If you have a bunch of fresh mint on hand and want a great way to use it, this dairy-free fresh mint ice cream is the way to go. I had a lot of mint leftover from making mint juleps (recipe coming soon) and knew making this ice cream would be a treat for my husband. He didn’t even notice that it was dairy-free. It’s that good. You can also make it with dairy. Just choose those options in the ingredient list.
Dairy-Free Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe
A refreshing fresh mint chocolate chip ice cream recipe. Use dairy if desired. It's rich and creamy with a little chewiness no matter how you make it.
Ingredients
- 2 cups homemade almond milk (See above recipe link – using 2/3 cup almonds + 5 cups water (or commercial brand) (or cow’s milk)
- 2 cups fresh mint leaves not packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar organic for vegan
- 3 whole large eggs
- 2 egg yolks optional (or 2 tablespoons coconut cream)
- 3 dashes salt
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (13.5 oz) I used 11% fat (or light or heavy cream)
- 1 teaspoon guar gum
- 1/3 dairy-free mini chocolate chips or chopped regular size – (Enjoy Life)
Instructions
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If you have an electric mixer and need to freeze the bowl as I do in my 2-Quart Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, be sure to freeze the bowl for at least 24 hours, despite the instructions stating 4 hours. Four hours is never long enough.
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Heat the almond milk in a 2 to 3-quart saucepan until steaming hot. Add the mint leaves and remove from stove. Stir, smashes the leaves with a wooden spoon to release their oils. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (I waited 20 hours.) Atleast twice during the chilling/soaking process, crush the leaves to releasemore oil/flavor.
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The next day, strain the milk through a fine-mesh strainer, into another container, squeezing out as much milk as you can. Wash the original saucepan and pour in the mint milk. Heat milk until steamy hot over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
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While the milk is reheating, whisk together the sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks (if using for additional richness), and salt. Once the milk reheats, remove from the heat and slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture. (This is called tempering the eggs and should always be done slowly to prevent scrambling the eggs.) Pour this mixture back into the saucepan of milk, whisking constantly. Return to the heat and reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring the mixture constantly until thick. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon where you can draw a line through it that remains.
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Remove the custard from the heat and sprinkle the guar gum on top. Using a hand blender process until smooth. Alternatively, use a countertop blender.
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Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and refrigerate for about 4 hours or until cold.
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Make the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. It takes about 20 – 25 minutes to freeze in my Cuisinart.
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Scoop into another container, stir in the chocolate chips, and cover. Freeze immediately or serve immediately as a soft-serve version. If it freezes solid before serving, microwave for 10 – 20 seconds before serving or leave it out for 15 – 20 minutes at room temperature, depending upon the temperature of the room.