White Chocolate Buttermint Ice Cream.
If there was ever a day that you felt like making out with your computer screen… today should be it.
Do you know what a buttermint is? Besides a, ummm… mint made with butter?
These cute little things.
OMG… these mints. Please tell me you’ve had them before. They were like, totally THEE restaurant favor of the 90s. Speaking of, now that I’m old and cynical it’s dawning on me how disgusting that bowl would have to be… with everyone’s hands reaching in there for mints… ugh. Okay. Stopping now. Not ruining my nostalgia.
But I was intensely in love with these meltaway squares as a child. We didn’t go out to eat that often, but when we did and I spied these little mints, I begged everyone to sneak me extra handfuls. I loved them so, so much. They were like… gold.
Surprisingly, when I found a box and ripped into them a few days ago? They didn’t taste nearly as fabulous as they did when I was nine. Whomp whomp. Just another reason that growing up staaaaanks.
But! A few months ago, I had some of this buttermint ice cream at Jeni’s with Ashley. No… it’s not normally any sort of flavor that I’d usually get. It doesn’t have chocolate or caramel or bacon or sprinkles or peanut butter chunks. It doesn’t have ribbons of fudge or cubes of cake. But it just so happened to be one of the 14 flavors that I sampled before making my decision (typical)… and I couldn’t get it out of my head.
This ice cream… I mean, it’s turning me into an ice cream person. It’s 40 thousand times better than those mints. And it’s not super minty – it has just a slight hint of mint and is so buttery and creamy – it literally melts in your mouth. No, really… SO BUTTERY AND CREAMY. Oh, and the fact that there are white chocolate flecks speckled through the ice cream? Yeah. I dieeeee.
White Chocolate Buttermint Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 5 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon butter extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese with salt and turmeric until smooth. It will turn yellow. Pretty!
- In a large saucepan (Jeni recommends a 4-quart), add milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup, whisking together. Bring to a rolling boil – for me, this was over medium heat. Keep a close eye on the mixture because if it gets too hot, it will boil up and over very quickly. You want it to the point when the milk is bubbling and rolling but now boiling over. Once it comes to that point, boil for 4 minutes. I stirred occasionally here. After 4 minutes, remove from heat and very slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture. I did it in 3 parts – adding 1/3 of it and whisking at a time. Bring back over heat and bring to a rolling boil again, this time stirring with a spatula while the mixture just thickens slightly – about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and very slowly pour a small amount into the large bowl that has the cream cheese in it, whisking constantly until smooth. Gradually pour the rest of the mixture into the bowl while whisking to combine – again, it will be yellow! Grab another very large bowl and fill it halfway full with cold water, adding a bunch of ice cubes as well. Pour the milk mixture into a one gallon freezer ziplock bag, pushing the air out and sealing it. Place it in the ice bath for 30-45 minutes until cold, adding more ice if needed.
- Right before the ice cream is ready to be churned, melt the white chocolate. Set aside, allowing it to cool slightly. Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the directions. I used the attachment on my Kitchenaid mixer and churned for exactly 25 minutes. After 10-15 minutes, add in the vanilla, butter and peppermint extract while the cream is churning. Then gently stream in the melted white chocolate, which will create flakes throughout the remaining churn time.
- Once churned to your desired consistency, place in a freezer-safe container, cover with a lid or layer of plastic wrap pressed on the ice cream, and freezer 2-6 hours. I froze mine for 2 hours because if you’ve ever been to a Jeni’s store, their ice cream is very soft, almost gelato-like. I wanted the same feel, so we ate the ice cream a bit softer the first go ’round.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
I don’t even know what to do with myself. But I think it’s going to involve more ice cream.
94 Comments on “White Chocolate Buttermint Ice Cream.”
AH YES!!! Those buttermints are practically synonymous with certain restaurants, haha.
Although of course nowadays, mints have to be prepackaged – before they were just in a fancy glass bowl.
I’m in love – that looks so incredibly creamy and wonderful. Of course I remember butter mints – even now I still see them in restaurants from time to time.
Ohhhh, drooling here!! This ice creams sounds amazing! I could go for a big bowl right now. I just love buttermints and i can only imagine they taste incredible in your ice cream!!
Ah! There are a couple restaurants in Ocean City, NJ (where my family vacations) that still have bowls of those mints! They have a scooper for the bowl to deter people sticking their hands in, but you know some people probably still do…ick.
I’m not an ice cream person, or a mint person, and I’m especially not a mint-flavored ice cream person…but this looks soooo good to me right now! Yeahhh. I make no sense most of the time.
PS- I’ve been reading your blog for a year now and I finally have my own and had to comment. Every recipe I’ve made of yours has been a huge hit. Love, love, love your blog!
Whoa…… Slow down there, partner! Send some to ME!!
I always called these wedding pillow mints, because they were always at weddings & looked like pillows! Brilliant idea!
I wanted to try Jeni’s ice cream so badly when we were living in Ohio, and I sadly never did. This post makes me want to hop on a plane and get my butt back to Ohio, a-sap!
Genuissssss. I love it.
There are recipes to make buttermints and you can put them in whatever cute mold speaks to you. They taste a million times better than those sold in stores.
Buttermints…I remember those in restaurants. I was always afraid of them in that bowl that everyone’s germy hands touched! :-) The ice cream looks delicious, Jessica, and your photos are gorgeous!
Ok, I don’t think I’ve ever had a buttermint in my life… maybe I live under a rock?! Clearly I need to find some.. and I want them in ice cream form!
I would never think of adding cream cheese to an ice cream recipe – I haven’t spent nearly enough time with my icecream maker this summer.
i looooooved those mints when I was little!
