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Matcha Mint Chip Ice Cream

by:
March  5, 2015
4
4 Ratings
  • Prep time 6 hours
  • Makes 4 cups
Author Notes

Mint chip ice cream has been a personal favorite since childhood. Trips to the Thrifty ice cream shop for a double scoop of minty green goodness are happily ingrained in my memory. However, since I began making a homemade version of this favorite a few years ago, I have struggled with the lack of that gorgeous, pale green hue that so vividly marks "mint" in my mind. That is until I discovered matcha. Not only a natural food coloring, but a nutrient powerhouse, matcha in this recipe takes "minty fresh" to a whole new level.

Having used a combination of different nut milks in homemade ice creams over the years, I have yet to settle on an overall favorite. However, I found that cans of coconut milk contain enough fat to add a rich creaminess to the ice cream -- but not so creamy that it overpowers the freshness of the mint and matcha. I sweeten the coconut milk with pure maple syrup, then simply blend and chill it (no boiling!). The nutrients of the matcha remain intact, and you are left with a vegan, sugar-free treat that will not disappoint! Scoop it on top of your favorite sugar cone and do a little happy dance -- you're having an ice cream cone at home! It sure brightened our Tuesday night. I hope it brightens yours, too. —Jessie May Snyder

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Ingredients
  • 1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
  • 1 13.5-ounce can full fat coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon matcha
  • 2 teaspoons mint extract
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
Directions
  1. Blend the the coconut milk, matcha, mint extract, and maple syrup and pour into a medium mixing bowl. (You can also use an immersion blender to blend directly in the bowl.)
  2. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill the ice cream base in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Chop your dark chocolate, and place in a separate bowl in the freezer as well.
  3. Add the chilled batter to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is about three quarters of the way done, add the chopped dark chocolate and allow it to finish processing.
  4. Eat right away as soft serve, or transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer to set (about 2 hours). Let thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
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10 Reviews

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Kim J. August 3, 2015
I also tried making this, but found that it was still quite icy, even with the can of full-fat coconut milk. It also took forever to churn, and at the end I got a really soupy looking mixture. Hoping it's just my ice cream maker being funny. In terms of flavour, however, this is pretty good. Just wish the consistency was better!
Jessie M. August 3, 2015
I'm so sorry Kim. I'm not sure what went wrong either. Could be the ice cream maker and/or the heat? I've made it several times both ways without a problem so this just makes me so sad! 2 cans of full fat coconut milk will make it extra creamy. But one of each (as listed above) always yields a great texture using our maker. I'm super bummed for you and apologize that it didn't turn out as you hoped!
Eva June 25, 2015
I was incredibly excited about this recipe, but was so bummed with the results when I made it! I followed the instructions verbatim, but the final result--though a nice minty, green-tea flavor--was very, very icy. It might be that different brands of light coconut milk have different water content. If I do it again, I'd apply the same flavor to a dairy base, or substitute with some full-fat coconut milk.
Jessie M. June 25, 2015
I'm so sorry Eva! It definitely is suppose to be lighter, but not icy! Using full fat coconut milk cans will probably give you the consistency you're looking for. Hope it comes out better next time for you!
Jessie M. June 26, 2015
Ps. I updated the recipe to using 1 can light and 1 can full fat to hopefully offset the risk of icy-ness for others in the future!
Mildred C. June 10, 2015
What is matcha and where do you get it?
Jessie M. June 18, 2015
It's a green tea powder found at most health food stores or online!
Jessie M. May 6, 2015
Hi Jonilynn! Good news, the flavor is not noticeable at ALL. However, if you would rather use coconut nectar or brown rice syrup I'm sure those would work well too (maybe even honey!). But no, the maple flavor is not present. Hope that was helpful!
jonilynn May 6, 2015
My husband doesn't care for maple syrup- is the flavour very noticeable? Have you tried a different sweetener? Thank you in advance!
Jessie M. June 18, 2015
Hi Jonilynn! Good news, the flavor is not noticeable at ALL. However, if you would rather use coconut nectar or brown rice syrup I'm sure those would work well too (maybe even honey!). But no, the maple flavor is not present. Hope that was helpful!