The days of longing for an ice cream machine are over with this silky smooth and utterly simple no-churn mint choc chip ice cream. The best flavour ever!
What’s your dream gadget?
Is there one gadget that you just know deep down in your heart that you can’t live without?
Most people will automatically think about their phone.
It’s probably the same for me, my phone is now so integral to my life – it is my diary, my communication, my health, my fitness…
If I’m honest, whilst the latest smartphone sets my geeky heartstrings off, there is one gadget that I have lusted after for years, long before the iPhone was even on Steve Jobs’ to-do list… an ice-cream maker!
Trust me, if Apple were to release one, you can bet I’d be right at the front of the queue.
Another Kitchen Gadget…
When we talk ice cream makers, I’m not talking about one that you have to bury deep in the freezer amongst the fish fingers and bags of peas, to chill it, before filling with a custard that will eventually churn into something that you hope is edible.
Nope!
I’m talking about a no freezing the bowl, built-in refrigeration, proper job ice cream machine; that takes up the majority of the kitchen work surface and will sit gathering dust for 10 months out of the year.
Can you see why I haven’t got one yet?
Everyone loves ice cream
Like most people I know, I love ice cream.
In fact, I’ve never met someone who didn’t. I do absolutely love it.
Give me a soft-serve cone with a flake and strawberry sauce and I’ll savour every lick, or how about three perfect scoops, covered in sprinkles? I’m such a happy bunny.
I don’t stop there though, I want to make ice cream as well and on occasion, I have done. I can vividly remember my first attempt, 25 years ago, and being left disappointed. It put me off making ice cream for years.
I blame Delia Smith!
Adventures into ice cream making
Before the days of Delia teaching us how to boil an egg, she published a summer recipe book with, in my eyes, the holy grail of ice cream – lemon meringue!
She sold to me a picture-perfect summer ice cream, with a zingy lemon curd, chewy meringue pieces and a smooth and creamy lemon ice cream.
Naively, what I wasn’t expecting was the mix, freeze, mix, freeze, mix, freeze pattern for hours, breaking up ice crystals, and in turn mushing up the meringue.
After a night of tending to my beautiful ice cream, when I finally got the chance to proudly present it to the rest of the family it tasted like a scratchy, lemony mess rather than that silky smooth blissful mouthful that Delia had promised.
From that day on I vowed never to make ice cream without a machine… and so my yearning for a lump of metal to take over the kitchen work surface began.
The wonder of no-churn ice cream
Fast forward a significant number of years, much older, a little wiser but with the power of Pinterest at my fingertips. Being in the middle of the longest UK heatwave I can remember, making ice cream became my latest food obsession again; but still no machine.
As if it could read my mind, Pinterest started popping up ice cream recipes, all sorts of techniques and flavours, but the ones that caught my eye were no-churn ice cream recipes. So I merrily pinned them thinking that no-churn really couldn’t live up to the hype…
That was until we ran out of ice cream and the freezer section of the supermarket was bare. Shock horror!
Not one to be defeated, I decided now was the time to give no-churn ice cream a go.
Could it really be that simple?
Would it be another disappointment after a promise of frozen heaven?
There was only one way to find out.
It really is that simple!
I gave it a try, and another, and another. And maybe another for good luck and to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke.
It wasn’t.
I’ll stake a claim that with a few tries and tweaks, no-churn ice cream is possibly the best ice cream I’ve made… with no machine.
It really is so simple, quick and versatile that there is no excuse to give it a go.
Top tips for no-churn mint choc chip ice cream
This recipe is possibly the simplest ice cream recipe that I’ve ever made, but there’s a few things to take it from simple and ok, to simple and amazing; here’s my top tips…
- Go for a real peppermint extract – I’ve used Star Kay White extracts in my baking for years, and think that their peppermint extract the best out there – it’s an extract, so its the real deal and not a manufactured essence
- Use a high-quality dark chocolate – a Choc chip anything should be good quality chocolate, and dark when put with mint – don’t bother with chips, cut into shards with a knife for flecks and texture in your ice cream
- Use a handheld mixer – Give the cream a good whisk with a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, rather than trying to beat by hand – you’ll be freezing your no-churn ice cream in no time at all
And…
If that all still sounds like too much hassle, or like me you can’t resist another kitchen gadget… then I’ve got this one on my Amazon wishlist!
