Mint, chocolate, and brownies are swirled together in this classic ice cream flavor. It’ll still taste minty without the food coloring, but we like the nostalgic green touch. To make the ice cream, heat up cream and milk and stir in sugar until it dissolves, then temper egg yolks with the mixture (that means slowly adding the heated milk to the yolks and whisking fast so they come up to temperature without forming nasty cooked chunks), and then cook the custard for a few minutes. Add mint extract and green food coloring, chill the ice cream base, freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions, and fold in the brownie chunks and chocolate. For extra chocolaty goodness, pour some homemade Chocolate Shell Ice Cream Topping on it.

Game plan: To make this ice cream completely gluten-free, use these wheat-free brownies.

Be sure to get the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer and fully frozen before starting this recipe.

The unfrozen ice cream base can be made up to 2 days in advance.

  • Yield: About 1 quart
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 30 mins, plus chilling, churning, and freezing time

Ingredients (8)

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
  • 3 to 5 drops green food coloring (optional)
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped brownies
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Place a strainer over a large heatproof bowl; set aside.
  2. Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue to simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until foamy and light in color, about 3 minutes. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and slowly pour about 1 cup into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.
  4. Pour the cream-egg mixture back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. (When you draw your finger across the spoon, it should make a mark through the custard, which should not run back in on itself.)
  5. Pour the mixture through the strainer into the bowl and discard the contents of the strainer. Stir in the mint extract and food coloring. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours.
  6. Freeze the chilled ice cream base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Fold the brownies and chocolate into the finished ice cream while it’s still in the bowl of the ice cream maker. Serve immediately for a soft ice cream, or transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until solid. Allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving if frozen solid.