This refreshing dairy-free chocolate mint ice cream with essential oils is free of eggs and refined sugar, too. Yet still full of mint flavor, thanks to peppermint essential oil. The gorgeous green color? That's due to spinach! Shhh... don’t tell! 😉 Makes 4 cups (1 quart).

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Cooling and freezing 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 98 kcal

Ingredients

For the mint ice cream:

• 2 13- to 16-ounce cans full fat coconut milk
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 drops peppermint essential oil (or 1 teaspoon peppermint extract)

For the chocolate chunks:

• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate or 1 ounce of your favorite chocolate (omit honey)
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

To make the mint ice cream:

1. Blend coconut milk and spinach until smooth.

2. Then pour all but 1/4 cup of the mixture into a pot and heat over medium heat.

3. Combine the reserved 1/4 cup with arrowroot powder.

4. Next, whisk until completely dissolved.

5. Pour into the warm milk and whisk to combine.

6. Continue to whisk until mixture thickens. With arrowroot, this happens right as it starts to boil.

7. Then remove from heat.

8. Whisk in the remaining ingredients.

9. Next, let cool for a few hours in the fridge.

10. When cold, churn according to the directions for your ice cream maker.

11. Finally, once ice cream is churned and chocolate is drizzled in, remove ice cream from the ice cream maker and freeze until firm.

12. Enjoy!

To make the chocolate chunks:

1. In a double broiler, or a bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate.

2. Then stir in coconut oil until melted and combined.

3. Add honey, if using unsweetened chocolate.

4. Let cool but don't allow to harden.

5. Finally, in the last few minutes of churning, drizzle chocolate into the ice cream. It will freeze and create little chocolate chunks throughout.

Recipe Notes

• I prefer to melt an unsweetened chocolate bar. That way I am not only in control of how much sweetness, but also what kind of sweetener. For a bitter chocolate, add 1/2 tablespoon honey. Or for a semi-sweet, add the full 1 tablespoon.
• For a fresh mint twist, add a small handful of fresh mint into the blender with the spinach and coconut milk.
• Or, add a heaping tablespoon of dried mint (or a handful of fresh mint) to the warm coconut milk. Let steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain out the mint, and continue with the recipe as written -- except with a Steeped Mint Chocolate Ice Cream!
• Don’t have peppermint essential oil? Add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Or, use either of the variations above.