Homemade Peppermint Patty Ice Cream: The Ultimate Mint Chocolate Swirl Recipe for Any Season

There’s an undeniable magic in homemade ice cream, a creamy indulgence that transcends seasons and brings a smile to any face. This Peppermint Patty Ice Cream recipe is no exception, transforming a simple dessert into an extraordinary experience. My journey to create this minty chocolate delight began, like many great culinary adventures, with a holiday clearance find: a bag of peppermint patties. While seasonal demands often push such creative ideas to the back burner, the allure of crafting a truly special treat proved too strong to resist.

While many associate ice cream with the warmth of summer, I wholeheartedly believe it’s a year-round pleasure. Who says you can’t enjoy a frosty scoop when the snowflakes fall? Though this particular recipe finally came to fruition as spring bloomed, a hint of lingering winter in Pennsylvania only solidified my conviction that ice cream is always a good idea. Whether it’s 70 degrees or a chilly 30, the refreshing burst of peppermint paired with rich chocolate is a comfort food for the soul, perfect for chasing away winter blues or celebrating the arrival of warmer days.

The Irresistible Allure of Mint and Chocolate

For many, peppermint and chocolate represent one of life’s most exquisite flavor pairings. It’s a classic combination that evokes feelings of nostalgia, reminiscent of holiday treats and comforting beverages. Think of the iconic peppermint mocha from your favorite coffeehouse chain; while available all year, there’s a special festive feeling associated with enjoying it during the holidays. This ice cream captures that same beloved essence, offering a refreshing and decadent dessert that truly stands out.

My vision for this recipe went beyond simply tossing chopped peppermint patties into chocolate ice cream. I wanted to elevate the experience, to create a harmonious blend where every spoonful offered a delightful dance of flavors and textures. The goal was an elegant, homemade peppermint chocolate swirl, ensuring that the minty kick was perfectly integrated with the deep cocoa notes, rather than just an afterthought. This intricate swirl not only provides a beautiful visual appeal but also guarantees a balanced flavor profile, making each bite a symphony of cool mint and rich chocolate.

Crafting Your Own Peppermint Patty Ice Cream: Tips for a Flawless Batch

Creating homemade ice cream is a rewarding culinary endeavor, allowing you to control the quality of ingredients and customize flavors to your heart’s content. This recipe, while appearing sophisticated, is surprisingly approachable. The key lies in understanding a few fundamental steps that ensure a perfectly creamy, intensely flavored outcome.

The Perfect Peppermint Chocolate Swirl

The secret to our striking peppermint chocolate swirl lies in its careful preparation. This component adds a vibrant burst of mint and an extra layer of chocolatey goodness. Combining sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder to create a rich syrup, and then infusing it with peppermint extract, ensures a smooth, concentrated flavor. The corn syrup is crucial here; it helps prevent ice crystals from forming, keeping your swirl velvety and delicious. Allowing it to cool completely before chilling in the refrigerator is vital for achieving the desired consistency and preventing it from melting your ice cream base.

Building the Rich Chocolate Ice Cream Base

A luxurious ice cream requires a solid foundation. Our chocolate base starts with warming heavy cream and dissolving cocoa powder, then melting in high-quality semisweet chocolate. Using good chocolate makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor. The process of tempering egg yolks with warm milk, sugar, and salt is what gives the ice cream its incredibly smooth, custard-like texture. Don’t be intimidated by tempering; simply whisk a small amount of the warm milk mixture into the yolks gradually to gently raise their temperature before adding them back to the saucepan. This prevents the eggs from scrambling. Cooking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon indicates it’s thick enough to create that rich, creamy base we’re after. Passing it through a strainer ensures ultimate smoothness, catching any tiny bits of cooked egg or undissolved cocoa.

The Importance of Chilling and Churning

After preparing both the swirl and the base, chilling them thoroughly in the refrigerator is paramount. This step is often overlooked but critical for achieving optimal texture. A well-chilled base will churn more efficiently in your ice cream maker, resulting in a creamier, less icy final product. Once churned to a soft-serve consistency, the chopped peppermint patties are gently folded in, adding bursts of chewy, minty chocolate throughout. The final flourish involves layering the churned ice cream with the chilled peppermint swirl in your storage container, creating those beautiful ribbons of flavor.

