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    Home » Frozen Treats & Toppings

    Published Mar 6, 2020 · Updated May 31, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Double Chocolate Mint Chip Gelato Ice Cream

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Chocolate Mint Chip gelato in bowls on a green spotted towel next to 2 spoons with gelato tub behind from overhead Pinterest banner..
    Chocolate Mint Chip gelato in bowls on a green spotted towel next to 2 spoons with gelato tub behind Pinterest banner..

    Double Chocolate Mint Chip gelato is a rich chocolate frozen custard infused with a hint of mint and punctuated by shards of dark chocolate. With less fat than ice cream, this gelato surpasses traditional mint chocolate chip ice cream!

    Chocolate Mint Chip gelato in a tub from overhead. this …

    Why this recipe works

    • Gelato has less fat than ice cream, but still has that rich ice cream flavor and texture
    • Chocolate is used in 2 ways: in the custard base and later as a mix-in
    • Infusing the milk with fresh mint is an easy way to add mint flavor to the custard base
    • Drizzling in melted chocolate mixed with a small amount of canola oil produces chocolate shards that are easier to eat than frozen chocolate chips

    Making homemade ice cream doesn’t have to be relegated to summer. There are so many iconic ice cream flavors for the four seasons, why be limited? For me, Spring is for mint chocolate chip ice cream.

    Hold up…make that chocolate mint chip ice cream, using chocolate ice cream as the base. Or perhaps that should be chocolate mint chip frozen custard (the richer cousin to ice cream).

    Wait, I’ve got it…Double Chocolate Mint Chip Gelato. It’s got all the flavor and texture of homemade frozen custard with less calories. Score!

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • What you need
    • How to make Double Chocolate Mint Chip gelato
    • Questions asked and answered
    • Pro Tip: Infuse flavor with mint
    • Green for mint and green for St. Patrick’s Day
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What you need

    Like with an ice cream recipe, you need heavy cream, milk, and sugar for a gelato recipe. Mint and salt are used for flavor, and egg yolks thicken the base into a custard and add richness.

    Here chocolate is used two ways: to flavor the custard base, and later to melt for the chocolate mix-in. Dark chocolate has deep flavor, and you don't need more sugar because the gelato takes care of that already. If that's too intense, use semi-sweet chocolate instead.

    Why is canola oil used? It's to help the melted chocolate freeze into shards as it's added to the churning ice cream. Believe me, it works.

    Chocolate Mint Chip gelato ingredients portioned in glass bowls from overhead.
    Gelato ingredients are the same as custard ingredients

    How to make Double Chocolate Mint Chip gelato

    The process for making homemade chocolate gelato is just like that of making chocolate custard. The difference is that you must chill your custard base thoroughly before churning it.

    Step 1: Chop the chocolate

    Chop the chocolate using a serrated knife (it cuts chocolate better than a chef's knife). Put 4½ ounces (125 grams) of the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside (photo 1). The rest you'll use for the chocolate drizzle mix-in later.

    Collage of before & after chopping chocolate
    Chopping the chocolate for the custard and to mix in later

    Step 2: Make the chocolate custard base

    Combine the milk and mint in a saucepan (photo 2). Heat over medium heat until small bubbles form and it starts to steam, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let it steep 20 minutes. Return the saucepan to the stove and heat until the milk is steaming again, but not boiling.

    Milk & mint leaves in a saucepan.
    Steeping the mint to infuse the custard

    Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, and salt (photo 3). Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is dissolved.

    Egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, & salt in a glass bowl.
    Whisk together the egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, and salt

    Gently heat the egg mixture by slowly adding ½ cup of the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking. This process is called tempering the eggs. Add another ½ cup of milk and temper the egg mixture again.

    Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk (photo 4).

    Collage of tempering eggs with hot custard.
    Tempering the egg mixture with the warmed milk

    Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat (don't let it boil). Cook until the custard has thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 to 6 minutes. It should coat the back of the spoon and leave a trail when you draw your finger through it (photo 5).

    Wooden spoon checking thickness of cooked custard in pot below.
    Cook the custard until it coats the back of a spoon

    Add the hot custard into the bowl with the chopped chocolate (photo 6). Cover and let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until the custard is smooth. This is just like when making chocolate ganache.

    Hot custard & chopped chocolate in a glass bowl.
    Allowing the hot custard to melt the chocolate is just like when making chocolate ganache

    Step 3: Strain and chill the chocolate custard base

    Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing on the mint. Put the chocolate custard bowl in a larger bowl filled with an ice bath (½ ice cubes, ½ water, reaching halfway up the sides of the bowl). Stir the custard occasionally until it's cooled to room temperature, around 70 to 80˚F (photo 7). This helps to prevent any bad organisms growing in the custard as it cools.

    Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Chilled custard can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. For the best results, make sure the base is about 40˚F prior to churning.

    Collage of straining & cooling chocolate custard.
    Straining and cooling the custard in an ice bath

    Step 4: Churn the gelato

    About 30 minutes before freezing the ice cream, melt the remaining chocolate in the microwave about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 30 second increments. Add the canola oil and stir again (photo 8). Let it cool to room temperature.

