March 1st is almost here — the day my Girl Scout cookie order arrives. Those Thin Mints are treasured, and I completely understand if you’d never want to use them in a recipe. Good news: you don’t have to. Keebler makes a similar cookie called Grasshopper Mint & Fudge Cookies that works well in this recipe. They’re not identical, but they’re close — and “Chocolate Thin Mint Ice Cream” just sounds better than “Chocolate Grasshopper Ice Cream,” so that’s the name I stuck with.
I don’t make ice cream often, but when I do, I keep it simple: cream, sugar, and mix-ins. This recipe is a little more involved, but worth every minute. You prepare the thin‑mint custard the night before — it’s wonderful pudding on its own — then chill it overnight. I almost turned the custard into a trifle, but I stayed the course and made ice cream, and I’m so glad I did. It’s incredibly creamy and rich.
This ice cream is decadent, so modest portions are fine. It’s intensely chocolatey with a pleasant mint hint and satisfying cookie chunks. If you like soft, chewy mix-ins in ice cream, this will be right up your alley. My recommendation: pick up the affordable Keebler Grasshopper cookies if you don’t want to use Girl Scout Thin Mints, and make this ice cream. You won’t regret it.
Like Mint Chocolate Recipes? How about these:
- Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Krispies
Chocolate Thin Mint Ice Cream
Pin
Rate
Save
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) whole milk
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream
- 28 Thin Mints/Grasshopper cookies, divided
- 5 ounces (142 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, (about ⅔ cup)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
-
In a medium saucepan off the heat, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture lightens in color and thickens slightly, about 3–5 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream. Finely chop 10 Thin Mints so the crumbs are no larger than a pea, then stir them into the dairy mixture.
-
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the custard reaches 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. This happens just before it boils and the mixture will thicken quickly. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until melted, then season with salt to taste.
-
When the chocolate is fully incorporated, transfer the custard to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
-
The next day, churn the custard in your ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions. Roughly chop the remaining 18 Thin Mints into pieces ranging from pea- to nickel-sized. Add the chopped cookies during the last minute of churning. Transfer the finished ice cream to a container and freeze for at least two hours before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute 3 cups of half-and-half for the whole milk and heavy cream.
- Yield: about 1 quart
Sharing this recipe with a link is encouraged. Copying and pasting full recipes or screenshots to social media is prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected.
Did you make this?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and follow for more!