Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream
This creamy, vegan nice cream recipe will have all the mint chocolate chip lovers swooning! All you need are six simple ingredients and a high powered blender (or food processor) for a quick, one-minute blend.
I’m a huge fan of all things mint chocolate chip. It’s been a part of my birthday tradition since I was a kid (though back then it was always mint chocolate chip ice cream cakes). Now, in gluten-free Downshiftology-land, I get creative each year with unique birthday desserts that are a bit healthier and maintain that fun and special mint chocolate chip theme. You can check out previous birthday recipes below!
So let’s chat about this mint chocolate chip nice cream. It uses the simplest ingredients (no green dyes or powders are needed to make it green), it’s fast and easy (literally one minute in a blender), and it’s got the most refreshing peppermint-y flavor (with lots of chocolate chunks for good measure!).
What You Need For Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream
The beauty of nice creams is that you don’t need to add extra sugar – all thanks to frozen ripe bananas that are perfectly sweet on their own! The banana serves as a sweet and creamy base, and then there’s just a few extra ingredients to make the perfect ice cream-like dessert.
- Bananas: Frozen sliced bananas are key! I’ve got a few tips on how to freeze bananas, but just make sure to use ripe bananas that have just started to brown for a sweeter nice cream. Then you don’t need to use any honey or maple syrup, though you can always add that if you’d like.
- Avocados: A ripe avocado not only adds to the ultra-creamy texture, it’s adds a natural green color without the need for dyes or special powder colorings like matcha powder or spirulina. Bonus – avocados are neutral in flavor and take on whatever flavor you add, like peppermint! If you’ve made my chocolate avocado pudding, you know!
- Almond Milk: Feel free to use almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.
- Peppermint Extract: Just a teeny bit is needed for the right amount of peppermint flavor. Tip – start with less and add more so the peppermint flavor isn’t overpowering.
- Vanilla Extract: Just a smidge of vanilla extract sweetens the nice cream and balances the peppermint flavor.
- Chocolate Bar: Grab your favorite chocolate, whether that’s milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Your choice!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Nice Cream – with a Mint Chocolate Chip Twist!
Freeze the bananas and avocado. Peel and slice the bananas into chunks, and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Peel and dice the avocado, and add to the baking tray. Place both in the freezer for at least 2 to 3 hours. You want them nice and frozen!
Blend the base up! Add the bananas, avocado, almond milk, peppermint extract and vanilla extract to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend for one minute, until it’s smooth. If your blender has a tamper, make sure to use that!
In goes the chocolate. Add the chopped chocolate to the blender and either stir together (if you’d like to keep big chunks of chocolate) or pulse a couple of times (to get small flecks of chocolate).
It’s ready to enjoy! Serve immediately for a soft texture or place in a loaf pan and freeze for a couple of hours for a firmer texture.
A Few Tips For the Perfect Nice Cream Recipe
- Make sure you have enough in the blender. Don’t try to reduce this recipe at all. You need a minimum amount of “stuff” in a high-powered blender in order for it to churn into nice cream. If you find that it’s not blending properly, you may need to grab larger bananas next time.
- Don’t be shy with the tamper. You’ve really got to push the tamper down hard. It’s a little bit of an arm workout… but it’s only a minute!
- Scrape down the sides as you blend. Since you’re working with mostly frozen ingredients, you may need to scrape down the sides or move around bigger frozen clumps as you go.
How To Store Nice Cream
Any leftover nice cream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind it will be rock solid once you take it out of the freezer. So let it thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes, or until it starts to soften.
More Mint Chocolate Desserts
Craving more mint chocolate dessert ideas? I’ve got you covered with lots of previous birthday recipes! And with that in mind…what mint chocolate dessert should I make for my birthday next year?
- Mint Chocolate Energy Balls (2021 birthday)
- Mint Chocolate Vegan Cheesecake (2020 birthday)
- Peppermint Truffles (2019 birthday)
- Mint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (2018 birthday)
- Chocolate Peppermint Slice (2017 birthday)
- Mini Skillet Brownies with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (2016 birthday)
For all my mint chocolate lovers, I guarantee you’ll be making this pretty often. Once you give this recipe a go, let me know your thoughts in a comment below!
Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 large bananas
- 1 large avocado
- ¼ cup almond milk (or other dairy-free milk)
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces chocolate bar, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Peel and slice the bananas into chunks, and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Peel and dice the avocado, and add to the baking tray. Freeze for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- Add the frozen bananas, frozen avocado, almond milk, peppermint extract and vanilla extract to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend for one minute, or until smooth. If your blender has a tamper, make sure to use that.
- Add the chopped chocolate to the blender and either stir together (if you'd like to keep big chunks of chocolate – my preferred method) or pulse a couple of times (to get small flecks of chocolate).
- Serve immediately for a soft texture or place in a loaf pan and freeze for a couple of hours for a firmer texture.
Is it possible to do this with fresh mint instead of the extract? thanks
So I tried the recipe, and I can’t seem to cover the taste of the banana 🙁 I even doubled the extract . Any hints? Thank you!
Unfortunately nice cream will always have a slight banana taste since the base of it is frozen bananas. But, you can try using less bananas and more avocado instead!
Thanks for the recipe Lisa :)
My Vitamix was burning up with this, which is weird as I’ve made other nice creams before in it. Hmmm.
I could have handled more peppermint, my extract must be weak, lol.
It’s nice to have a new nice cream recipe to put in rotation. Thanks!
I can’t eat avocado *(
How I can substitute it?
You can just sub it for more bananas.
I’ve made so many of your recipes, and love them all. You rock! So…haven’t made this yet but about to. I prefer oat milk to almond milk, always, hands-down. I know…maybe not as “clean”….but does it work/do you know? (it’s creamier! I hate how almond milk is so watery!).
Any non-dairy milk should work :)
Lisa,
This recipe looks delicious! My question for you is your chocolate-what’s your favorite brand? I use many in my chocolate making, but usually cacao & butters.
My 2nd question are the ingredients-mangoes are in season and wanted to know if you have tried this recipe with them.
Thanks for always making delicious meals, desserts and all the you do! I have never had anything of yours that I have not enjoyed and made repeatedly!!! Thanks-Karin Leavitt
For chocolate, I use a variety, depending on what I can get at the time. But I love Pascha Chocolate, or just the Whole Foods brand. As for mangoes, I haven’t tried it with this recipe yet!
Just made this! I also needed to add more like a cup and a half of almond milk. My Vitamix was struggling! The peppermint is a little intense so I will probably cut in half next time.
Next time try leaving the frozen bananas and avocados out for 5 to 10 minutes before blending, just to soften a little. :)
Trying to make right now…my vitamix just couldn’t cope and kept stopping. Needed more like a cup of milk to get it going, or even half frozen fruit half fresh. Your vitamix must be the new n improved haha.. I’m operating an older model.
Can’t wait to taste though…will have to wait until tmrw as have to refreeze it all once it finally wants to mix.
Let me know how it turns out!
Yum! This is amazing! I love mint choc as well and am dairy-free so this is a perfect way to get my ice cream fix.
Next year maybe try a Mint Chocolate brûlée!
Hope you enjoy this nice cream recipe Jenna!