No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Mint chocolate chip has been one of my favorite ice cream flavors since I was a child. I will admit that I have many more favorite flavors than I did back then, but mint chocolate chip is still in the top ten. I like the way that the mint flavor adds a refreshing not to the ice cream, making it seem even more cooling as you lick your way through a generous scoop on a hot day. This No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is a very easy to make version of this classic flavor. It will take you just a few minutes to mix up a batch and there is no ice cream maker required. That said, you will have to allow the ice cream to set up in the freezer before serving, however I won’t tell if you treat yourself a big spoonful of the minty ice cream base while you wait!

As the name implies, this ice cream requires no ice cream maker and no hand-churning of any kind. This is because the ice cream contains two unusual ingredients: sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream. Sweetened condensed milk acts as the base of the ice cream, since it is already sweet, and you can add your flavoring directly to it without any cooking required. Whipped cream lightens the base an introduces tiny air bubbles into it, bubbles that mimic the way an ice cream maker churns air into a traditional ice cream base. Once the mixture freezes, it is a perfectly scoopable ice cream!

Mini chocolate chips are a much better choice than full sized chocolate chips in this recipe for a couple of reasons. First, full sized chocolate chips become so hard after freezing that it can be difficult to bite into them. Second, the mini chocolate chips are light enough that they largely remain suspended in the ice cream mixture as it freezes, while larger chocolate chips will sink to the bottom. If you don’t have mini chocolate chips, you can finely chop up a bar of dark chocolate and incorporate the smaller chunks or shavings instead.

Since most packaged mint chocolate chip ice cream is green, I opted to add in a few drops of green food coloring. The green tint makes the flavor instantly recognizable when you spot it in the freezer. That said, the food coloring is completely optional and the ice cream will still be delicious if you leave it out.

No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
1 can (13-14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
8-12 drops green food coloring, as needed (optional)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2-8 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and peppermint extract in a large bowl until well-combined. Whisk in food coloring gradually (if using), adding it a few drops at a time until the desired color is reached.
Whip cream to stiff peaks in a large bowl. Stir 1/3 of the mixture into the sweetened condensed milk to lighten it, then fold in remaining whipped cream. Fold in half of the mini chocolate chips. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or loaf pan and sprinkle remaining mini chocolate chips on top.
Cover with plastic wrap or an airtight lid, freeze until firm, at least 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.

Serves 6