Mint chocolate chip ice cream gets an upgrade. Rich, creamy mint ice cream is loaded with chopped Andes mints, Oreos, hot fudge and a generous splash of Bailey’s! Check out my other ice cream recipes when the next craving hits.
Have you ever taken one of those quizzes that asks you for your favorite color, favorite animal, favorite ice cream, etc.?
- Color: I’m 35 years old and I still don’t have an answer for this. I like to wear black because it hides stains, I like purple dresses because they pop, I like blue because it brings out my eyes… my answer is always circumstantial.
- Animal: As a pet? Dogs. Out of everything in existence? It’s a tie between seals, sea otters and wombats.
- Ice cream: This is a really hard one to answer. I think my go-to is cookie dough, but every time I have mint chocolate chip ice cream I’m always thinking I should eat this more often.
But every time I buy a thing of mint chocolate chip ice cream, I’m always left slightly disappointed. I always want it to have a little…. more. More chocolate chips, or bigger pieces of chocolate, or maybe a swirl of fudge. Just, more.
I fully admit that this is probably because Ben & Jerry’s pints have ruined all other ice cream for me. Theirs are typically loaded with bits and pieces of delicious things so that each bite has a little texture or crunch.
So what I’m saying is that I basically had no other choice than to make my own version that is super duper loaded with all sorts of things. Plus alcohol. I make no apologies for who I am and what I do.
Tips for making loaded mint chocolate chip ice cream
- You also don’t have to add alcohol if you don’t want to. I love to add Bailey’s Irish Liqueur because of the creamy mint flavor it provides, but there’s nothing wrong with leaving it out. No adjustments need to be made to recipe itself, you can just omit the liqueur.
- Use as much green food coloring as you see fit. I use a pretty concentrated brand of food coloring gel, and I find that around 10 drops gets me the light green color I want. Depending on the dye you’re using, you might need more or less, and if you want it to be a more intense green – add more! Don’t want it to be green at all? Just leave it out! It doesn’t add flavor, only color.
- Speaking of flavor, do not add too much mint extract. I can’t emphasize this enough. Too much mint extract makes it smell and taste like toothpaste, and that is NOT what we’re going for. I never use more than 1/8 teaspoon of mint extract.
- You don’t have to use the same add ins as me – make it your own! I love to add chopped Oreos, Andes Mints, a hearty swirl of hot fudge and a generous splash of Bailey’s. But generally speaking, you don’t want to add more than 2 cups of chunky add ins per quart of ice cream.
- For whatever add ins you use, make sure they’re not too big. You know that feeling when you dig into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream and there’s half a damn peanut butter cup in there that you have to try to dig out like a freaking archaeologist? Don’t do that to yourself, and chop things into smaller pieces.
- Yes, you will need an ice cream maker for this one. I adore my KitchenAid ice cream maker and wouldn’t trade it for anything, but you can use whatever you have and like.
- Pour your add ins into the ice cream maker in the last few minutes of churning. When it’s gotten to a point there it’s pulling away almost entirely from the sides of the mixer on each turn, pour them in a few different additions to allow for more even mixing.
- Spread your ice cream into a long, short container, versus a taller one. I typically put mine into a 9×5″ baking pan. It just makes it easier to get an even spread of your add ins, since they could sink to the bottom of a taller container as you’re pouring it in. Plus, it helps gives a nice even distribution of your hot fudge swirl, too!
- Save a handful of add ins to top things off. I like to set aside a small amount of chopped add ins to add to the top for presentation’s sake, and also to guarantee I have some cronch cronch in my first scoops.
This isn’t going to get rock hard in the freezer, so you don’t need to worry about the old run-the-ice-cream-scoop-under-hot-water trick. I mean, you can still do it if you want to, but you should be good without it.
You know what else might be good? Swap out the mint extract for peppermint extract and the mints for crushed candy canes – boom! Ice cream made for the Christmas holiday.
Description
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup half and half*
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur, or other mint liquor
- ⅛ teaspoon mint extract
- Pinch salt
- 10 drops green food dye, or more for more intense color
- 1 cup Oreos, chopped
- ¾ cup Andes mints, about 21 mints, chopped
- ¼ cup hot fudge sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine heavy cream, half and half (or milk – see notes), granulated sugar, Bailey’s, mint extract and salt.2 cups heavy cream1 cup half and half*3/4 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur1/8 teaspoon mint extractPinch salt
- Add food coloring and whisk again to completely combine.10 drops green food dye
- Pour ice cream batter into frozen ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturers directions (usually 20-25 minutes of churning).
- During the last 5 minutes, add in all but 1-2 Tablespoons of your chopped Oreos and Andes mints.1 cup Oreos3/4 cup Andes mints
- Pour into a loaf pan or other quart-sized container. Add hot fudge in a few blobs on top and use a knife or spatula to swirl it into the ice cream. Top with reserved chopped add ins.1/4 cup hot fudge sauce
- Cover and place into the freezer until ready to serve, or at least 2 hours. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.
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