In Defense Of: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Mint chocolate chip has always been one of those ice cream flavors that is either loved or hated. People strangely seem to feel confident about hating such a delicacy. It is more than just a dessert, though. It is an idea about what we should think and value. It is undeniable proof that some of us have taste buds evolved a little above the average human. That group is also strong enough to survive the slander from people who simply can’t admit the truth. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is the most unfairly judged flavor in the entire universe.

Yet, if you admit you like it, the common response is that it tastes like toothpaste. But I don’t get it. If mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes like toothpaste, I am more than happy to brush my teeth three times a day. They say this as if toothpaste tastes like this smooth, cold, creamy perfection with a perfectly crisp texture of chocolate shards. You don’t ever finish brushing your teeth and think, I could eat an entire bowl of this. It is an entirely different experience. Why have I self-appointed myself to be the one to share these opinions of all mint chocolate chip ice cream lovers? I have walked into EVERY SINGLE ice cream shop I’ve ever been to and ordered mint chocolate chip without any hesitation. Not ONCE did I regret it. Every single time, it is a different experience, but it has never been a bad one. Mint chocolate chip has a 100% success rate. Few other flavors can say that. 

Let's break it apart: Mint and chocolate are a classic pairing that is well-known and loved. Think about Andes mints, thin mint cookies, peppermint mochas, and any fresh garnish on the side of a dessert. There is a “Chocolate Mint” herb, an actual mint variety, that carries the subtle essences of cocoa and vanilla in its aroma. It’s obviously a combination that works. The mint is a cooling, refreshing, and clean taste, while chocolate brings that balance and richness. Opposites attract, not just in rom-coms, but in an edible reality. 

According to the International Dairy Foods Association, mint chocolate chip ice cream is consistently ranked among the top 10 most popular flavors, refuting allegations that every other flavor is better than mint chip. That means millions of people (people with functioning and high-end taste buds) choose it again and again. 

We can agree that other flavors are so delicious, but heavy. A bowl of fudge brownie sends you into a coma, craving water. Fruit sorbets are a bomb of sugar, laced with the artificial flavoring of not-so-fresh mango or strawberry. Mint chocolate chip is not like other flavors. In my personal experience, Mint chocolate chip is the perfect balance: refreshing yet rich, cool yet cozy, sweet yet not overwhelmingly so. It is a flavor that clears your palette and mind. One spoonful and suddenly my GPA improves, my skin clears, and my problems no longer feel big or personal. It improves one's mood and leaves you energized! Not tired, or like you have cavities, but like you could run a mile or to the store to get more. 

No two mint chocolate chip bowls taste the same. That’s the beauty. Chocolate tastes like chocolate. Vanilla, as simple a flavor as it is, does too. Mint chocolate chip ice cream always has a twist to it. Strongly mint or subtle, some are the creamiest and smoothest, while some use thin chocolate shavings, others use chunky pieces, and the color. 

White mint chocolate chip is superior. I stand by that. Not adding any of the artificial coloring. Just knowing the flavor is powerful enough without needing the color you associate it with. That being said, the classic green mint chip deserves respect. It’s nostalgic and is instantly recognizable. And STILL delicious. The gold standard for mint chocolate chip ice cream is found in many brands, but most notably in  Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. For this one, I find the most minty, the most natural, the freshest, and the most balanced goodness. White mint ice cream with rich chocolatey chips, not too small where you can’t taste them, but not too big where it overpowers that minty flavor. What’s more, Breyers uses REAL mint; the flavor is different than others. Imagine waking up in a glacier cabin deep in the cool winter, bundled up with blankets, cocooned so tight in warmth that you only feel the crisp air on your cheeks. You go outside, still internally warm, letting the cold air melt on your tongue, just as the creamy milky mint does. Then there is a fire that warms your face, not too overpowering, just melting like a memory through the frost. Taking steps that sink into that fresh powder, you are enveloped by a sun that cuts through the cold, cloudy sky and touches your skin. That is the experience that combining chocolate and mint offers. 

Mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best flavor. If you disagree, that’s fine. I fully support your choice to be wrong–more mint chocolate chip for the rest of us. If you tell me you don’t like mint chocolate chip ice cream or say something as offensive as “it tastes like toothpaste,” I might gasp, question your character for 3 seconds, then forgive you. I’ll love it enough for the both of us.