Quick answer: Cool mint and chocolate chips in a thick, creamy shake. Everyone's favorite ice cream flavor, upgraded into a 5-minute milkshake.
The Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake takes the most refreshing flavor in the ice cream aisle and makes it even better: colder, creamier, and studded with chocolate in every sip. Cool peppermint and dark chocolate are a pairing that never goes out of style, and in shake form they feel downright luxurious.
The trick is building mint flavor two ways: mint chip ice cream for the base and a small, careful splash of peppermint extract to sharpen it. Chocolate goes in twice too, blended chips for texture plus a chocolate drizzle in the glass. Double mint, double chocolate, five minutes.
Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake Recipe
- The classic flavor, upgraded colder and creamier than the scoop it came from
- Chocolate in every sip from blended chips and a fudge-striped glass
- Genuinely refreshing where most shakes are simply sweet
- 5 minutes, 5 ingredients plus toppings
- Easy to customize from extra-minty to double-chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 cups mint chocolate chip ice cream (slightly softened)
- 1/2 cup cold whole milk
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract (a little goes a long way)
- 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
- Chocolate syrup, for the glass
- Whipped cream and a fresh mint sprig, for topping
Instructions
- Drizzle chocolate syrup around the inside of a chilled glass and return it to the freezer.
- Add the ice cream, milk, and peppermint extract to a blender.
- Blend on high for 20 seconds until smooth and thick.
- Add the mini chocolate chips and pulse 2-3 times so they break into small flecks without disappearing.
- Pour into the prepared glass and top with whipped cream, extra chips, and a mint sprig.
Tips for the Best Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake
- Measure the peppermint extract carefully. An eighth of a teaspoon lifts the shake; a full teaspoon makes it taste like toothpaste.
- Pulse the chips in last. Fully blending them turns the shake gritty; quick pulses leave perfect chocolate flecks.
- Mini chips work better than bars. They shatter evenly and do not clog straws the way big chunks do.
- Green color is optional. Most mint chip ice cream provides it; one drop of green food coloring deepens it for photos.
- Fresh mint is garnish, not flavor. Blending fresh mint leaves makes the shake grassy; save the leaves for the top.
Easy Variations
Thin Mint Style
Blend in 3 crushed chocolate-mint cookies for a Girl-Scout-cookie flavor that needs no extra sugar.
Double Chocolate Mint
Use half chocolate ice cream and half mint chip for a fudgier, darker shake.
Fresh Mint Version
Steep a handful of mint leaves in the milk for 30 minutes, strain, and use that milk for a garden-fresh flavor.
Grasshopper Shake (adults only)
A tablespoon of creme de menthe replaces the extract for a dessert-cocktail spin.
What to Serve With It
- Fudgy brownies or chocolate cake
- Chocolate-dipped strawberries
- A bonfire night in place of dessert
- Shortbread cookies for dipping
Storage
Mint flavor holds up unusually well in the freezer, making this a good make-ahead shake: freeze airtight up to 2 days, soften 10 minutes, and re-blend briefly. Add the chocolate chips fresh after re-blending so they keep their snap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this with vanilla ice cream?
Yes: use vanilla ice cream, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, and the chocolate chips; you have made mint chip ice cream in shake form.
Peppermint or spearmint extract?
Peppermint. Spearmint reads as chewing gum rather than dessert mint.
Why did my shake turn out bitter?
Too much extract or very dark chips. Stay at 1/8 teaspoon and use semi-sweet chocolate.
How do I make it thicker?
Less milk, more ice cream, and a chilled glass; this recipe already runs thick if the ice cream is only slightly softened.
Can kids have this?
Absolutely; peppermint extract at this quantity is flavoring, not candy-cane strength. Skip the boozy variation, obviously.
Final Thoughts
The Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake is the rare shake that refreshes as much as it indulges. Keep the extract light, pulse the chips late, and you get that perfect ice-cream-parlor balance: cool, creamy, and chocolate-flecked from first sip to last.
Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake
Ingredients
Method
- Drizzle chocolate syrup around the inside of a chilled glass and return it to the freezer.
- Add the ice cream, milk, and peppermint extract to a blender.
- Blend on high for 20 seconds until smooth and thick.
- Add the mini chocolate chips and pulse 2-3 times so they break into small flecks without disappearing.
- Pour into the prepared glass and top with whipped cream, extra chips, and a mint sprig.
By Mara Voss |
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