Don’t have peppermint patties on hand but craving a similar treat? Check out Andes Mint Ice Cream from Ice Cream From Scratch for another delightful mint chocolate option!

A Freezing Fiasco (and a Lesson Learned)

Even the most dedicated ice cream enthusiast can face unexpected challenges. I recall an Easter weekend where my family and I were “forced” to rapidly finish off this delicious ice cream because our freezer decided to stage a protest, warming up to a shocking 12 degrees Fahrenheit! It was a race against time, a delicious but slightly urgent endeavor. While it seems to be working correctly now, that experience served as a humorous, albeit frustrating, reminder of how crucial a properly functioning freezer is for perfectly set homemade ice cream. This wasn’t the first time; during Ice Cream Week last year, my German chocolate ice cream sandwiches also struggled to freeze due to fluctuating temperatures. Perhaps my freezer just has a love-hate relationship with frozen desserts!

Enjoy Peppermint Patty Ice Cream, Anytime, Anywhere

Whether the calendar says April or December, whether it’s spring or winter, this Peppermint Patty Ice Cream is truly a magnificent dessert. It’s the perfect treat to lift your spirits on a gloomy day, a refreshing antidote to the winter blues, or a delightful way to welcome the vibrancy of spring. It’s versatile enough for a festive holiday gathering, a casual family dessert, or simply a well-deserved personal indulgence. The process of making it is a joyful experience in itself, promising a dessert that’s not just delicious, but also deeply satisfying and memorable. Be warned, though, its irresistible nature might just lead to a “mighty fine mess” of happy eaters!

This homemade Peppermint Patty Ice Cream offers a gourmet twist on a classic candy, providing a deeply satisfying mint chocolate experience with every creamy, swirled bite. Prepare to impress your taste buds and those of your loved ones with this incredible frozen treat.

Peppermint Patty Ice Cream

Yield:
1 pint

Chocolate ice cream with peppermint patty candy

Ingredients

Chocolate Peppermint Swirl

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Ice Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Few pinches of salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup peppermint patties, unwrapped and chopped

Instructions

For the swirl:

1. In medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, whisking often. Cook 1 more minute then remove from the heat. Whisk in the peppermint extract. Let cool to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator while you make the ice cream.

For the ice cream:

1. Create an ice bath by putting ice and water into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, warm up 1/2 cup heavy cream. Whisk in the cocoa powder until dissolved and smooth. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream. Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl that will fit inside the ice bath. Place the bowl inside the ice bath and set aside.
3. In the same saucepan, warm up the milk, sugar, and salt.
4. In a small bowl, whisk up the egg yolks. Once the milk mixture is warm, slowly whisk some of the milk into the yolks then scrape the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Bring the pan to a boil, stirring often until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon or spatula. Remove from the heat and the pour the mixture through a strainer into the chocolate mixture. Stir until blended.
5. Let cool in the ice bath until room temperature then remove from the ice bath and chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Assembly

1. Freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker (if freezing by hand, chill in the freezer and whisk every 30-45 minutes to break up the ice crystals until the ice cream is frozen). Just a few minutes before it is completely frozen, stir in the peppermint patties. To layer in the peppermint swirl, spoon some of the sauce into the bottom of the storage container. Spoon half of the ice cream on top, then the remaining sauce, then top with the rest of the ice cream.

Did you make this recipe?

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Source: Adapted from The Perfect Scoop

More Delicious Frozen Treats to Explore

If you loved the refreshing taste of my Peppermint Patty Ice Cream, you might also enjoy these other delightful recipes perfect for any occasion:

From my kitchen to yours:

• Shamrock Shake with Bailey’s Whipped Cream (who says this festive drink is only for March? Enjoy its creamy minty goodness anytime!)
• No Cook Egg Free Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream (A simpler, egg-free option for a classic flavor combination that’s always a crowd-pleaser.)
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Rice Crispy Treats (Combine two childhood favorites into one irresistible dessert!)

From fellow food bloggers:

• Peppermint Patty Sandwich Cookies from Cookies and Cups (Take the classic candy and turn it into a decadent cookie sandwich.)
• Peppermint Patty Gooey Cake Bars from Inside BruCrew Life (A rich, gooey dessert that perfectly marries chocolate and peppermint in a bar form.)
• Peppermint Patty Fudge Cookies from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts (Soft, chewy cookies packed with the beloved peppermint patty flavor.)