Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 480 ml heavy cream, cold
- 240 ml whole milk
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 6 egg yolks, room temperature
- 5 ml peppermint extract
- 2 g fine sea salt
Mix-ins and Swirl
- 100 g candy canes, crushed
- 80 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 15 g coconut oil, refined or unrefined
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 459 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 39 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 34 g
- Sodium
- 139 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 221 mg
- Potassium
- 160 mg
- Calcium
- 103 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 19 mg
- Phosphorus
- 127 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 313 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.27 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 24 mcg
- Water
- 70 g
- Caffeine
- 84 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the candy canes in a sealed plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin until coarse crumbs form. Avoid crushing them into a fine dust. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, 240ml of the heavy cream, 75g of the granulated sugar, and the fine sea salt. Heat over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer at 82C/180F. Do not let it boil.
While the dairy heats, aggressively whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 75g of granulated sugar in a mixing bowl until the mixture thickens and falls in ribbons.
Slowly pour half of the hot dairy mixture into the egg yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly to temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling.
Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot dairy. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard reaches 77C/170F and coats the back of the spatula. This pasteurizes the eggs and thickens the base.
Immediately strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl containing the remaining 240ml of cold heavy cream. Whisk in the peppermint extract.
Cover the bowl tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. This matures the base and ensures smooth churning.
Pour the chilled base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it resembles soft serve.
While the ice cream churns, microwave the dark chocolate and coconut oil in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until completely melted and fluid. Let it cool slightly.
In a pre-chilled airtight container, layer one third of the churned ice cream. Sprinkle with a third of the crushed candy canes and drizzle heavily with the liquid chocolate. Repeat the layers, finishing with candy canes and chocolate on top.
Cover tightly and freeze for at least 4 hours to harden before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Maturing the base overnight is critical. It allows milk proteins to fully hydrate and crystallize the milk fat, resulting in a significantly smoother texture and better overrun when churning.
- Be extremely cautious with peppermint extract. The concentration varies wildly by brand, so start with the recommended amount and adjust to taste before churning. Always ensure you use peppermint, as regular mint extract is spearmint-based and can taste like toothpaste.
- The coconut oil in the chocolate swirl creates a stracciatella effect. It snaps beautifully when it hits the cold ice cream, yet melts instantly in your mouth, avoiding the waxy texture common to standard chocolate chips in ice cream.
- For the creamiest possible texture, ensure your ice cream machine bowl has been completely frozen for at least 24 hours prior to churning. A partially frozen bowl will result in icy, granular ice cream.
Storage
Freezer: 1 month — Keep in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper pressed directly against the surface to prevent ice crystals.
Troubleshooting
Scrambled egg bits in the final base
Cause: Pouring hot dairy into the yolks too quickly or cooking the custard at too high a temperature.
Fix: Strain the mixture immediately through a fine mesh sieve to catch the cooked egg bits before chilling.
Prevention: Temper the yolks very slowly with a steady, thin stream of hot milk while whisking aggressively. Keep heat medium-low when thickening.
Chocolate swirl turned into hard, waxy chunks
Cause: Omitting the coconut oil or using chocolate chips with stabilizers.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once frozen into the ice cream.
Prevention: Always use chopped bar chocolate and mix with coconut oil, which lowers the melting point of the frozen chocolate so it melts pleasantly on the palate.
Cultural Context
Peppermint candy canes became widely associated with Christmas in the 19th century, originally serving as edible decorations for evergreen trees. Transforming these nostalgic sweets into a rich, custard-based ice cream emerged as a popular mid-20th-century holiday tradition in North America, bridging the gap between refreshing mint and decadent winter comfort.
