This easy Peppermint Ice Cream recipe brings that festive flavor of the season right into your kitchen with all the minty freshness of your favorite Christmas candy mixed with sweet, creamy ice cream. Nothing quite says winter wonderland like the taste of this no churn candy candy cane ice cream!
In the mood for more peppermint treats? Check out these fun and unique ice cream recipes like my Peppermint Snowball Cookies, Peppermint Fluff and Peppermint Mocha Fudge!
Peppermint Ice Cream Recipe
Peppermint Ice Cream is a fun and festive dessert that will bring in the smiles all season long. Whether you serve it as a holiday dessert or just as a midwinter treat, this no churn ice cream can’t be beat!
No fancy equipment and only four ingredients make this dessert simple and quick to whip up. You will have to let it freeze for a few hours, but I can assure you it is absolutely worth the wait!
Why You’ll Love This Peppermint Ice Cream
- The super simple prep! This recipe only takes 10 minutes to whip up. The longest part is waiting for the ice cream to freeze.
- The taste! It’s not too over the top with the peppermint flavor and it’s not overly sweet. It’s got just the right amount of light and fresh flavor to compliment those hearty winter dinners.
- There’s no machinery required. This recipe is fast and simple. You don’t need an ice cream machine, just a whisk and a spoon or spatula!
Top with my decadent hot fudge sauce for the ultimate chocolate and peppermint treat!
Peppermint Recipes For All Season Long
- Candy Cane Reindeer
- Slow Cooker Peppermint White Hot Chocolate
- Peppermint Fudge
- Peppermint Eggnog Milkshake
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookie Cups
- Peppermint Mocha Fudge
- White Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bark
What You’ll Need
This peppermint ice cream recipe is practically winter in a bowl! As always, you can find the full printable recipe with complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need…
- sweetened condensed milk – Be sure not to get evaporated milk, or you’ll have no sugar or sweetness to your ice cream.
- peppermint extract – Use a light hand as peppermint extract can pack a punch.
- crushed candy canes – Divided between the ice cream itself and as a topping when serving.
- whipped topping – I prefer to use Cool Whip, whatever your choice make sure to thaw it before use.
How To Make Peppermint Ice Cream
- Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan (8×4 inch works as well) with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract and 1/3 cup of the crushed candy cane pieces.
- Allow that mixture to sit for about 10 minutes or so. Stir every few minutes to combine the flavors. This lets the liquid soak into the candy pieces and softens them up while also letting the peppermint really marry into the condensed milk.
- Fold in the whipped topping.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes over top.
- Cover the pan with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of tin foil. Set the pan on a flat surface inside the freezer.
- Freeze the ice cream for 4-6 hours until set or overnight.
- Serve with an extra sprinkle of candy canes, chocolate syrup, or as is and enjoy!
Storage Information
Keep the Peppermint Ice Cream well wrapped in the freezer for up to 2 months. Double plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil will prevent freezer burn and keep the ice cream delicious for up to 2 months! You can also store it as individual servings for a quick dessert option in smaller freezer safe containers.
If you make a lot of ice cream, or plan to, consider investing in these reusable ice cream containers with lids. They are great for storing ice cream in!
Candy Cane Ice Cream FAQs
Absolutely! The best part about making your ice cream from scratch is that you can customize it and play with the recipe! Dark or white chocolate chips would taste amazing with the peppermint flavors. A dash of red or pink food coloring would make for a festive twist. Any fun shaped or colorful Christmas sprinkles would make a nice touch as well, either mixed in or during serving.
I find the least messy way to get your small candy cane pieces is to take a ziploc bag and place your candy canes inside in a single layer. I then place that bag inside another ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin, soup can, or some other sturdy kitchen object and gently pound them into pieces.
Trish’s Tips and Tricks
- While you can use peppermint candies instead of candy canes, use with caution. They don’t soften and dissolve quite as well as the traditional candy canes.
- Mint extract can be used as a substitute but keep in mind the flavor will be slightly different. Add a drop or two of green food color to really make the ice cream look minty.
- No Cool Whip? No problem. You can make your own whipped topping with some heavy cream and powdered sugar. Some like this option because you can control how sweet the chipped cream gets and subsequently how sweet your peppermint stick ice cream is.
- Don’t overmix the whipped topping when folding it into the milk mixture. You want to keep it chilled and light and fluffy so your ice cream is light and fluffy instead of dense and too thick.
- Don’t skip letting the candy canes sit and soften in the milk. This not only helps the milk absorb all that wonderful flavor, but also softens the candy pieces so no one is biting into hard pieces while eating their candy cane ice cream. Five to ten minutes is all you need but it’s an important part of the recipe.
More Delicious Peppermint Recipes
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies
- Peppermint Fudge
- Chocolate Peppermint 4 Layer Dessert
- Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
- Peppermint Patties
How To Make Peppermint Ice Cream
Peppermint Ice Cream
This easy Peppermint Ice Cream recipe brings that festive flavor of the season right into your kitchen with all the minty freshness of your favorite Christmas candy mixed with sweet, creamy ice cream. Nothing quite says winter wonderland like the taste of this no churn candy candy cane ice cream!
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk not evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ⅓ cup crushed candy canes
- 8 ounces whipped topping Cool Whip, thawed
Topping
- 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes
Instructions
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Line a 8×4 or 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract and ⅓ cup crushed candy canes until combined.
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Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. This will allow the peppermint flavor from the candy canes to absorb into the other ingredients and soften the candy canes.
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Fold in the whipped topping until fully incorporated.
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Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the two tablespoons of crushed canes on top.
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Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and then will foil and place in the freeze on a flat surface.
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Freeze the ice cream overnight or for at least 6 hours.
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Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Keep the Peppermint Ice Cream well wrapped in the freezer for up to 2 months. Double plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil will prevent freezer burn and keep the ice cream delicious for up to 2 months! You can also store it as individual servings for a quick dessert option in smaller freezer safe containers.
If you make a lot of ice cream, or plan to, consider investing in these reusable ice cream containers with lids. They are great for storing ice cream in!
Nutrition
Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 213mg | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 153IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 0.1mg
