Caramel & peppermint crisp ice cream

Peppermint Crisp pudding is a South African classic, made with layers of whipped cream, caramel, Tennis biscuits, and that unmistakable Peppermint Crisp chocolate. It’s a nostalgic favourite that most of us grew up with, and this peppermint crisp ice cream version captures all those same flavours in frozen form. Creamy, crunchy, and deeply indulgent, it’s the perfect summer twist on a much-loved local dessert.

It got me wondering if this chocolate was sold anywhere else in the world and why we seem to be the only nationality to have adopted the tart and pudding. I guess others might find the concept of including a brittle mint flavoured sugar concoction extruded in fine hollow tubes and then coated with chocolate a little odd to include in a dessert, but damn, we love it over here.

Wilson-Rowntree invented the bar itself and is now made by Nestlé. It’s also sold in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Probably as a result of so many expat South Africans living in all of those countries, it warrants enough of a market share. Anyway, I have made a peppermint crisp pudding on my site (I like to add a splash of booze and coffee to combat the clawing sweetness), so I thought, why not make an ice cream?

This recipe is based on my favourite ice cream base recipe, which is from the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream & dessert book. Please don’t contact me and complain about raw eggs being used in the recipe. Both Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s recipes use raw eggs, so if you ate any of those over the years, you would have consumed raw eggs.

I eat raw eggs in tiramisu and a multitude of other desserts, so I have no problem with consuming them in ice cream. I eat my egg yolk as soft as is humanly possible to make while keeping the white cooked. So skip along to another recipe with cooked eggs if you prefer, and then adapt that by adding a swirl of caramel and crushing on the chocolate.

FAQs for peppermint crisp ice cream

What is Peppermint Crisp chocolate?
It’s a mint-flavoured chocolate bar filled with fine, brittle tubes of mint sugar and coated in milk chocolate. Invented in South Africa, it’s now also sold in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Do I need an ice cream maker for this recipe?
No. This recipe works as a no-churn ice cream, so you can make it using whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk without special equipment.

Can I use other biscuits instead of Tennis biscuits?
Yes. Digestive biscuits or shortbread make good substitutes if you can’t find Tennis biscuits.

Can I add alcohol to this ice cream?
A small splash of liqueur, such as Amarula, Kahlúa, or coffee liqueur, complements the sweetness and enhances the flavour without affecting the texture.

How long does it take to freeze?
Allow at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight, for the ice cream to firm up completely.

How long will it keep in the freezer?
Stored in an airtight container, it will keep well for up to 2 months.

How should I serve it?
Serve scoops topped with crushed Peppermint Crisp and crumbled biscuits, or layer it in glasses for a

I substituted most of the sugar for the caramel, which is incorporated into the ice cream so this is essentially a caramel ice cream with crushed peppermint crisp chocolate. I contemplated including a handful of broken Tennis biscuits to give it more of a peppermint crisp pudding vibe, and this would totally work, but in the end, I decided to keep it more of an ice cream.

Recipe – makes about 1 litre of ice cream

Caramel and peppermint crisp ice cream recipe

A creamy Peppermint Crisp pudding ice cream inspired by South Africa’s iconic dessert

Print Recipe

Prep Time:30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 large free-range eggs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 cup tinned caramel – divided I used Nestle Caramel treat – basically 1 tin
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80-100 gms peppermint crisp chocolate bar roughly chopped (you can use more to sprinkle on the top if you prefer)

Instructions

• Beat the eggs until fluffy for about 2 minutes.
• Add the sugar, ¾ of the caramel (reserving the reminder to swirl over the top) and vanilla and carry on whisking for a further 3 minutes or so until the sugar is incorporated and the colour is pale.
• Add the cream and whisk until it thickens – about 3 minutes.
• Add the milk and mix to combine
• Run the mix through an ice cream maker until ready according to the manufacturer’s instruction.
• Once the ice cream has reached its final stage, add half the chocolate pieces and allow them to swirl very briefly through the mix.
• Decant it into a freezer-proof container and dot the remaining caramel over the top. Using a skewer, swirl this through the top ¼ of the ice cream, or just on the surface. It doesn’t matter. Sprinkle over the remaining chopped-up peppermint crisp chocolate and freeze until ready to serve.

Notes

Storage instructions

• Could you transfer the ice cream to an airtight, freezer-safe container?
• Press a piece of baking paper or cling film directly onto the surface before sealing to prevent ice crystals.
• Freeze for up to 2 months.
• Let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before scooping for the best texture.
• Avoid repeated thawing and refreezing, as this can make the texture icy.

Servings: 4

Author: Sam Linsell

These are a few of my all-time favourite other  ice cream recipes:

Ginger miso ice cream (vegan)

Coffee tequila ice-cream with smashed malted chocolates

Raspberry & Limoncello ice cream

Blueberry ice cream with maple & cinnamon

Passionfruit meringue ice-cream

Vanilla ice cream with honey roasted-figs

3 ingredient no-churn vegan ice cream

Rooibos tea & honey ice cream

Coconut & lime ice cream (vegan)

Lightly poached guava ice cream

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