Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 2 cans full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pieces

Directions

1. The day before churning, put the freezer bowl from your ice cream maker in the freezer.
2. Measure 1/4 cup coconut milk into a small bowl and hold it aside. Add the remaining coconut milk to a medium saucepan with the sugar and salt, and set it over medium heat. Warm it, stirring from time to time, until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
3. Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved coconut milk until the mixture is smooth and fully dissolved.
4. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the warm coconut base in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until it is thick enough to leave a coat on the back of a spoon. Don’t let it boil.
5. Take the pan off the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
6. Transfer the base to a shallow container and leave it at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Cover the container, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 3 days.
7. When you’re ready to churn, make sure the base is completely cold. Pour it into your ice cream machine and churn for 10 to 15 minutes, following the manufacturer’s instructions. You want it thick but still soft, somewhere between frozen custard and soft-serve ice cream.
8. Once the ice cream reaches that point, keep the machine running and add the chocolate chunks. Churn just until the chocolate is mixed in.
9. Scrape the ice cream into a loaf pan, or another freezer-safe container, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 3 hours, until the ice cream is firm.
10. Before scooping, leave the ice cream on the counter until your scoop can glide through it, usually about 10 minutes.