Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

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Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream is a chocolatey and decadent dairy-free ice cream you make in your blender with frozen bananas, cocoa, and mint extract -- and plenty of chocolate chips and Mint Oreo chunks.

You’re going to love this

Banana nice cream. If you don’t know about banana nice cream yet, here’s the scoop: Just whizz up frozen banana slices in a food processor or high-powered blender and they turn into a soft and creamy treat that is the exact same texture as soft serve ice cream. You can eat it right away or freeze it until it's a scoopable consistency.

Dairy-free option. For anyone avoiding dairy or all the mystery ingredients in store-bought ice cream, banana nice cream to the rescue. This recipe uses almond milk, dairy-free dark chocolate chips, and Mint Oreos that also happen to be dairy-free. You can use full-dairy ingredients in this recipe, too.

No ice cream maker needed. If you want to make your own mint chocolate chip nice cream, no need to lug out — or invest in— an ice cream maker. You will, however, need a food processor or a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, Ninja, or the like.

Even better than mint chocolate chip ice cream. Mint chocolate chip ice cream from the store is fine, but... what's up with those tiny little chips? This mint chocolate chip nice cream recipe is loaded with chocolate chips and Mint Oreos, which give it kind of a Girl Scout cookie vibe. Take it another step beyond with a minty magic shell!

No weird mint banana flavor. I have tried some of the recipes out there for mint chocolate chip nice cream that suggest simply adding mint extract and chocolate chips to blended bananas. But they tasted like minty bananas. So, I added cocoa powder to amp up the chocolatiness and give the mint a flavor to highlight other than the banana. And it’s sooooo gooooood. We actually couldn’t stop eating it and kind of fought over the last bite (just imagine the game Hungry Hungry Hippos).

Ingredients

Bananas. Blended frozen bananas create the “ice cream.” I slice and freeze mine when they are at the perfect eating ripeness — not banana-bread ripeness.

Dark cocoa powder. Dark cocoa powder flavors the bananas with a deep rich chocolate flavor, so the mint highlights the chocolate flavor, not the banana flavor. Dark cocoa powder is what I always keep in my pantry, but regular cocoa powder works, too.

Almond milk. A little bit of almond milk helps loosen up the frozen bananas. It’s actually not at all necessary to use any milk of any kind — it just makes the blending process a little bit smoother. I’ve made it without it and it works just fine.

Vanilla extract. A little vanilla extract helps enhance the chocolate flavor and smooth out any bitterness from the banana.

Peppermint extract. Peppermint extract is my ingredient of choice for adding that quintessential mint flavor. If you prefer to experiment with fresh mint, some folks love that. When it comes to peppermint extract, know that a little goes a long way, so start small. You can always add more.

Chocolate chips. It wouldn’t be mint chocolate chip nice cream without the chocolate chips. I used Nestle allergen-free dark chocolate chips, which are dairy-free, but any chocolate chips will do. Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips are really good in this, too!

Mint Oreos. I couldn’t help but add Mint Oreos to this mint chocolate chip nice cream because I just think ice cream with lots of stuff in it is more interesting. But you can leave them out or substitute with regular Oreos or chocolate wafer cookies.

More Sweet Frozen Treats to Try

TIPS

Start really small with the mint extract. I measure the mint extract not in fractions of teaspoons, but in drops. It’s so easy to accidentally go overboard, so start with less than you think you need, then add more drops.

Almond milk is optional. A little bit of almond milk or milk will help speed up the blending process. But it’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have it. The real necessary ingredient here is just a little patience while your blender or food processor does the work.

Make this vegan or gluten-free. The mint Oreos are dairy-free, but not vegan or gluten-free. If you’re going for mint chocolate chip nice cream that is totally vegan or gluten-free, you can omit or substitute the Oreos with your favorite vegan or gluten-free sandwich cookie or chocolate wafers.

Food processor or high-powered blender. A run-of-the-mill margarita blender just might not have the oomph behind it to break down the frozen banana chunks. You’ll need a sturdy food processor or hefty blender like a Vitamix or Ninja. I’ve used both. I might give a slight edge to the food processor, but they both work quite well.

Soft-serve or scoops. If you like the consistency of soft serve ice cream, you’ll want to enjoy this mint chocolate chip nice cream right away. Otherwise, you can let it firm up in the freezer for a couple of hours until it’s scoopable. If you let it freeze completely, it will be too firm to scoop, so just let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes to soften up. It will then reach a lovely consistency that’s scoopable yet a little soft and melty around the edges.

Need a Nice Cream Machine?

I have used a Ninja Foodi power blender and a Cuisinart food processor to make nice cream -- and they both do a great job.

How to make Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

Add the sliced bananas, cocoa powder, almond milk, vanilla extract, and 8-10 drops of peppermint extract to the blender or food processor.

Process until the mixture is completely smooth and the texture of soft serve ice cream. This will take several minutes and you will need to periodically stop to scrape down the sides.

Test the flavor for mintiness. If you need to add more peppermint extract, add a couple more drops until it reaches your desired flavor.

Add ⅓ cup chocolate chips, then 4 Mint Oreos. Process for a few seconds.

Spoon the mint chocolate chip nice cream into a freezer-safe container. A loaf pan or a glass storage container both work well.

Break 2 Oreos into pieces and press them lightly into the nice cream. Add the remaining chocolate chips.

Press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the nice cream. Freeze for several hours or until it reaches scoopable consistency.

Once the mint chocolate chip nice cream is completely frozen it will be extremely firm. Remove it from the freezer about 20 minutes in advance to let it soften to a scoopable state. Top it with more cookies, chocolate chips, a mint chocolate shell, or all of the above!

You can keep mint chocolate nice cream tightly covered in your freezer for months -- if it lasts that long.

Make it Even More Decadent with a Mint Chocolate Shell

A mint chocolate shell is super easy to make in about one minute in the microwave with 3 ingredients: chocolate chips, coconut oil, and peppermint extract.

It's a delicious homemade topping for this mint chocolate chip nice cream or a fun way to dress up a plain old scoop of vanilla ice cream. Get the recipe here.

FAQs

How do I freeze bananas for nice cream?

After trying a couple of different methods for freezing bananas for nice cream, this is the one I landed on. When bananas reach that perfect ripeness for eating — not making banana bread— that’s when it’s time to slice them. So when they're just starting to speckle.

Slice the bananas and place the slices in a large zip top bag with enough room to spread the bananas in a single layer. Lay the bag flat in the freezer until the banana slices have frozen.

Can you make banana nice cream in a food processor?

Yes, you sure can. Either a food processor or a high-powered blender will be able to break down those frozen banana chunks into that smooth soft serve ice cream texture you’re going for.

How do I store banana nice cream?

Store your banana nice cream in the freezer in a tightly covered freezer-safe container for up to a couple of months.