This Mint Ice Cream recipe has the cleanest mint flavor without any artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

True Mint Ice Cream - a refreshing mint custard that can be studded with chocolate chips or used in a milkshake. | foxeslovelemons.com

A TRUE Mint Ice Cream Recipe

A love of mint ice cream has gone through my family from my dad, to me, and now, my daughter.

We’ll be the first to tell you that all mint ice creams are NOT created equally. Quality matters above all here, and we know a good mint ice cream as soon as we taste it.

This Mint Ice Cream Recipe is the result of many years of testing everything from peppermint extract to spearmint oil to fresh mint leaves.

We’ve landed on peppermint oil for the cleanest, truest flavor, but you can also use peppermint extract if you can’t find the oil (you’ll just need more of it).

Green food coloring is unnecessary here. Add it if you want, but one bite of this ice cream and you will know it’s mint, no color cues needed. This one is for the fellow mint lovers out there!

Why you’ll love this Homemade Mint Ice Cream

  • This homemade treat is free from artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.
  • The joy and satisfaction of making your own ice cream is incomparable.
  • It’s pure minty bliss for true mint lovers!

Homemade Mint Ice Cream ingredients

  • heavy cream – makes for the most rich and creamy ice cream.
  • whole milk – thins out the cream a little bit, for the perfect texture that isn’t TOO rich.
  • sugar – classic white granulated sugar will sweeten this ice cream.
  • salt – just a pinch of kosher salt will intensify the mint flavor.
  • egg yolks – these will thicken the ice cream and lend the most creamy consistency.
  • peppermint oil – infuses the cream with a pure and potent mint flavor. You can use peppermint extract instead, but you will need more of it.

Mint Ice Cream Variations

By starting with a base of pure, plain mint ice cream, you leave yourself with options for a variety of mix-ins, depending on your mood. Here are some of my favorites:

  • CHOCOLATE CHIPS – A classic, of course! Use regular semisweet chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or a chopped up dark chocolate bar.
  • OREOS – Crushed Oreo cookies will add a decadent, delightful crunch and flavor.
  • COCONUT – Sounds a little wild, but the tropical flavor of shredded coconut works really well with the cool flavor of the mint.

How to Make Mint Ice Cream

  1. HEAT. Combine the cream, milk, salt and half the sugar in a saucepan. Heat the mixture just to simmering, then remove from heat.
  2. MIX. Place the egg yolks and remaining half of the sugar in a mixing bowl and mix until thick and pale yellow in color.
  3. ADD. In a slow, steady stream, add a cup of the warm cream mixture to the egg mixture.
  4. COOK. Pour all of the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture and cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  5. STRAIN. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer.
  6. ADD. Stir in the peppermint oil.
  7. CHILL. Cover the custard with plastic wrap and chill completely.
  8. CHURN. Pour the custard mixture into your ice cream machine and churn.
  9. FREEZE. Transfer the ice cream to the freezer to harden completely.

Mint Ice Cream Home Chef Tips

  • If your ice cream maker has a removable canister to freeze, make sure it throughly frozen before churning.
  • Use the highest quality cream and milk and the freshest eggs for the best results.
  • Keep an eye on the ice cream as it churns. Over-churning can lead to a more icy texture, while under-churning may result in a too-soft ice cream.
True Mint Ice Cream - a refreshing mint custard that can be studded with chocolate chips or used in a milkshake. | foxeslovelemons.com

How to dish up Mint Ice Cream (No Chocolate)

Serve up a scoop of this pure minty bliss all on its own to fully appreciate its potent flavor. Or, use it to make a hot fudge sundae!

I also love this ice cream served with brownies. Serving inside brownie cups or on top of brownie pie are both great options.

Homemade Mint Ice Cream storage

Keep your homemade mint ice cream nice and fresh by storing it in an airtight container in the freezer. I’ve used this ice cream tub [affiliate link] for almost 10 years and have found it to be worth the investment.

Mint Ice Cream No Chocolate FAQs

Is mint ice cream peppermint or spearmint?

Mint ice cream typically uses peppermint oil or extract for its bold and refreshing flavor, but spearmint lovers can experiment with spearmint oil or extract.

Does mint ice cream have menthol?

No, the minty flavor comes from peppermint oil or extract, not menthol.

Is peppermint extract the same as mint extract?

Peppermint extract specifically comes from the peppermint plant, while mint extract may include various mint varieties.

Is there a difference between green and white mint ice cream?

The only difference is food coloring, which comes down to a personal aesthetic choice. It will not affect the flavor.

True Mint Ice Cream - a refreshing mint custard that can be studded with chocolate chips or used in a milkshake. | foxeslovelemons.com

Ice Cream (Mint)

Yield: Makes about 7 cups
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This Mint Ice Cream recipe has the cleanest mint flavor without any artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 10 egg yolks
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil or 2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Instructions

  1. In large saucepan, combine cream, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Heat just to simmering over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
  2. Place egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed 2 minutes or until thick and pale yellow in color.
  3. In a slow, steady stream, add 1 cup of warm cream mixture to egg mixture.
  4. Pour yolk mixture into saucepan with remaining cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until mixture is thick enough to coat back of spoon.
  5. Strain through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl.
  6. Stir in peppermint oil.
  7. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on custard; chill completely.
  8. Pour custard mixture into your ice cream machine and freeze according to instructions for your machine (mine took about 20 minutes).
  9. Transfer ice cream to freezer to harden completely (at least 4 hours).

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know what you think! Rate the recipe above, leave a comment below, and/or share a photo to Instagram using the tag #foxeslovelemons.