Peppermint Ice Cream with Fresh Mint
By Erin Huffstetler | 07/13/2020 | No Comments
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Treat your taste buds to homemade peppermint ice cream made with fresh mint. It’s just the thing to help you cool off on a hot summer day. Here’s the recipe.
Peppermint Ice Cream Made with Fresh Mint
Ingredients:
- A batch of vanilla ice cream base (here’s my ice cream maker vanilla base and here’s my no-churn vanilla base)
- A handful of fresh peppermint
- 2 tsp peppermint extract or 1/4-1/2 tsp peppermint oil
Have mint growing in your garden? Use some of it to make your own peppermint extract.
What You Do:
Remove any large stems. Then, finely mince your peppermint. The smaller the better.
Whip up a batch of your favorite vanilla ice cream base. Replace the vanilla extract called for with the peppermint extract or peppermint oil. You can use a no-cook base, or one that requires cooking. Either is fine. I used a no-cook recipe this time, so I wouldn’t have to wait for it to chill.
Once your base is ready, add the minced peppermint and peppermint extract or peppermint oil. Stir well to combine.
Then, transfer your base to an ice cream maker.
I’m a big fan of this Cuisinart Electric Ice Cream Maker. It has a cylinder that you keep in the freezer, so you don’t have to mess with rock salt, and it does all the churning for you. If you prefer to hand-churn your ice cream, I recommend a Donvier ice cream maker. It also has that magic cylinder.
Props to you, if you prefer to use rock salt and hand-churn your ice cream. I’ve just found that I make ice cream more often when I make it easy on myself. And I’m in the more-is-better camp when it comes to ice cream.
Enjoy your peppermint ice cream right away, or transfer it to the freezer to give it more time to harden up.
I was smart and made this batch while my kids were away at summer camp. See previous statement about more ice cream is better.
Variation:
Add a cup of mini chocolate chips for mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Peppermint Ice Cream with Fresh Mint
Use fresh mint from your garden to make this homemade peppermint ice cream recipe. It’s bursting with flavor, and looks gorgeous when you scoop it up.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Ice Cream Maker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients:
- A batch of your favorite vanilla ice cream base (here’s my ice cream maker vanilla base and here’s my no-churn vanilla base)
- A handful of fresh peppermint
- 2 tsp peppermint extract or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp peppermint oil
Instructions:
Make a batch of vanilla ice cream base, but replace the vanilla extract called for with 2 tsp of peppermint extract or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of peppermint oil.
Remove any large stems; then, finely mince the peppermint leaves.
Add the peppermint to your base.
Churn in an ice cream maker.
Enjoy your peppermint ice cream right away; or place it in the freezer to allow it to harden further.
Notes
Variation: Add one cup of mini chocolate chips for mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Nutrition Facts are based on using my ice cream maker vanilla base.
This peppermint bark made with fresh mint is another fun and unexpected use for the peppermint in your garden.