Recently a friend asked if the previously posted Fresh Mint Ice Cream recipe required an ice cream maker. Unfortunately, despite my love for no-churn ice creams, that particular recipe requires a machine (and my friend doesn’t have one). However, her question got me thinking about whether the original recipe could be converted to a no-churn version.
What made the original recipe so good?
Ultimately it’s the fresh mint that makes this ice cream so good. There’s no artificial taste or aftertaste and no artificial colors. My sister says it has a more herbal quality (in a good way) than what you find in mint ice cream bought from the supermarket.
The type of mint also matters. I prefer peppermint as opposed to spearmint but I won’t say no to ice cream made with spearmint. I’m also curious to try chocolate mint but that is a little harder to find – I may need to grow some myself if I want to try it.
Taking the best from two chefs
This recipe combines techniques from both David Lebovitz and Nigella Lawson. I’ve made some delicious ice creams from David Lebovitz’s cookbook, The Perfect Scoop, including Fresh Mint Ice Cream and Black Pepper Ice Cream.
Nigella Lawson, of course, provides the basic recipe for almost all of my no-churn ice cream recipes.
With tips and guidance from both, this recipe was born.
No-churn but not no-cook
Some cooking is required when steeping the fresh mint in the heavy cream. This is where the flavor (and the slight hint of green) comes from in the final product. The good thing is you don’t need an ice cream maker to enjoy this cool treat at home.
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No-Churn Fresh Mint Ice Cream
- Total Time: 8 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
Nothing beats the flavor of fresh mint ice cream, free of the artificial flavors and colors found in store-bought ice cream. This no-churn recipe combines techniques from both David Lebovitz and Nigella Lawson.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh mint leaves (packed)*
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
Pinch of salt
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2–3 tablespoons vodka, optional**
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, warm the heavy cream, salt, and mint. Once the mixture is hot and steaming, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for an hour to infuse the mint flavor.
Remove the mint with a strainer, then press down with a spatula firmly to extract as much mint flavor and color as possible. Once the flavor is squeezed out, discard the mint.
To prevent a film from forming on the top of the mixture, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the mixture. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely (at least 2 hours).
Place the cooled heavy cream mixture and sweetened condensed milk into the bowl of a stand mixture. Start on low speed to combine the ingredients then slowly raise the speed to medium. Whisk until soft peaks form and the mixture is airy. Gently whisk in the vodka.
Scrape the ice cream into airtight containers. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Notes
*I prefer peppermint over spearmint.
**Alcohol helps to keep the ice cream soft because it never freezes hard. If you omit the alcohol, allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
***To make mint chocolate chip ice cream, chop up 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate into small bits. Gently mix into the ice cream before freezing.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Inactive Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Ice cream
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 215.42
- Sugar: 14.58 g.
- Sodium: 45.72 mg.
- Fat: 15.63 g.
- Saturated Fat: 9.92 g.
- Carbohydrates: 15.39 g.
- Fiber: 0.45 g.
- Protein: 3.23 g.
- Cholesterol: 50.45 mg.
Keywords: no-churn ice cream, mint
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