The Mint-Chip Smoothie I Love Even More Than Ice Cream

We’ve teamed up with Planet Oat to share the many delicious ways you can enjoy their Oatmilk at home. Here, food writer and recipe developer Posie Brien shares her recipe for a mint-chip smoothie that gets its signature creaminess (no dairy necessary!) from Oatmilk.

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Let’s clear one thing up before we get started: I love ice cream. And not just the way most people do in a casual, summertime sort of way. I eat ice cream year-round and I rarely, if ever, am without at least a few pints in my freezer. Mint chip tops my list of the best flavors—and I’m very particular about it. It should be bracingly minty with a refreshing, cool depth of flavor. It shouldn’t be too cloyingly sweet and should taste like chocolate, with some texture and slight bitterness from the chips.

So you can imagine my surprise when I found a smoothie I like even more than ice cream.

Here’s how it happened: My husband made a mint-chip smoothie one night (from one of those frozen smoothie delivery boxes). I was on the couch eating a pint of mint chocolate cookie ice cream straight from the carton.

He offered me a sip, and after I drank it, I pleaded with him to give me the rest and forgot about the ice cream entirely. It was creamy and sweet and minty—and in comparison, the ice cream tasted too rich, too sugary, and flat in flavor.

I can picture you at home, shaking your head and laughing at the idea that a smoothie could ever top ice cream. But this isn’t an ordinary smoothie. It’s all the things I love about ice cream, but better. And hear me out: Not only is it good for either dessert or breakfast (a big win, in my book!), it’s far simpler than making ice cream at home, and just as nice of a cold and creamy summertime feast.

To find out for yourself, I’d suggest you give it a try. Freeze some sliced (very ripe) bananas and a few handfuls of chopped spinach. Once frozen, add them to a blender with fresh mint, pitted Medjool dates, and chlorella powder (for added color).

Then add the oat milk—it's the key to this smoothie's dreamy texture, lending more creaminess than other nut milks (and even some dairy milks) would. Oat milk also has a neutral taste that works well with the rest of the ingredients, like cashew butter (for richness) and a handful of cacao nibs (for a chocolatey crunch that mimics the chips in mint chip ice cream).

And there you have it: a smoothie worth abandoning even your favorite pint for, and one you can make on demand, all year long.

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What's your favorite smoothie combo? Tell us in the comments below!

In partnership with Planet Oat—makers of creamy, dreamy Oatmilk and other oat-y products (like non-dairy frozen desserts)—we're showing off the versatility of their Oatmilk with tons of tasty cooking tips and ideas.