You have outdone yourself once again sister. I might have just licked my phone screen on the bus. I don’t even care. I need that ice cream…like now.
OMG!!!! You made ICE CREAM that tastes like those incredible little babies??!! I LOVED those, too, when I was little!! *sigh* I can’t just taste them right now…
This is moving to the top of my to-do list!
I’m speechless right now…
oh my goodness… amazing!! I have to try this :)
YES!!! THE DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!!! Ice cream recipes!! Thanks Jessica! This looks super duper awesome and I can only imagine it tasted so in person. Keep em comin!!
Swoon! ……LOVE buttermints! They are such a delicious little treat! (the brand makes a huge difference though- amazing ones and not so yummy ones…)
I love buttermints so much! this ice cream sounds amazing!
I haaaaaaated those mints! The also always be seemed to be at weddings back in the day. Blech. However I am a firm believer that you can combine ANYTHING with ice cream and it elevates the flavor by like 8 billion percent…so this is destined to be good, right? Right.
I reallllllly think you would like it!
OMG. Total flash back. When i was a kid I would take as many of those mints as possible without looking like a total psycho, gobble half of them immediately, and then ration the rest so that they lasted the entire car ride home.
I MADE those little mints, the homemade version of them, about a month ago. They are actually a 3 or 4 ingredient no-bake special – super easy. I love those little butter mints so much – and the fact that you made ice cream in their honor, oh awesome!
As if I’m not deep enough in an ice cream addiction already…
butter… mints… ice cream?! Swoon.
Yum yum yum! As usual!! I just got the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment for my wedding present; I should def break it in asap. More ice cream recipes please!
The recipe begins with “mix together 2 tablespoons of the mix with the cornstarch…” — do you mean milk?
Oops yes! I meant milk. Fixed it – thanks!
Ah those mints remind me of my Grandma’s house!!
Also SO glad I don’t own an ice cream maker, I would have to spend 24/7 on the treadmill!!!
Yesssss. One of my top 5 favorite ice cream flavors EVER. I still can’t get over how it melts in your mouth just like the buttermint, different from other ice cream. Need now.
Those buttermints were the BEST thing about visiting grandma’s house as a kid. BOWLS full of them in the dining room!
Loooove those butter mints. There was always a bowlful at this Chinese restaurant we loved eating at growing up. And now that I think about all those hands that were in there, ewww!
Loving this ice cream.
WHY DO YOU DO THIS? Buttermints are like crack.
It was kismet that I just discovered your blog. I adore it! Thanks for the laughs and great recipes. And also, isn’t Jeni’s fabulous?! The first time I went there I got 11 samples. No shame at all. Got to know what to pick, right?!! BUT, I haven’t seen the buttermint flavor yet. Another excuse to go. :)
I just tried a buttermint the other day and I was also greatly disappointed! I remember them being soo tasty when I was little. This looks devine though! Wish I had an ice cream maker.
WHAT. Those darn mints are the reasons I would look forward to weddings as a kid. The were always wrapped in pastel tulle and given as favors. Now I’m drooling.
As for Jeni’s, don’t EVEN get me started. I live right down the street from a Jeni’s and it is DANGEROUS. I don’t rememver ever seeing that flavor though? Just means I need to go sample more often, obviously.
This looks amazing!! I spied that Jeni’s Ice Cream cookbook at Barnes & Noble the other day and the only thing that kept me from buying it was the fact that I don’t have an ice cream maker :( Sadness. My parents do though…so perhaps I will steal it for a quick second to make this.
I loved those buttermints as well! (never knew that was their official name) And I would always steal a lot of them and put them in my jacket pocket or whatever. Sometimes I would find them weeks later and still eat them…thats embarassing.
Those buttermints always freaked me out. They look so innocent and colorful and delicious, but then MINT. Blurgh. As a kid, I was not a fan.
Now? Yes. I’ll take a handful of those along with this ice cream.
Buttermints were my faaaaaaaaavorite. Now I don’t want to try them in my old age either. I’ll just stick to ice cream!
OH ME, OH MY. I’m definitely going to have to get my hand on that Jeni’s book sooner rather than later if this is the kind of gem that’s hiding inside! :)
Never heard of buttermint before.
But, I need some of this…now!
Please dont hate me when I admit that I don’t love buttermints…but I would probably eat my weight in that ice cream!
I say bring back the buttermints!! Love that stuff and I love this combination with the white chocolate. Great idea!
I love my ice cream soft too – that’s why I love gelato! I have never been a buttermint fan, but my hubby loves them!
I looooove this!
I wish I could say I only ate buttermints as a child, but I still love them! I especially love the little spoons for “sanitation!” Great looking ice cream, I can’t wait to try!
I have always loved them too…until I went to college! We did a bacteria study on the ones in restaurant bowls & the main bacterias on them was urine & e coli!!! eeeewwww!! Never again! The ice cream sounds fabulous!!
I love butter mints! We go to Ruth’s Chris every year for my Dad’s and brother’s birthdays (they’re a day apart) and I grab a handful. Ruth’s Chris’s are individually wrapped and seriously the best things on earth. But my mom would never let me take the ones out of the bowl – she read somewhere they had lots of germs. I still won’t go near them.
If you haven’t done so, make a batch of Jeni’s Salted Caramel ice cream. It’s to die for!!!
Those mints are soo melt in your mouth good! What an interesting idea to make them into an ice cream.
This is such a great idea! Soo perfect for summer :)
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Eeeee!! I love buttermints! Such a classic Grandma + Me treat!
I just made homemade ice cream and it is seriously the worst decision I have ever made… Yup, the entire summer of training and sweating my tail off has just been completely shot thanks to the ice cream. Now that all the damage has been done… I think I’ll make this.