Green Mint Chip Ice Cream (Printable)

Creamy mint flavor with crunchy chocolate chips and a natural green hue, perfect for warm days.

# What You Need:

→ Ice Cream Base

01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 5 large egg yolks

→ Flavor & Color

06 - 2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
09 - 1-2 drops green food coloring

→ Add-ins

10 - 3/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips

# How To Make:

01 - Blend the milk and spinach leaves until completely smooth and vibrantly green. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium saucepan to remove any fibrous pieces.
02 - Add heavy cream, sugar, and salt to the saucepan with the green milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture steams but never reaches a boil.
03 - Whisk egg yolks in a separate bowl. Slowly pour approximately 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking vigorously to prevent curdling.
04 - Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, reaching 170-175°F.
05 - Remove from heat immediately. Stir in peppermint and vanilla extracts. Add additional green food coloring drop by drop if a more intense color is desired.
06 - Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Let cool to room temperature, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
07 - Process the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the final 2 minutes of churning, add the dark chocolate chips.
08 - Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze for at least 2 hours until firm before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The spinach trick creates the prettiest pale green hue without any artificial aftertaste
  • Dark chocolate chips stay perfectly suspended in each creamy scoop
  • Homemade mint ice cream tastes infinitely fresher than anything from the store
02 -
  • The custard needs to reach at least 170 degrees to be safe, but do not let it boil or it will curdle
  • Chilling the base overnight makes a huge difference in texture and flavor development
  • The spinach flavor completely disappears, but the vibrant green color stays beautifully
03 -
  • Use room temperature egg yolks for smoother tempering and emulsification
  • Chill your ice cream canister in the freezer for 24 hours before churning

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