Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (coconut milk and tofu base)
Growing up, this was my favorite ice cream. We’d stop at Braum’s after piano recitals or school programs, and I almost always chose mint chocolate chip. For birthdays, I wanted an ice cream cake with chocolate cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream. To me this recipe tastes just like the mint chocolate chip of my childhood.
The base is super creamy and minty, while dark chocolate bits contrast with the sweetness of the ice cream. By melting the chocolate with a little oil and drizzling it into the ice cream during the last minute or two of churning, we get melt-in-your-mouth chocolate flakes evenly distributed throughout.
I’ve used protein powder (whey protein in this case) to increase the protein and reduce the sugar, without sacrificing texture. For more details on how that works, click here.
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (coconut milk and tofu base)
This recipe calls for whey protein. Other protein powders (unsweetened, unflavored) will work too. Check the notes below for advice on making substitutions.
The base uses coconut milk and silken tofu, which lowers the fat content compared with a pure coconut milk base. But we need to add some fat back in for texture purposes, so I've chosen canola oil as a healthy fat with a neutral flavor.
Makes ~1 quart
Ingredients
For the ice cream base
For the chocolate bits
Instructions
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BLEND
Blend the ingredients for the ice cream base in a blender, scraping down the sides with a spatula, until you can no longer see white specks of tofu. This might take a couple of minutes.
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CHILL
Transfer to a container and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
For a quicker chilling time, place the bowl containing your mixture in an ice bath (a larger bowl containing ice water) for a few hours. Stir the mixture occasionally. As the water in the ice bath warms up, pour off some water and add ice to keep the mixture chilling as quickly as possible.
Ideally, the mixture will be about 40 degrees when you churn it.
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PREPARE CHOCOLATE
When you're ready to churn, melt the chocolate with 1 1/2 teaspoons of canola oil by heating them in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir, then heat for an additional 30 seconds as needed until smooth.
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CHURN
Before you start churning, set up everything you'll need to quickly transfer the ice cream from the machine into a container for freezing. I use a knife to scrape down the dasher (or paddle) and a wooden spoon to scoop out the ice cream. Have your melted chocolate ready.
Set up your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour your mixture into the ice cream maker and churn. Because this mixture is thicker than many ice cream bases, it churns more quickly than most. In my machine the perfect churning time is 15 minutes, but your experience may vary.
In the last 1-2 minutes of churning, slowly drizzle the melted chocolate into the machine. This will create flakes as the chocolate freezes and breaks apart. A slower drizzle will make smaller flakes, while a faster drizzle will make larger flakes.
The ice cream is finished churning when it looks like soft-serve and is pulling away from the sides of the canister.
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STORE
When the ice cream has finished churning, scoop it as quickly as possible into your storage container. Cover it with plastic wrap or parchment paper, if using. (Placing a sheet of parchment paper between the container and lid will help prevent frost, or you can press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream.) Put the container in the freezer. The ice cream will be fully firm in a few hours.
Note
You can use any unflavored, unsweetened protein powder you want. Whey, collagen, and egg white work the best. Vegan protein powders can work too, but sometimes create a chalky texture. Because different protein powders have different textures, the same volume of different powders may weigh different amounts. Weighing is the best method for ensuring you get the 50 grams the recipe calls for, but here are some estimates for using a cup measurement:
- 50 g collagen powder = 1/2 cup
- 50 g whey protein = 3/4 cup
- 50 g egg white protein = 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
- 50 g soy protein = 3/4 cup
- 50 g pea protein = 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
+ for the post