Andes Mint Ice Cream (No-Churn) is easy to make and refreshingly cool and minty on a hot day. It’s also a wonderful cold weather ice cream. Let’s make some, shall we?
You may also enjoy my no churn peppermint ice cream or Junior mint ice cream because mint and cream are fantastic together!
Don’t miss my round up of all my ice cream recipes. And if you need ice cream sauces, I have you covered there too.
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If You’re On the Fence About No-Churn Ice Cream…
I always looked at no-churn ice cream with a squinty eye. It just seemed too good to be true that you could make ice cream smooth and creamy without churning.
And then finally I broke down and ended up throwing together this Andes Mint ice cream last night. Not sure what possessed me–I guess it was just Time!
And I have changed my mind about no churn ice cream. Forever.
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How To Make No-Churn Ice Cream: Basic Ingredients
The base of any no-churn ice cream, as far as I can tell anyway, is almost always the same:
- one 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
- a pint of heavy cream
to that basic formula, you really need to add:
- a healthy pinch of salt to bring out the dairy flavor and cut the sweetness just a bit
- flavoring–vanilla works as a great base for almost any other flavor
Many of the recipes call for whipping the cream and folding it together with the sweetened condensed milk, but an even easier method is:
To make no churn ice cream, put the cream and condensed milk in your mixer bowl and whip them together until thickened. Tada!Pro Tip: After a few batches of no-churn ice cream, I have found that if you whip only until the cream and sweetened condensed milk thickens to about the consistency of melted traditional ice cream–so just somewhat thickened–it acts more like traditional ice cream when it melts.
Ingredients for Andes Mint Ice Cream
All you need is 7 ingredients. You could also consider adding an optional 8th ingredient: creme de menthe, for a more grown up, boozy take on Andes ice cream.
If you decide to make this a true creme de menthe ice cream, add an ounce (2 Tablespoons) of creme de menthe along with the vanilla and mint oil.
Here’s what you’ll need:
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- heavy cream: provides bulk as well as butterfat for mouthfeel. Allows you to whip the base until thickened
- sweetened condensed milk: provides the rest of the bulk of the recipe as well as all the sugar (except for the mint chips) without contributing excess water that would make your base icy when frozen
- vanilla extract: rounds out flavors. Not strictly necessary in a mint ice cream, but I love the combination
- salt: brings out the flavors of all the other ingredients.
- peppermint oil (or extract): provides the majority of the mint flavor. Peppermint oil and peppermint extract are not interchangeable at a 1:1 ratio. You’ll only need a very few drops of peppermint oil to provide enough mintiness in this base. If you use peppermint extract, you may need 1/2 teaspoon or more to achieve the same level of mint flavor
- green food coloring (optional): For whatever reason, our eyes and palate are primed to taste “green” as “mint,” so adding a touch of food coloring gives you a visual cue about what flavor you’re about to eat. It is optional, but I like to use a couple of drops of food coloring.
- Andes Creme de Menthe Chips: Provides creamy, chocolate mint accents to the ice cream and adds a little textural contrast as well as reading “mint chip.”
The Best Way to Make No-Churn Ice Cream Feel Like Traditional Ice Cream
The first time I ever made no-churn, which was this recipe, I followed the prevailing wisdom of whipping the cream to peaks and then folding in the sweetened condensed milk.
I don’t love this method because it takes longer and when the ice cream melts, it tends to hold its shape instead of melting like a proper ice cream.
To solve this problem and to ensure the ice cream melts as it should, leaving a pool of creamy goodness in the bottom of my bowl, this is my new technique, and I use it for all no-churn ice creams I make:
- Add sweetened condensed milk, flavorings, and heavy cream to you mixer bowl at the same time.
- Whip using the whisk attachment until the whisk leaves tracks in the cream and it has thickened somewhat. You don’t want the mixture to hold peaks, but you do want it to be thicker than it was when you started.
- Scrape thickened mixture into a container, press plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream, and freeze until firm, at least six hours.
More No-Churn Ice Creams to Enjoy
If you love the Andes mint chip version of no-churn ice cream, you might also enjoy some of these other flavors:
- My chocolate caramel ice cream starts with a caramelized base. Adding chocolate just sends it straight over the top.
- No-Churn Creamsicle Ice Cream marries bright orange with creamy vanilla into a flavor every kid (and adult who used to be a kid) will recognize and love.
- Everyone’s holiday favorite, Peppermint Ice Cream, is hard to resist, and when you can make it any time of year, there’s no reason to wait until Christmas.
Question?
If you have any questions about this post or recipe, I am happy to help.
Simply leave a comment here and I will get back to you soon. I also invite you to ask question in my Facebook group, Fearless Kitchen Fun.
If your question is more pressing, please feel free to email me. I should be back in touch ASAP, as long as I’m not asleep.
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Andes Mint Ice Cream (No-Churn)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream 1 pint
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt)
- 4-6 drops peppermint oil (or 1/4-1/ 2 teaspoon peppermint extract), to taste
- 2-3 drops green food coloring (or pink if you’d rather), optional
- 2 Tablespoons creme de menthe optional
- 8 oz Andes mint chips or other mint chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, salt, peppermint oil or extract and green food coloring. Start with a lesser amount of peppermint oil/extract and green food coloring. Taste once you begin whipping and add more if necessary.
- Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until it starts to thicken, about 1 1/2 minutes.
- Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is evenly whipped and whip for another 10 seconds or so. Mixture will not hold peaks.
- Add the mint chips and thoroughly fold in by hand.
- Pour into a freezer-safe container and spread out evenly. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream and freeze until firm or preferably overnight.
- Allow to temper for just a few minutes on the counter before scooping and serving.
Did You Make Any Changes?
Notes
Nutrition
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See how easy that is to make?! Seriously, I made it and cleaned up all while The Beloved was running a short errand. For him, it happened like magic. For me, it happened almost like magic!
Make some of this Andes mint ice cream magic for yourself at your earliest convenience. I promise it will make you very happy. And seriously, if you haven’t tried no-churn ice cream, it is most definitely a viable option, especially for folks who don’t have or want an ice cream maker.
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Would Torani’s creme de menthe work as well?
Ooh, what a great idea! I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it would. Start with a little and add to taste. Enjoy, and I’d love to hear how you like it!
I made this recipe and the outcome was amazing! My whole family agreed that it was better than store-bought ice cream. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Albertina, hi! I’m so pleased you and your family love it. Thanks so much for letting me know!
The grandkids love it and don’t know the difference. It’s fun to make with them too.
It really is so easy to make! I can’t believe I was so skeptical for so long. Now I’m all in for no-churn! 🙂
My son’s will love this! They love anything Andes mint. I always have the chips in my pantry.
You will be a hero! This is so easy to make, too! Hope your whole family enjoys it, Ellen. 🙂
I am dying to make homemade ice cream but the heat wave has me listless and not wanting to move. But now, I see this no-churn recipe and I am inspired. I think I will try your basic recipe and add my own tropical fruit flavors. Stay tuned. Thanks for sharing, Jenni!
Yes! I bet you could make an incredible mango version, BA!
This ice cream looks and sounds delicious. Very glad that you compared this ice cream to the churned.
Thanks, Julie! Yes, I think it’s important for folks to know that it’s not exactly like “regular” ice cream. It’s very good and so easy that it would be silly not to make it, but sometimes you just really can’t beat churned. The next time I make some, I’m going to play with how long I whip it to see if I can get it closer to the consistency of churned ice cream. 🙂