Recommended equipment
Go ahead and try some mint choc chip ice cream
So there you have it…
No expensive machine, no trying to find space in the freezer to squeeze in a bowl to chill, and no more forgetting to break up those ice crystals every hour or so.
Believe me when I say no-churn ice cream really is that simple. You’ll wonder how you ever got by without knowing about the easiest ever ice cream recipe.
And the best thing is, that if you strip out the peppermint and chocolate, and add vanilla bean paste you’ve got stunning creamy vanilla no-churn ice cream as a blank canvas for new ideas. Drop me a comment below with your no-churn ice cream flavour suggestions.
More mint chocolate recipes to try
But if you’re a bit of a mint choc fan like my other half, my sister-in-law and nephew, then here a couple of other fresh and minty ideas you might want to try…
Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream – No churn
Ingredients
- 300 ml Double Cream or Heavy Cream
- 150 g Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 tsp Peppermint Extract
- 100 g 70% Dark Chocolate Roughly chopped
- Green Food Colouring Gel
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer, or a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment, whip the double cream until it reaches soft peaks. Make sure not to over whip the cream. If your cream is too stiff, add a tablespoon of milk and whisk in to loosen it up.
- With a spatula gently fold the condensed milk into the cream.
- With a knife roughly chop the chocolate into small pieces and shards for texture.
- Add the peppermint extract and chocolate and stir into the cream mixture.
- Using a cocktail stick, add the green food colouring, a little at a time until you get the colour you’d like.
- Put the mixture into a freezer-proof container, cover, and place in the freezer for at least 8 hours or overnight. No stirring necessary!
- When you’re ready to serve, let the ice cream soften slightly before scooping.
Notes
- You can use the cream and condensed milk as a base, and add any flavour combinations you want to try or just vanilla extract for a basic ice cream recipes.
- Instead of using liquid food colouring, I recommend using the food colour gels as they will not dilute the mixture and a little goes a long way.
Nutrition
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
My boys would love this! Thanks for linking up to #cookblogshare
Thanks Louise! It’s a great recipe for kids to get stuck into making. My nephews love trying all sorts of random flavours!
I’d eat this anytime of year!
Me too Kat! I love it all year round, but it is perfect for winter ice cream eating – although anytime is a good time for ice cream!
Ive used this recipe for years and is perfect after the initial set. However after a day or 2 is to hard to scoop straight from freezer. I want to make ice cream that keeps that scoopable consistency right from the freezer. Any tips or advice?
Hi Richie, its a great quick and simple ice cream recipe isn’t it! I do get the same sometimes to can be a lot softer than the last batch, and I think it’s down to the flavours or ingredients I’ve used. Normally it’s the fat and sugar that helps with the softness, but this doesn’t have sugar. I would have an experiment with mixing light corn syrup through it, maybe a tablespoon to start, and see how that goes. The other option is adding a drop of vodka, as it is tasteless and it won’t freeze, so maybe 25ml to start. Depending on who’s going to be eating the ice cream of course. Next time I make it, I’ll try both out and see what results I get. Good luck.
Raspberry and Oreo version made… amazing!
Oh my goodness, this looks incredible! Mint is my favourite flavour of ice cream and now I’m desperate to try out this recipe – thank you for sharing!
Sending you good vibes!
Nati x
Thank you! Mint definitely one of the best flavours and this is so easy. Give it a try and let me know how you get on 🙂
Made it yesterday a mint choc chip version and a salted caramel and honeycomb version. Both fabulous. I will make it again and experiment with more flavours. If I used unsweetened condensed milk could I make savoury ice creams?
Oooo the salted caramel and honeycomb sounds amazing! I’ll have to give that a try. You could certainly use an unsweetened condensed milk for a savoury version. I used to love a cheese ice cream that one of my favourite restaurants in Menorca used to make – fabulous!
The ice cream looks delicious in the picture