Mint Chocolate Stracciatella Ice Cream

4.80 from 5 votes

Refreshingly sweet and creamy ice cream, freckled with delicate flakes of chocolate. Mint chocolate stracciatella ice cream is so much more than ordinary mint chocolate chip ice cream, thanks to a special technique!

Hey! Jillian from A baJillian Recipes here and I’m back to share my newest drool-worthy creation with all of you!

To many of you, this might look like some ordinary old mint chocolate chip ice cream. But you’re WRONG. This is Mint Chocolate Stracciatella Ice Cream. (Note the capitalization which signifies its superiority.)

So what on Earth is “Stracciatella”?

To put it simply, it’s basically a fancy shmancy Italian word for chocolate chip ice cream. However, it’s anything BUT basic. And it’s nowhere close to the American mint chocolate chip ice cream we throw into our shopping carts on our twice daily ice cream runs. (What? No one else does this?)

The magic happens when the chocolate is added to the ice cream. Instead of simply chopping up a solid bar of chocolate and stirring it in, the chocolate is melted (with a little vegetable oil), then drizzled into the ice cream during the last few minutes of churning. Trust me, it’s not as difficult as it might sound. As the chocolate is added, the chill from the ice cream immediately solidifies the chocolate, creating a more even distribution of chocolate that’s NOT chunky, nor hard and chalky. The result is fine shards or flakes of chocolate that have more of a smooth, delicately crunchy texture that literally dissolves on your tongue.

If that visual isn’t enough to convince you, I don’t know what is!

If you’re curious about the vegetable oil that’s melted into the chocolate, it not only produces a smoother, steady stream when your pouring it into the ice cream, but it also softens the chocolate just slightly, preventing it from becoming rock-hard and brittle.

As far as “mintyness” goes, you might want to add more or less mint extract depending on your tastebuds. I added 1 teaspoon which was enough for me, but when my mom tried it, she said it wasn’t minty enough. One thing to consider is that once the ice cream is fully frozen, the flavors mellow out a bit, which means it’ll taste less minty. So keep that in mind if you’re yearning for more of that “just brushed clean feeling”.

BONUS: Once you’re finished with a bowl (or the entire dish) of this, your breath will smell unbelievably minty fresh! Obviously a win-win in my book.

What’s The Difference Between Gelato and Ice Cream?

Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream.

Gelato has a higher proportion of milk and a lower proportion of cream and eggs than ice cream.

Gelato is also churned at a slower rate and therefore has less air churned into it, making it denser than ice cream.

Can Ice Cream be Refrozen?

It is only safe to refreeze ice cream if it is only slightly melted, and still cold.

When ice cream melts, bacteria such as Listeria can grow.

Bacteria can make you sick.

Is Ice Cream a Carb?

Milk and milk products are fairly high in carbs.

Milk contains 12–13 grams of carbs per 8 ounces.

Ice cream contains about 16 grams of carbs per serving.

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