Easy Peppermint Ice Cream Recipe

Homemade peppermint ice cream is the perfect festive holiday dessert. It’s rich,  creamy and full of crushed peppermint candy. This homemade ice cream recipe is the perfect Christmas dessert.

Peppermint ice cream is a favorite around our house. This rich, creamy ice cream base is full of peppermint flavor and crushed up candy canes.

It’s a beautiful dessert to serve around the holidays too. And making the chocolate waffle cones homemade is just icing on top.

You can serve this ice cream in pretty bowls or in homemade or store bought waffle cones.

This recipe also is great to use for my famous Christmas Ice Cream Cake. If you are anything like me its always so hard to find peppermint stick ice cream in the grocery store.

Peppermint ice cream really is a show stopper and easy to make at home in an ice cream maker.

I promise everyone will enjoy this ice cream, especially the kids! With the fun and festive color and the oh-so-delicious and decadent homemade chocolate cones this will for sure be a hit. 

You can even serve this on Christmas Eve night for a special treat. 

Change up the color:

The fun part about this recipe is you are in control of the ingredients.

You can change up the color or leave the food coloring out all together. If you are sensitive to food dyes, try an all natural food coloring instead.

I like to used a bright red color because it reminds me of candy canes, but you can do any color you like. 

Change it up with a bright green or go with a more natural approach and keep it white. 

Ingredients:

The ingredients are pretty straight forward. Just make sure to grab good quality ingredients, especially when it comes to the peppermint extract.

Here is everything you need to make this delicious ice cream. 

• heavy cream
• whole milk
• granulated sugar
• egg yolks
• peppermint extract: Make sure it’s peppermint extract and not a mint flavored extract.
• candy canes
• peppermint joe joe’s (optional): You can find these at Trader Joe’s

Tips for making ice cream:

• Makes sure to read your manufacturers instructions when using your ice cream maker. Many ice cream machines function a little differently.
• Make sure you cream together the sugar and egg yolks until the egg mixture is a pale yellow. 
• Temper the egg yolks by adding one cup of the hot cream and whisk. Then add remaining cream. This will help the eggs to slowly come up to temperature and not immediately scramble. 
• Cook the custard over medium low heat. If you cook it at a higher temperature the custard will burn and curdle. 
• Strain the finished custard through a fine mesh strainer to catch any lumps or overcooked eggs. 
• Make sure you freeze your ice cream machine for a full 24 hours before using it. 
• Serve it right out of the ice cream maker for more of a soft serve ice cream texture.
• If you prefer a harder ice cream, place the ice cream in a container and freezer for at least 2 hours.

How To Make Peppermint Ice Cream:

1. Add the milk and cream to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the mixture is hot and simmering slightly.
2. Add the sugar to a mixing bowl.
3. Separate 6 egg yolks and add the yolks to the sugar.
4. Add the egg yolks to the sugar and whisk until the mixture has turned a pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the peppermint extract to the milk. Add a couple of drops of food coloring and stir to combine. Let sit for 3 minutes.
6. Temper the eggs by adding a small amount of milk to the egg mixture and whisk. Then add the remaining amount of milk and stir.
7. Place the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly over medium low heat for 3 minutes to thicken.
8. The mixture should coat the back of the spoon slightly.
9. Run the mixture through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl to strain any lumps.
10. Place a layer of saran wrap directly on top of the ice cream mixture and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until chilled.
11. Place the ice cream mixture into your ice cream machine and turn on for 15 minutes to churn.
12. With a rolling pin, crush desired optional additions (peppermint candy or joe joe’s) in small plastic baggies.
13. When the ice cream is done (it will still be soft), place it in plastic containers. Stir in your optional additions. Cover with a lid and freeze for at least an 2 hours to harden. Serve in homemade chocolate waffle cones (recipe follows).

Check out these other delicious Christmas dessert recipes:

If you love getting into the Christmas spirit with food try these other delicious dessert recipes.

Best Christmas Cookies Ever: One Dough Makes 4 Cookies

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Christmas Ice Cream Cake

Easy Christmas Truffle Recipe

Baked Christmas Donuts

Peppermint Ice Cream Recipe:

Yield: Serves 6

Peppermint Ice Cream

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 23 minutes

Try this homemade peppermint ice cream two ways! You can fold in crunched up peppermint candies or fold in some peppermint Joe Joe's from Trader Joe's. Either way this dessert is epic!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 3 teaspoons peppermint extract
• gel red food coloring (a couple drops)

Optional:

• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
• 1/2 cup peppermint Joe Joe's from Trader Joe's or Oreo cookies

For Chocolate Waffle Cones:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract or peppermint extract
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

For Dipping The Cones:

• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes
• 1/2 cup peppermint Joe Joe's from Trader Joe's or Oreo cookies

Instructions

1. Add the milk and cream to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the mixture is hot and simmering slightly.
2. Add the sugar to a mixing bowl.
3. Separate 6 egg yolks and add the yolks to the sugar.
4. Add the egg yolks to the sugar and whisk until the mixture has turned a pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the peppermint extract to the milk. Add a couple of drops of food coloring and stir to combine. Let sit for 3 minutes.
6. Temper the eggs by adding a small amount of milk to the egg mixture and whisk. Then add the remaining amount of milk and stir.
7. Place the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly over medium low heat for 3 minutes to thicken.
8. The mixture should coat the back of the spoon slightly.
9. Run the mixture through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl to strain any lumps.
10. Place a layer of saran wrap directly on top of the ice cream mixture and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until chilled.
11. Place the ice cream mixture into your ice cream machine and turn on for 15 minutes to churn.
12. With a rolling pin, crush desired optional additions (peppermint candy or joe joe's) in small plastic baggies.
13. When the ice cream is done (it will still be soft), place it in plastic containers. Stir in your optional additions. Cover with a lid and freeze for at least an 2 hours to harden. Serve in homemade chocolate waffle cones (recipe follows).

Chocolate Waffle Cone Recipe:

1. Combine all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until the batter is well combined.
2. Preheat your cone machine and scoop about 1/4 cup batter in the center of the machine. Close and cook until desired color (you can set this on your machine).
3. Carefully remove the waffle cone from the machine and quickly mold into the cone shape using the cone mold. Let sit for 5 minute or so to harden completely.
4. Repeat with the remaining cones.
5. To create a dipped edge, melt the chocolate chips in 30 second intervals in a microwave safe bowl. Stir to melt the chocolate completely.
6. Dip the edge of the cone in the chocolate, shaking off the excess and then dip into crushed candy cane or peppermint Joe Joe's.
7. Set in cups.
8. Let cool completely and then serve ice cream in your cones.
   

Notes

If your cones have a little hole in the bottom you can plug it up with a mini marshmallow. This can help prevent the ice cream from dripping everywhere while you are enjoying your cone.

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