Rich white chocolate peppermint bark ice cream is a delightful holiday treat, with crunchy bits of peppermint bark folded through a silky white chocolate custard.
Peppermint bark is a holiday staple: a layer of dark or semisweet chocolate beneath a white chocolate layer studded with crushed candy canes. It shows up in stores and markets every Christmas season and makes a simple, festive gift. If a package arrives damaged or the pieces are broken, don’t toss them—use the fragments to make a special batch of ice cream.
I experimented at first with a peppermint base and found it overwhelming—the ice cream tasted like a mouthful of toothpaste. Switching to a white chocolate custard creates a rich, creamy backdrop that lets the peppermint bark add a pleasant, balanced burst of mint and crunchy texture. It pairs well with chocolate or vanilla bases, but white chocolate keeps the flavor rounded and indulgent.
To prepare the bark for the ice cream, crush most of it into small pieces, leaving a few larger shards to garnish scoops. If your ice cream maker doesn’t accept mix-ins during the final churn, layer the finished ice cream in a freezer container with sprinkled peppermint bark between layers so the pieces distribute evenly.
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Ice Cream
1 quart
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped
- 4 oz peppermint bark, crushed
Instructions
- Combine the milk and half-and-half in a medium saucepan and heat over medium until just scalding. While the milk warms, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale.
- When tiny bubbles appear at the edge of the milk, temper the yolks by whisking a half-cup of the hot milk into the yolks, then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool the pan in an ice bath to stop cooking.
- Place the chopped white chocolate in a bowl and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve over the chocolate to remove any cooked egg bits. Let sit for a minute, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the custard is smooth.
- Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight to develop flavor and ensure a cold base for churning.
- Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. In the last five minutes of churning, add the crushed peppermint bark so it becomes evenly distributed.
- Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals, seal with the lid, and freeze until firm.
- If the ice cream is too hard to scoop, soften it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving for a creamier texture.
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Adapted from Serious Eats.