Looking for a simple way to make ice cream without buying fancy equipment or planning too far in advance? This no churn mint chocolate chip ice cream uses just a few ingredients and the hardest part is waiting for it to freeze.
When we got married years ago, I really wanted just a few things as gifts. The thing that was most important to me was a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I love baking and knew that this would make the experience even better. But I didn’t want that stand mixer just for the baking. Nope, I really wanted a few of the attachments that came with it. The two I was most excited about: 1) the ice cream maker and 2) the pasta roller.
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Do you really need to own an ice cream maker?
Ask me how many times I've used the items I really wanted. If you guessed anything less than five, you win. I think we’ve used the ice cream maker twice and the pasta machine, never (I really need more counter space).
The challenge with the ice cream attachment is that you have to remember to freeze the bowl 24 hours in advance. There is no spontaneity in it and we don’t always have the freezer space to give up. Also, it’s not nearly as simple as making this no churn ice cream. More ingredients, more steps, more sloshing all equals more mess and more time.
So I went looking for a solution and that’s when I stumbled across no churn ice cream. You need three ingredients to form the base and then can go crazy with flavorings, mix-ins, etc. Best part is that it's simple and can be in the freezer in under fifteen minutes.
What's so great about mint chocolate chip ice cream?
I’m starting with this flavor for three reasons.
- First and foremost it was my favorite flavor growing up (the kind from Baskin-Robbins was my absolute favorite, you know the one with chocolate shavings, not the big chunks or chips).
- Second, we have so much mint growing in our garden we had to do something with it (don’t worry, you don’t have to have fresh mint for this recipe)
- My biggest kiddo asked for it. And since she was my helper the first time we made this, she got to decide on the flavor.
In order to really play up the mint flavor, I'm going to share with you my little secret. We aren't going to use regular chocolate chips in this recipe. Nope, we are going to use Andes mint chips. (I stock up on them around the winter holidays, I suggested you do too!) If you can't find these, you can certainly just use mini chocolate chips.
I’ll share with you some other flavors of no churn ice cream that we really like soon. Think chocolate, strawberry, coconut, maybe even one that’s dairy free. I’m also working on a special no churn ice cream for a simple Thanksgiving dessert...just wait for that one! Have a flavor you want me to try. Leave a comment below and I’ll what I can do.
So how do you make no churn ice cream anyway?
The key to no-churn ice cream is whipping the cream to stiff peaks and then gently fold in the remaining ingredients. You want to make sure to keep the fluffiness of the cream so that you get the ice cream feeling you are looking for.
Then you can gently add in other ingredients to come up with a wide range of flavors. Today, I’m going to share with you our mint-chip recipe, but you can really let your imagination go wild.
Tips and tricks
- Want to serve this to a crowd? Put it in chocolate cookie pie shell and serve it as ice cream pie! You could even drizzle chocolate sauce over the top to make it really fancy
- You’ll want to freeze this for at least 4 hours, but I like to freeze it overnight when possible. It’s good to make with the kids after dinner, and then its ready for eating the next day.
- Heavy whipping cream is a must here. It’s the key to getting a creamy consistency.
Looking for other simple desserts to make today? Try out one or two of these simple recipes and you’ll be a hero for sure!
📖 Recipe
5 Ingredient No Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups Heavy cream
- 1 can Sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ teaspoon Mint extract (a little goes a long way, add more to taste)
- 1 cup Chocolate, chopped or chips
- 4 drops Green Food Coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Whip the Cream: In a large bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer on high speed.
- Mix Condensed Milk and Flavorings: In a separate bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, mint extract, and green food coloring if using. Stir until well blended.
- Combine Mixtures: Gently fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream until fully incorporated. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream.
- Add Chocolate: Fold in the chocolate evenly throughout the mixture.
- Freeze: Pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan or a freezer-safe container. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap or a lid, and freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm.
Notes
- Prevent Ice Crystals: Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream before sealing.
- Label It: Add the date to your container so you remember how long it’s been in there. I like to do this with blue painters tape and a sharpie.
- Easy scooping: Let it sit at room temp for 5 minutes before scooping.
- Container choice: For feeding a family, I like freezing the ice cream in a loaf pan. Alternatively, I freeze these in 4oz portion cups for an easy grab and go snack (this also avoids the constant “she got more conversation”)
Nutrition
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