    Melted chocolate & canola oil in a glass bowl.
    Melted chocolate and canola oil are used as a mix-in

    Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream maker I'm using is a KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment for a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. If that's not available, this Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker does a great job also (photo 9).

    When it’s almost done and has the consistency of whipped cream, pour in the melted chocolate with the machine running. Churn until all the melted chocolate has been added and mixed into the ice cream. Alternatively, stop the machine, pour a little chocolate in, and restart churning. Repeat until all the melted chocolate has been added.

    Collage of before & after churning chocolate gelato.
    Churning the chocolate custard into soft gelato

    Step 5: Ripen the gelato

    Transfer the gelato to a freezer-safe container and smooth over using a small offset spatula. Freeze for 2 to 4 hours to allow gelato to firm up, a process called ripening (photo 10).

    Collage of finished gelato in the ice cream make & in a tub.
    The finished gelato is soft and needs to ripen to firm up

    Questions asked and answered

    Here are some questions you might have...

    What's the difference between ice cream and gelato?

    Recipes for homemade ice cream are fairly straightforward. At its most basic all you really need is heavy cream and a sweetener (that’s the base). After that you flavor your base as you please (vanilla beans, chocolate, mint…) and add mix-ins if you'd like (chocolate chips, nuts, marshmallow creme, cookie crumbs). 

    An ice cream custard base (aka frozen custard) is in the same family as pastry cream (a version of Crème Anglaise for you purists). The benefit is that frozen custards are richer in flavor and have more body than regular ice creams. However, with that added richness comes added calories.

    Gelato uses the same frozen custard method, but its base typically has twice as much milk than heavy cream, so it has a lower butterfat content than ice cream. Great flavor, less calories. Win!

    What kind of chocolate chips are best for ice cream?

    Generally speaking, it's better to use mini chocolate chips as a mix-in for ice cream instead of full sized chips. They're easier to chew when frozen.

    However, instead of just tossing in chocolate chips towards the end of churning the gelato, it's better to drizzle in melted chocolate mixed with a small amount of canola oil. This technique produces slivers and shards of chocolate in the finished product. This way gives a more pleasant ice-cream-eating experience.

    Chocolate Mint Chip gelato in bowls on a green spotted towel next to 2 spoons and gelato tub from overhead.

    Pro Tip: Infuse flavor with mint

    I like recipes with fresh mint because I can infuse the flavor into certain ingredients. When mint and chocolate are paired, the flavors complement each other so well.

    For Mint Chocolate Chunk cookies, mint is steeped in melted butter, bringing that bright mint flavor to the cookie without it tasting plastic-y (as I sometimes find recipes using mint extract do). A humble chocolate chocolate chip cookie gets elevated into something sublime.

    In a recipe for homemade ice cream, infusing fresh mint into the milk is a great way to add a hint of mint to the finished product. You can even add mint flavor by infusing it into simple syrup (sugar fully dissolved in water). Strawberry-Mint Sorbet is flavored this way.

    I’ve also infused mint into heavy cream to make lovely Mint Chocolate Chunk scones. You can get that recipe if you sign up for my weekly featured recipe email. Just click on the button below. So much minty goodness!

    SUBSCRIBE
    Chocolate Mint Chip gelato in bowls on a green spotted towel next to 2 spoons with gelato tub behind.

    Green for mint and green for St. Patrick’s Day

    This Double Chocolate Mint Chip Gelato has deep chocolate flavor with a hint of mint underneath. The texture is so wonderfully rich and satisfying, you won’t miss that extra heavy cream.

    I made sundaes by topping scoops of this gelato with homemade hot fudge and melted Irish Whiskey Marshmallows. How’s that for a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

    Chocolate Mint Chip gelato sundae in bowl on a green spotted towel next to a spoons.

    This recipe for gelato is easy to make and easy to savor. Give yourself the time to treat yourself to chocolatey minty goodness!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Recipes

    Love mint? These recipes feature the bright flavor of fresh mint. And if you sign up to receive my weekly featured recipe email, I'll send you the recipe for Mint Chocolate Chunk Scones. Just click the subscribe button below. Enjoy!

    • Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies
    • Double Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
    • Double Chocolate Mint Chip Gelato Ice Cream
    • Chocolate Mint Marshmallow Ice Cream
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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a comment further down the page.

    I'd love to hear from you! Stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and please tag me using the hashtag #scotchandsconesblog. You can also sign up for my mailing list. I can't wait to see your creations!

    Recipe

    Chocolate Mint Chip gelato in a tub from overhead.

