This one doesn’t have a particularly clever name, but that doesn’t make the taste any less special! The clean mint flavor was just the refreshing thing we needed, especially since it is still pretty hot. We’re just surviving until October over here…

For this ice cream, we infused cream with pretzel and then turned that into a dark chocolate ice cream. We also added some salt to the base. If I’m being totally honest, the chocolate overpowers the pretzel flavor quite a bit, but the saltiness still comes through! Then, we added a marshmallow pretzel swirl and some chopped mint M&Ms. All of the flavors blend so well together to make the perfect treat! (A word to the wise…you have to chop up the M&Ms when you add them! If you don’t, they freeze rock hard and that large of a piece would not feel good on your teeth. You have been warned!)

Salty Dark Chocolate Mint
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Salty Dark Chocolate Mint

Salty, rich, sweet, and fresh! Pretty much every good adjective in one!

Ingredients

  • Pretzel Infused Cream

  • 3 1/4 cups cream

  • 1 3/4 cups whole milk

  • 2 cups pretzels

  • Dark Chocolate Paste

  • 1 cup cocoa powder

  • 1 cup boiling water

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate

  • The Rest of the Base

  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 4 egg yolks

  • 1/4 cup dry milk powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • Marshmallow Sauce

  • 3/4 cup cold water

  • 1/4 ounce unflavored gelatin

  • 1/2 cup corn syrup

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 egg white

  • Dash of salt

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • Pretzel swirl

  • 1 cup crushed pretzels, crushed fine

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 4 oz butter

  • Chunks

  • Dark Chocolate Mint M&Ms, chopped

Directions

  • Infused Pretzel Cream
  • Heat the cream in milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Add the pretzel pieces. No need to chop them.
  • Cook the cream and pretzels, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes.
  • Immediately strain. (Allow the mixture to cool a bit so that it won’t cook your egg yolks when you add them.)
  • Dark Chocolate Paste
  • While that cools, mix the sugar, cocoa powder, and boiling water together. Whisk until totally combined.
  • Add the bittersweet chocolate chunks. Allow them to sit for a couple of minutes to melt.
  • Stir the chocolate paste mixture together until all of the lumps of chocolate have melted and the mixture is uniform.
  • The Rest of the Base
  • Mix together the egg yolks, powdered milk, 1/3 cup sugar, infused cream, and salt. Make sure to mix thoroughly! Don’t want any sugar or egg clumps left behind!
  • Heat on medium low heat until it reaches 162, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom with a spatula to avoid cooking the eggs. No need to reduce afterward!
  • Add the chocolate paste and stir until well combined.
  • Add base to a plastic gallon bag, and put in a prepared ice bath until cooled (about 15-20 minutes).
  • Make in your ice cream maker based on the maker’s instructions. 
  • During the last 5-10 minutes in the machine, when the ice cream is about the texture of soft serve, add in your chopped mint M&Ms. Don’t add it all in! Add handfuls at a time until you get your desired chunkiness.
  • When ready to remove, add a layer of the ice cream to your ice cream container. Top with marshmallow sauce and pretzel swirl. Repeat layers until all of your ice cream is in the container.
  • Move to the freezer until hardened (at least 4 hours).
  • Marshmallow Sauce
  • Pour 1/2 cup of water in a bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Stir slightly. In a saucepan, mix the rest of the water, sugar, and corn syrup. Meanwhile, add the egg white to another bowl.
  • Boil the sugar mixture and measure the temperature with a candy thermometer. While it cooks, whip the egg with a beater until the egg white is stiff. Add to an electric stand mixer. When the sugar mixture reaches 240 degrees, remove it from the heat.
  • Run the stand mixer on high. While it is running, slowly pour the sugar mixture into the egg white. Once all the syrup has been added heat the gelatin mixture slightly, until smooth. With the mixture on high again, pour over the gelatin mixture. Continue to beat until the sauce is thick and cooler. Whip in the vanilla.
  • Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
  • Pretzel Swirl
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Crush the pretzels into a fine powder, with a a few small-ish chunks.
  • Add the crushed pretzel to a bowl. Add the sugar and melted butter, and stir to coat completely.
  • Pour the pretzel mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread it into a thin layer.
  • Bake for 5 minutes. Stir. Return to the oven and cook for 3-5 more minutes until it is golden brown and fragrant.
  • Allow to cool completely. Break into tiny pieces. You can add these on top of each marshmallow layer you add, or, you can stir the cooked pretzel into the marshmallow sauce and then add a layer of that into the ice cream.

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