Pineapple, mint, coconut, and lime are combined to create this Pineapple Mint Gelato. It is a refreshingly light and not too sweet frozen treat – as if your favorite mojito married itself to a bowl of ice cream.
You know those recipes that just kind of happen? I was making lunch for the kids, and scanning the fridge the way you do, when my eyes landed on a leftover jar of pineapple mint puree.
I love that pineapple puree so much. (I try to stash a portion of it in the freezer whenever I make it.) I use the puree to make these Pineapple Mojitos – and alcohol-free versions for the whole family too.
When I saw that jar waiting in the fridge, I started wondering how that puree might work as an ice cream flavor. Next, I remembered I had some coconut milk stashed in the pantry.
One thought led to the other and in just about 60 seconds, I had the mixture whisked together and churning in the ice cream machine.
Remember the Ultimate Ice Cream Maker Review and giveaways I did last year? I compared so many ice cream makers and in the end, I’m still absolutely in love with my Breville Ice Cream Compressor. One of the coolest features is the pre-cool function.
The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!
You can pour in an almost room temperature mixture and the machine chilled it to -5 degrees in just minutes. I pressed start and the machine took less than half an hour to whip this gelato into a creamy light texture that was scoopable straight out of the machine.
In researching different ice creams and frozen desserts, the main difference I’ve found between ice cream and gelato is the intensity of the flavor. The flavor of this dessert is quite intense.
That said, whether you call it gelato or ice cream, you’re going to love this frozen dessert. A small serving of this gelato satisfies me and I love how refreshing the mint is in this gelato. It is like no ice cream I have made before.
Another rabbit hole I have discovered is Shaved Ice. Talk about a quick, sweet, refreshing treat! Try it.
These are a few of my favorite ice cream storage containers: Extreme Freeze Reditainers (pictured above – technically disposable containers, so I can gift them without second-guessing it, but I also reuse them over and over), Tovolo Ice Cream Tubs, and these Rubbermaid Containers (these are ideal for layering add-ins and stirring in sauce swirls at the end).
Pineapple Mint Gelato Recipe
- Stir together the pineapple mint puree and the coconut milk.
- Pour it into the ice cream machine and freeze according to your machine’s directions.
- . Serve immediately or transfer to an air-tight container and store in the freezer until ready to serve.
- The gelato will be very firm after a few hours in the freezer.
- Rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes prior to serving.
Pineapple Mint Gelato
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple mint puree
- 1 14 ounce can Thai coconut milk
Instructions
- Stir together the puree and the coconut milk. Pour it into the ice cream machine and freeze according to your machine's directions. Serve immediately or transfer to an air-tight container and store in the freezer until ready to serve.
- The gelato will be very firm once frozen. Let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
{originally published 6/19/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/25/20}
Pam says
What a fun and refreshing treat. It looks tasty!
Chris Scheuer says
Wow what a great combination!
Joyce Hand says
Mint chocolate chip
Jennifer says
One of my favorites
Andrea says
This looks delicious. Do you sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
Mary Younkin says
I use plain unsweetened canned coconut milk, Andrea.
Pam Kitchen says
Hi Mary. I have not tried your pineapple mint puree but was wonder if chocolate mint would work. I have a big patch of it and would like to be able to use it. Any suggestions?
Mary Younkin says
I’ve never tried that myself, but I’m guessing it will work fine, Pam.
Amber says
I was hesitant to use the canned coconut milk and nobody wanted the icy mint/pineapple full of coconut milk chunks. Also, the puree recipe (which I made first) doesn’t say to strain the syrup, but I realized later that the picture of the “gelato” in this recipe is white, which means the mint wasn’t left in. Even though lime is mentioned more than once in the description, there is no lime in the recipe. I’ll try the pineapple/mint combination in either a sorbet or traditional ice cream because the flavor of the puree was good after I blended thoroughly to avoid big chunks of mint.