Sometimes you want ice cream in the middle of December, and this peppermint candy cane ice cream is the perfect way to some!
I get it, it is starting to get freezing outside, and that makes us want to curl up with a warm plate of fresh-baked cookies. Sometimes though, I don't want to bake (I know that sounds weird), but I still want a sweet treat that puts me in a festive mood.
Our girls are huge ice cream lovers, and this time of year, I like to add a little peppermint stick ice cream to bring out some of the fun in the season.
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Homemade candy cane ice cream.
- It's easy to make - with or without an ice cream maker!
- Delicious - with only a few ingredients!
- Full of peppermint flavor - with a little bit of candy crunch!
- A perfect little treat for the holidays!
- Making your own candy cane ice cream means you don't only have to enjoy it when it's in season.
Ingredients.
- Whole Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Eggs
- Peppermint Extract
- Sugar
- Crushed Candy Canes - I use Yum Earth Candy Canes.
- Red Beet Powder or Red Food Coloring of Choice - optional
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Ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Whole Milk - Whole milk works best, but 2% will work if that's all you have. You can also use half and half instead of whole milk.
- Eggs - This is a traditional custard-style ice cream, and it uses egg yolks to help bring it together. If you want a peppermint ice cream that is egg-free, I would recommend going the route of making my dairy-free vanilla ice cream. Just change the vanilla to peppermint extract and add the crushed candy.
- Peppermint Extract - If you find peppermint extract overpowering, you can also use vanilla and get the little bit of peppermint you want from the crushed candy.
- Crushed Candy Canes - I use Yum Earth Candy Canes. You can use whatever kind you prefer; just make sure that you are using gluten-free candy canes to keep your ice cream gluten-free.
- Red Beet Powder or Red Food Coloring of Choice - You can choose to dye your candy cane ice cream or not; it's up to you. The crushed candy canes will still give the ice cream some festive coloring.
- Dairy-free peppermint ice cream. - This particular recipe uses dairy. However, you can easily make a few switches and additions to my Dairy-free Vanilla Ice Cream recipe to make a peppermint ice cream that is dairy-free and delicious!
Steps.
- In a small saucepan, combine the heavy whipping cream and the sugar over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- While the sugar is dissolving, combine the milk and eggs in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined and no eggs are easily visible.
- Slowly add the warm cream to the eggs, whisking so you do not cook the eggs, and create scrambled eggs.
- Once all the cream and sugar mixture is combined, add the peppermint extract and whisk again.
- Place the mixture into the fridge to allow it to cool for at least an hour. You do not want to proceed until the mixture is cool.
- Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to churn the ice cream, or see the notes below on how to make this recipe without an ice cream maker.
- Add the crushed peppermint candy once the ice cream is almost fully churned.
- Once the ice cream is formed, place it in a freezer-safe container to set up and enjoy!
No ice cream maker.
If you want to make this without an ice cream maker, simply let the mixture chill; instead of processing it in an ice cream maker, whisk or stir the mixture and place it in a freezer-safe container. Every 30-45 minutes, stir or whisk the mixture again until it becomes thick, leaving it to sit lightly covered in between. Once the mixture is thick, you can add the crushed peppermint candy and let it chill for 4-6 hours, and then enjoy!
Storing ice cream.
I prefer to store my homemade ice cream in sealed freezer-safe containers. As long as you keep it in a sealed container, it will keep in the freezer for a few weeks. For homemade ice creams, I like to put a layer of plastic wrap on the surface to help keep it from getting freezer burnt.
More gluten-free desserts.
📖 Recipe
Easy Peppermint Candy Cane Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- 2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 1 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- 1 Cup Sugar
- ½ Cup Crushed Candy Canes or Peppermint Candies I use Yum Earth
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the heavy whipping cream and the sugar over medium heat stirring just until the sugar is fully dissolved2 Cup Heavy Cream, 1 Cup Sugar
- While the sugar dissolves, combine the milk and eggs into a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined and no eggs are easily visible.1 Cup Whole Milk, 2 Large Egg Yolks
- Slowly add the warm cream to the eggs, whisking to not cook the eggs and create scrambled eggs.
- Add the peppermint and whisk again once the cream and milk are combined.1 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- Place the mixture into the fridge to allow it to cool for at least an hour. You do not want to proceed until the mixture is cool.
- Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to churn the ice cream or see notes below on how to make this recipe without an ice cream maker.½ Cup Crushed Candy Canes or Peppermint Candies
- Once the ice cream is formed, place it in a freezer-safe container to set up and enjoy!
Notes
- Do NOT let your cream and sugar mixture come to a boil.
- Carefully temper the egg mixture so you do not end up with scrambled eggs in your final ice cream.
- Allow the mixture to completely cool before processing it in the ice cream maker. (If the mixture becomes thick in areas while chilling just whisk it back together before processing.)
- Store your ice cream in freezer-safe containers to help prevent it from getting hard.
- Having an easy-to-use ice cream maker makes this recipe even easier to do. This is the ice cream maker that I have and I find it makes the perfect creamy ice cream in no time without all the salt and ice of some machines. I also have extra bowl inserts so I always have one frozen to make ice cream when the craving hits someone in the family.
- If you want to make this without an ice cream maker, simply let the mixture chill, instead of processing it in an ice cream maker whisk or stir the mixture and place it in a freezer-safe container. Every 30-45 minutes stir or whisk the mixture again until it becomes thick, leaving it to sit lightly covered in between. Once the mixture is thick, you can let it chill for 4-6 hours and then enjoy!
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