Growing up, every Christmas Eve was spent at my Grandmother’s house. We would eat mountains of snacks, open piles of presents, and end the evening with a minty ice cream treat shaped like a Christmas tree. The ice cream was fluffy, and not that great, but us kids greedily gobbled them down anyway.

Candy cane ice cream came about in memory of that minty dessert. This no-churn version means you don’t need an ice cream maker, and the hardest part is smashing candy canes into tiny pieces. It’s delicious, perfectly minty, and a great way to end a Holiday evening.

• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4-2 tsp. peppermint or mint extract (see note)
• 2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes or mint candies (about 4 regular sized candy canes)

If you own a Pull­man pan, this works nicely to freeze the ice cream in, but oth­er­wise a 9×5 loaf pan works great. The ice cream is good on its own, but the magic shell makes it amaz­ing.

Note: This recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons peppermint or mint extract. I suggest starting with 1/4 teaspoon, and then adding a little bit at a time, until you like the mint flavor. I put 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract in mine, and the crushed candy canes add even more flavor. I also liked small, irregular pieces of candy cane, so I put them in a ziplock bag and crushed them with a rubber mallet. Remember you will be biting into the candy, so smaller is better.

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and peppermint extract.
2. In a large bowl of a standing mixer, beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture. Stir in the crushed candy canes.
3. Pour into a regular sized loaf pan and freeze until firm for 6 hours (or covered up to 1 week).

I used this Choco­late Magic Shell Recipe from Gimme Some Oven, and it worked like a charm. Food 52 also has a recipe that looks very good.

Enjoy!