This post may contain affiliate links. Click here for my affiliate disclosure. If you purchase items through my affiliate links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn't change.
I dedicate this recipe to my mom – lover of mint chocolate chip ice cream. If you want mint chocolate chip in a jiffy or don’t have an ice cream maker, this single-serve mint chocolate chip ice cream is perfect for you! One night when the rest of my family was pulling the real thing out of the freezer, I decided that now would be the perfect time to concoct a single-serve healthy version for myself. I whipped it together, put it in the freezer to firm up, went out running in the rain, and came back to dive into the amazingness. It includes protein from the collagen and cottage cheese, so it made a good post-workout snack. Despite the fact that I call it ice cream, it’s actually a light THM:S – not very calorie-dense at all. Unless, of course, you top it with peanut butter, which I may or may not have done. (I did restrain myself and used less than I would’ve in the past, so cut me some slack. I did forgo sugary, convenient, from-a-carton mint chocolate chip ice cream, you know.)
Check out my ice cream recipe index for plenty of other single-serve recipes that don’t require an ice cream maker!
This yummy ice cream can be a snack, dessert after a THM:S or Fuel Pull meal, or even breakfast! Yep – ice cream for breakfast, and you don’t even need to feel guilty about it. It even includes some leafy greens. 😉 (If you’re scared of spinach, check out the Notes section of the recipe for alternatives.)
Sometimes I get questions regarding my use of crushed ice in my recipes, so I should explain. I use crushed ice to make it easier on the blender and be able to measure more accurately, but you don’t have to. I used a Vitamix with a tamper to blend this up. If your blender doesn’t have a tamper or another way to coax the mixture into the blades, you may need to add a little more liquid to get it to blend (unsweetened almond milk, more half and half, or a little cream would work). If you do this, you may need to freeze it a little longer to bring it to the right consistency.
You may also enjoy:
- Starting THM
- my recipe index
- my recipes grouped by fuel type, allergy info, and theme
- Single-Serve Peanut Butter Ice Cream
- Single-Serve Horsetracks Ice Cream
- Single-Serve Cookie Dough Ice Cream
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission to help defray the costs of running this blog (at no extra charge to you). Thanks for your help!
You can pin this recipe here:
- 1 c. crushed ice
- ⅓ c. fresh spinach
- ⅓ c. cottage cheese
- ⅓ c. half and half
- 2 T. collagen
- 1 tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
- 1/16 tsp. (2 doonks) THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
- Small dash each mint extract and peppermint extract, to taste
- ¼ tsp. glucomannan (rounded)
- -
- Chopped 85% dark chocolate or sugar-free chocolate chips
- Blend all the ingredients (except the chocolate) in a blender until smooth. (I use this Vitamix with a tamper.) Be sure to use only a small amount of the mint and peppermint extracts at first, then increase to taste if desired. It's easy to get too much (but the strength will dissipate a bit when frozen)! Stir the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips into the ice cream by hand, then put it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes until the desired consistency is reached, stirring often. Enjoy! You can use this as a dessert or a snack on its own since it contains protein. Hey, you could even eat it for breakfast if you want!
No, I don't recommend substituting Greek yogurt for the cottage cheese; it's too tangy. You don't taste the cottage cheese but it adds a nice creaminess as well as protein.
If you don't have half and half you could try substituting half unsweetened almond milk, half heavy whipping cream. I prefer the texture of using all half and half, though. For a richer result, use part half and half and part cream.
You could substitute whey protein powder for the collagen, but I prefer the taste (or lack thereof) of collagen.
Feel free to use your favorite sweetener to taste in place of the sweeteners I have called for in the recipe.
Will food processor blend it well enough?
Probably not. 🙁
Hello briana
Will this work if recipe is doubled?
I’m guessing yes, but I’ve never tried that. 🙂 I do have a full size mint chocolate chip ice cream recipe right here: https://www.briana-thomas.com/mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream/
Is the collagen a necessary ingredient? Collagen throws me into a major Lupus flare, would the recipe work if I omit it? Btw I can’t wait to try this! I love Mint chip and I don’t own an ice cream maker!
Hmm…I’m not sure on that. You’re welcome to try omitting it and see how it works! I don’t think it will be quite as creamy. You could try substituting whey protein powder in its place if you can have that, although I personally don’t care for the taste of whey protein without stronger cover up flavors (the collagen is tasteless, so that’s why I prefer it).
I think you may be a bit of a genius!!
Well thanks, Judy! <3
I made this today, it was soooooo good, as usual, like all your recipes I try are, Briana….you are so talented!!
Woohoo! Thanks for trying it!
Magical! I couldn’t imagine spinach in ice cream, but it was amazing.
What a fantastic fix when you need just a little bit!! Love this recipe.
YOUuuuuu, put Peanut Butter on God’s favorite flavor (choc mint) ice cream???
We’re fortunate He gives us grace! (and a sense of Humor… You are so funny!! “)
Thank you for these wonderful low fat ice cream recipes! I made the chocolate custard
ice cream from your cookbook, and scorched it because I was rushing the process…
Ate it anyway, because like you – I don’t waste food! hahahah…
Thanks again for sharing your God given talent(s)!
Haha…sounds like we have a lot in common, Dawn – except for the peanut butter. Haha!
Breakfast tomorrow! My kiddos love you and THM because how else would they get to have ice cream for breakfast 😉
Hey, Mom of the Year award to Courtney! 🙂 That’s awesome.
Looks so yummy! I love chocolate mint, so I will definitely be trying this one!! 🙂
Briana, this looks wonderful…but where DID you get that ice cream cone???
Probably a thrift store somewhere. 😉