No-Churn Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream

The secret to the superior flavour of this ice cream is an infusion of fragrant fresh mint leaves and cream. 

It's the sweetened condensed milk that gives this frozen treat its decadent creamy texture. No churning required!

It really doesn't get much easier, whip some cream, add the condensed milk, and freeze. It has the same texture as traditional ice cream made with a very rich cooked custard base and slowly churned until frozen. I didn't believe it until I tried myself, but no-churn sweetened condensed milk ice cream is truly a revelation. It's a fool-proof basic recipe for ice cream that requires no cooking, no special equipment, and depending on the flavour you make, no planning ahead.

For this recipe, allow some time for the cream to chill after infusing it with the fresh mint, so you will need to begin a few hours before you plan on actually making the ice cream.

No-Churn Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream

• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (300ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (optional)
• 160 grams dark chocolate bar - coarsely chopped

Coarsely chop the mint leaves and combine with the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Gently warm the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it feels hot to the touch. Don't let it come a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let steep for 20-30 minutes.

Strain the cream in to a bowl, squeezing the mint in order to release as much liquid as possible.

Chill the infusion until it very cold by placing the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice or by placing it in the refrigerator for a few hours. The cream won't whip properly unless it is very cold, so don't try and rush this step.

In the bowl of your stand-mixer, or using a large whisk, whip the cream until it holds gentle peaks.

Taste the cream to test for flavour, you may want to add a few drops of peppermint extract if it's not quite minty enough for your liking.

In a separate bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk with the vanilla until combined.

First fold in about a cup of the whipped cream to the sweetened condensed milk to lighten it a bit. Then add this mixture into the remaining whipped cream and continue to fold in until everything has been evenly incorporated.

Finally, stir the dark chocolate bits through the mixture.

Transfer to a container for freezing. I like to use a chilled glass or ceramic 2 litre loaf pan, but almost anything would do.

Cover the surface of the mixture with plastic wrap, and freeze for 5-6 hours until firm.

Mint Chip, that classic ice cream parlor offering has never tasted so minty fresh.

Gladys

Gladys started whipping and churning recipe variations for mint chip ice cream the moment she heard our baby sister would be home for her birthday. What's a birthday celebration without homemade ice cream?

Me and my baby sister.

Initial recipe testing yielded two finalists, a traditional gelato base infused with fresh mint, and this no-churn ice cream. The whole Dunham family weighed in, and the results were clear as our spoons battled to finish the last of one of the containers. It was the no-churn fresh mint chip.

Gladys wore her party hat while whipping the cream for Katy's birthday treat, she does love to accessorize.

Happy Birthday Katy!