This easy no-churn Peppermint Bark Ice Cream is blended with crushed candy canes and flecks of dark and white chocolate!
With it being colder than a witch’s you-know-what, ice cream is probably the last thing you want to be eating this time of year. However, since it involves candy canes, I’m sure you’ll have absolutely no problem chowing down on a bowl of this Peppermint Bark Ice Cream…
Peppermint ice cream is probably in my top three when it comes to favorite ice cream flavors. What’s funny is the fact that I really don’t like candy canes or peppermint candies. I don’t even like peppermint bark! It must have something to do with how strong and overpowering peppermint can be as a flavor, so when it’s mellowed out in say, ice cream or hot chocolate, I’m alllllll about that.
With flecks of dark and white chocolate blended throughout, this Peppermint Bark Ice Cream is definitely more indulgent than your average peppermint ice cream. I prefer fine uneven chunks/shards over chocolate chips since the chips tend to be a little hard to bite into. Also, the little bits of chocolate melt almost instantly when they hit your tongue.
Mmmmmmmm….
And here’s a tip! If you don’t have any chocolate bars to chop up, just do what I did. Melt some chocolate chips in the microwave (separately for white and semi-sweet/dark), stir until smooth, pour onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet, freeze until solid, then chop into fine shards or chunks. Not only do you have more control over how big the pieces are, but the finer chocolate crumbs impart even more richness to the ice cream.
Since this is a no-churn recipe, everything comes together in literally minutes. Just combine some sweetened condensed milk with some vanilla and a little peppermint extract, fold in some whipped cream, followed by some white and dark chocolate chunks, then pour into a pan, and freeze overnight. This no-churn method truly results in the most creamy ice cream ever.
If you are, however, looking to whip out the ol’ ice cream maker, check out my Mint Chocolate Stracciatella Ice Cream or my Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Ice Cream!
Honestly though, once you try your hand at this easy peasy no-churn ice cream, you’re going to wonder why you even bought an ice cream maker in the first place. Other than simply going to the grocery store, this method is the quickest and easiest way to get your ice cream.
And if I were to compare this Peppermint Bark Ice Cream to the one at the store, I’d say that this version wins HANDS DOWN. A million baJillian hands down!! Not only is it softer and creamier, but the peppermint flavor is not too overpowering even with the addition of both peppermint extract and crushed candy canes. Speaking of, my favorite part about peppermint ice cream was always the pieces of peppermint that sort of liquefy into the ice cream…sounds a little weird, I know, but the same thing happens in this ice cream as well.
THE BEST.
The bits and pieces of dark and white chocolate just add more flavor and texture to this more classically simple ice cream, making it the ULTIMATE peppermint ice cream. In fact, I’m now regretting telling my mom about this ice cream since it’s most likely gone now that she’s gotten to it…
Peppermint Bark Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped*
- 3 ounces white chocolate finely chopped*
- ¼ cup crushed peppermints/candy canes (about 3 regular candy canes)
Instructions
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl, then return bowl to mixer.
- In the mixing bowl, stir the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and peppermint extract together until combined. Add about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture, stirring until lightened. Pour the rest of the whipped cream into the mixing bowl and fold together until no more white streaks remain.
- Fold in the chopped semi-sweet, white chocolate, and crushed candy canes, then pour custard into a freezer-safe container. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.