Quick & Easy Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Vegan, Dairy-Free)

2014 is shaping up to be a busy year. Between greater work responsibilities, more travel, and planning a wedding, I've found that cooking and baking have taken a back seat. Weeknight dinners these days tends to come from the freezer, a can, or (when I've planned ahead) the Whole Foods hot bar. It's only when K comes home for the weekends that I'll get my butt into the kitchen and whip up something special.

While I'm willing to sacrifice home-cooked meals to make room for more work and wedding-planning, I'm NOT about to let my ice cream cravings go unsatisfied! Last weekend, my sister (and co-Maid of Honor) Carolyn, accompanied K and I on a trip to Seattle to take care of some wedding-planning things. While the trip was productive and fun, I came back to DC exhausted and feeling unprepared to tackle a particularly-busy week at work.

Luckily for me, Carolyn had decided to spend a couple days in DC with me before heading back home to Boston. And with such a special guest staying with me, it was time to dust off the ol' Cuisinart and whip up something yummy. I wanted to play around more with coconut-milk ice cream, but I also didn't have much time to dedicate to ice-cream making on a weeknight. After perusing some different recipes online, I came up with my own creation using just a handful of common pantry items.

Making due with ingredients I had on hand, Carolyn and I managed to make this ice cream in about an hour. Not too bad, considering I heated the ice-cream mixture on the stove to dissolve the sugar.

Here's what I did...

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Vegan, Dairy-Free)
{Makes 2 cups, or 2 Grace-sized servings}
Loosely adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups full-fat coconut milk (1 can)
• 1/3 cup sugar (or more to taste)
• 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 5-7 drops of pure peppermint oil 
• 1/2 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, whisk the coconut milk, sugar and cornstarch over low heat until sugar melts (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and pour mixture into small mixing bowl. 
• Add salt and peppermint oil and stir to mix evenly. Cover bowl and place in fridge for about 30 minutes or until slightly chilled (shouldn't take long since mixture was heated on low heat).
• Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer's directions. If you're using a Cuisinart, this means 1) turn on your machine, 2) slowly pour mixture in, and 3) leave the thing churn for 15 to 20 minutes.
• A few minutes before the ice cream is finished churning, slowly pour the mini chocolate chips into machine.
• Serve immediately or, if a firmer consistency is desired, transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.

The Verdict? Cool, creamy and minty, this ice cream was the perfect refreshing evening treat. The pure mint extract masked the taste of coconut milk which, in my opinion, was a good thing (Carolyn agreed!). Compared to other vegan ice creams I've tried, this version is much more creamy and thick - which I attribute to using cornstarch instead of eggs here. I can't wait to try cornstarch in other recipes! Overall, this recipe is a triple threat: it's vegan/dairy-free, easy to make, and absolutely delicious to eat.