    Double Chocolate Mint Chip Gelato Ice Cream

    Tammy Spencer
    Double Chocolate Mint Chip gelato is a rich chocolate frozen custard infused with a hint of mint and punctuated by shards of dark chocolate. With less fat than ice cream, this gelato surpasses traditional mint chocolate chip ice cream!
    Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Ice Cream cookbook
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hr
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Cooling Time 8 hrs
    Total Time 9 hrs 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 373 kcal

    Equipment

    • serrated knife
    • fine mesh strainer
    • digital thermometer
    • ice cream maker
    • small offset spatula
    Prevent your screen from going dark while cooking

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 8 ounces dark chocolate, (1⅓ cups), divided
    • 3 cups milk
    • 1 cup fresh mint, see Recipe Notes
    • 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup granulated sugar plus 2 Tablespoons
    • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons canola oil

    Instructions
     

    • Make the custard base: Chop the chocolate using a serrated knife. Put 4½ ounces (125 grams) of the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside. The rest you'll use for the chocolate drizzle later.
    • Combine the milk and mint in a 3-quart saucepan. Heat over medium heat until small bubbles form and it starts to steam, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes. Return the saucepan to the stove and heat until the milk is steaming again, but not boiling.
    • Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
    • Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gently heat the egg mixture by slowly adding ½ cup of the warmed chocolate cream to the egg mixture while continuously whisking. Add another ½ cup of the chocolate cream and temper the egg mixture again. This process is called tempering the eggs, and its purpose is to prevent the eggs from curdling while the custard cooks.
    • Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat (don't let it boil). Cook until the custard has thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 to 6 minutes. It should coat the back of the spoon and leave a trail when you draw your finger through it.
    • Add the hot custard into the bowl with the chopped chocolate. Cover and let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until the custard is smooth. This is just like when making chocolate ganache.
    • Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing on the mint. Put the chocolate custard bowl in a larger bowl filled with an ice bath (½ ice cubes, ½ water, reaching halfway up the sides of the bowl). Stir the custard occasionally until it's cooled to room temperature (a digital thermometer should read about 80˚F).
    • Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Chilled custard can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. For the best results, make sure the base is about 40˚F prior to churning.
    • Churn the gelato: About 30 minutes before freezing the gelato, melt the remaining chocolate in the microwave about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 30 second increments. Add the canola oil and stir again. Let it cool to room temperature.
    • Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer’s instructions. When it’s almost done and has the consistency of whipped cream (after about 25 minutes), pour in the melted chocolate with the machine running. Churn until all the melted chocolate has been added and mixed into the ice cream. Alternatively, stop the machine, pour a little chocolate in, and restart churning. Repeat until all the melted chocolate has been added.
    • Ripen the gelato: Transfer the gelato to a freezer-safe container and smooth over using a small offset spatula. Freeze for 2 to 4 hours to allow the gelato to firm up, a process called ripening. Serve and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    For me, dark chocolate (aka bittersweet) has 72% cocoa and deep flavor, so you don't need the extra sugar because the gelato takes care of that already. If that's too intense, use semi-sweet chocolate instead.
    As a guide, one 1 ounce package of mint will yield about ½ cup (15 grams) of mint leaves.
    The ice cream maker I'm using is a KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment for my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. If that's not available, this Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker does a great job also.

    Your Notes

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 servingCalories: 373 kcalCarbohydrates: 32 gProtein: 7 gFat: 24 gSaturated Fat: 13 gCholesterol: 128 mgSodium: 93 mgPotassium: 382 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 24 gVitamin A: 747 IUVitamin C: 2 mgCalcium: 160 mgIron: 4 mg
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    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

    More about Tammy →

    July is ice cream time!

    Skip the store and make your own yummy ice creams, gelatos, sherbets, and sorbets! Homemade frozen treats are fun and can be customized to suit your tastes. Add homemade dessert toppings for a fun sundae. All you need to add is the cherry on top!

    • French Vanilla Ice Cream (Frozen Custard)
    • Chocolate Mint Marshmallow Ice Cream
    • Salted Caramel Swirl Gelato Ice Cream
    • Double Chocolate Mint Chip Gelato Ice Cream
    • Whole Lemon Sherbet, a refreshing treat
    • Silky Smooth Strawberry Mint Sorbet (Dairy-Free)
    • Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce
    • Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce with Cream

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    Profile picture - Tammy, July 2019 square

    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

    More about Tammy →

    July is ice cream time!

    Skip the store and make your own yummy ice creams, gelatos, sherbets, and sorbets! Homemade frozen treats are fun and can be customized to suit your tastes. Add homemade dessert toppings for a fun sundae. All you need to add is the cherry on top!

    • French Vanilla Ice Cream (Frozen Custard)
    • Chocolate Mint Marshmallow Ice Cream
    • Salted Caramel Swirl Gelato Ice Cream
    • Double Chocolate Mint Chip Gelato Ice Cream
    • Whole Lemon Sherbet, a refreshing treat
    • Silky Smooth Strawberry Mint Sorbet (Dairy-Free)
    • Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce
    • Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce with Cream

    See more recipes for frozen treats & toppings ➡️

    What's Popular with Readers

    Here's what my readers' are viewing...

    • Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake (Eggless & Dairy-Free)
    • How to make Scottish Bannocks from Outlander
    • Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse (no coconut & pareve)
    • Italian Meringue Macarons step by step
    • Homemade Marshmallow Creme (Marshmallow Fluff)
    • Easy Sourdough Discard Crumpets
    • Creamy Homemade Vanilla Pudding (no eggs)
    • Rich & Chewy Cake Brownies from scratch

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