactive Time: 6 hours hoursTotal Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes Servings: 8 Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe EquipmentIce Cream Maker/Machine Ingredients▢ 2 cups 2% milk (454 g)▢ 2 cups heavy cream (454 g)▢ 1 cup fresh mint leaves chopped or torn▢ 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)▢ 6 large egg yolks (84 g)▢ 12 oz dark chocolate (340 g) about 2 cups, finely chopped, divided Instructions In a medium pot, bring milk and cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add chopped mint. Cover pot and let steep for 20 minutes.Strain mixture and discard mint leaves. Place pot over medium heat bring back to a boil. Meanwhile, place 8 oz chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together yolks and sugar. Once milk begins to boil, lower heat. Temper hot milk into sugar yolk mixture. Slowly add hot milk into yolks about ¼ cup at a time, whisking to distribute heat. Once all the milk has been added, transfer everything back into the pot.Stir over medium-low heat until mixture reaches nappe consistency, or 180°F on a kitchen thermometer. Let sit at 180° F for 3 minutes to pasteurize eggs.Pour hot mixture into bowl of reserved 8 oz chopped chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 3 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and stir to combine. Continue to stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth and homogenous. Transfer mixture to an airtight container and let mature in the fridge overnight (or least6 hours).Freeze mixture in ice cream maker according to your unit's instructions. Once the volume has increased by half and mixture has reached a soft serve consistency, add in remaining 4 oz chopped chocolate.Once chopped chocolate has been distributed, transfer ice cream to an airtight container and let rest in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving. NotesIngredients: Use reduced fat 2% milk or whole milk Use fresh mint leaves that are vibrant green in color. Spearmint and peppermint are the most commonly available. Dark chocolate ranges from bittersweet (70% chocolate liquor, 30% sugar) to semi-sweet (60% chocolate liquor, 40% sugar). For best results, stay within the 60-70% chocolate range. Storage: keep homemade ice cream covered in an airtight container stored in the coldest part of the freezer. Keep ice cream for up to two weeks. NutritionCalories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 1374IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 6mg Author: Maryanne Cabrera Course: DessertCuisine: American Did you make this recipe?Show us on Instagram! Tag @littleepicurean and hashtag #littleepicurean.
dina says: July 8, 2014 this sounds divine. i love rich dark chocolate ice cream. and the fresh mint sounds wonderful! Reply
Laura says: July 14, 2014 I’m assuming for step one, you bring the milk and cream to a boil, not mint and cream? This sounds amazing!! Can’t wait to try it :) Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: July 14, 2014 Thanks for catching that Laura! I’ve fixed it. Yes, bring the milk and cream to a boil :)
Maryanne Cabrera says: July 11, 2022 This specific recipe requires an ice cream machine. If you are interested in a non-churn ice cream recipe, I recommend this espresso dulce de leche or almond mocha.
Mino25 says: April 12, 2015 I’m sorry, but t’s too much hassle for this. Put on the stove, take off, put it back. It tastes great, it’s true, but you can have the same taste with a simpler recipe. By the way, what’s with the finely chopped dark chocolate? It takes two minutes for it to melt when adding hot milk even if it’s big chunks…just mix it a bit….way too cumbersome. Reply
Julie says: July 4, 2019 Can you make the mixture ahead of time and refrigerate for a couple of days? I wasn’t sure how long it would be good if kept refer. Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: July 8, 2019 You can make the mixture up to 48 hours before spinning the ice cream. I do not suggest letting the mixture sit in the fridge for longer than 48 hours.
Jade Dean says: April 14, 2020 So, I was reading this article, and mint chocolate ice cream was equated to mint chip, and they’re not the same. I prefer to not have hard, chunky bits in my ice cream, and Publix has a fantastic mint chocolate ice cream with the barest hint of a soft fudge ripple, and no chips. Unfortunately, due to this pandemic, all the locations near me are out, so I thought I’d try making my own. Obviously, I know that with whichever recipe I find, I can just not put in the chips, but I took extraordinary offence to the aforementioned equation. Sorry for unloading. Force quit/rant.exe Reply
Ryan Wilson says: October 27, 2020 How important is it for the final mixture to mature in the fridge? Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: November 2, 2020 Allowing the mixture to rest in the fridge lets the flavors meld together. It is not necessary, but highly recommended.
Robin says: December 23, 2020 This was just what I was looking for. Dark, rich, and with a real mint taste instead of the artificial candy-like flavor you normally find in mint chip. I love a lot of mint, and this definitely has the powerful mint taste I prefer. I wanted to give this as a gift, and it’s the exact kind of decadence you give to someone. It was definitely a lot more steps than I anticipated. I often avoid cooked ice cream bases since it’s such a pain to heat the milk perfectly without curdling, so having to heat three separate times really was cumbersome. Still, planning all the steps out ahead of time and being extremely cautious with the milk made the process flow pretty easily. I did manage to get egg lumps in the final step, but it tasted fine after I strained those out. The base turned out far thicker than I was expecting after it chilled. It went from the consistency of chocolate pudding when it was hot to being more like ganache out of the fridge. My ice cream machine actually sounded like it was struggling to churn. And this is despite using 2% milk rather than whole milk. I think if I make this again, I’ll cut a few eggs out of the mix. Reply
Sofia says: June 21, 2022 I’ve been looking for a recipe just like this! I was just wondering if I wanted to use peppermint extract or mint extract instead of fresh mint how much should I use? I know fresh mint is obviously preferable but if I want to make in a pinch with ingredients I already have….
Maryanne Cabrera says: June 22, 2022 I would start with 1 teaspoon of mint extract. Taste then, adjust accordingly. Depending on which brand of extract you use, the mint flavor may be very strong.
Liz says: September 1, 2023 Followed the recipe as directed. The flavor just isn’t good. The chocolate isn’t dark enough and the mint taste muddy. Reply