Creamy, rich, and packed with chocolate cookie chunks, this Cookies and Cream Ice Cream recipe uses an ice cream maker for a smooth, scoopable treat that everyone will love!
This creamy and rich vanilla ice cream is packed with Oreo cookie chunks, providing a perfect blend of sweetness and crunch in every bite.
Gina’s Recipe Rundown:
Texture: It has a silky, churned creaminess with chunks of soft, slightly crunchy chocolate cookies throughout for a perfect contrast in every bite.
Taste: It tastes ultra-creamy and sweet with the perfect balance of vanilla and crunchy chocolate cookie pieces, creating that classic, nostalgic cookies and cream flavor.
Ease: It’s easy to make with an ice cream maker—just mix the base, churn, add cookies, and freeze for a perfectly creamy homemade treat.
Why I love it: I love this ice cream because it’s irresistibly creamy, packed with cookie chunks, and tastes just like the classic childhood treat—but even better homemade!
If you love cookies and ice cream, here is an easy frozen dessert for you that tastes better than any store-bought ice cream.
Known to the world since the late 70s Cookies n Cream is one of the best-selling flavors, and I’m not surprised! Simple and delicious, it makes your taste buds dance and want more.
So if you want more, why not make your own homemade ice cream? The good thing about being an adult is that we can have all the ice cream we want!
Why This Ice Cream Recipe Works
- Only 6 ingredients, four of which you probably already have!
- Quick prep time – barely 20 minutes and 6 easy steps, and then the freezer does all the work for us. The hard part of this recipe is waiting!
- Your personal stash of homemade ice cream you can dig in on a hot summer day.
- Vanilla chocolate flavors. This favorite flavor combo never gets old. I stick to old-fashioned combo as even though I love desserts, having chocolate ice cream and chocolate sandwich cookies is too much for me.
- An egg-free recipe without a custard base. I keep my creamy ice cream simple and light, there is no cooking involved as we don’t have to cook or beat egg yolks. It doesn’t affect the taste at all!
Ingredients You Need To Make Cookies And Cream Ice Cream
This Oreo ice cream recipe calls for only 5 ingredients to make the ice cream plus chopped cookies. Easy dessert after a weeknight dinner.
- Heavy cream, strictly full fat – the base of our ice cream that will give it thickness, softness, and creaminess. Condensed milk is a fantastic substitute, and a secret ingredient if you don’t have an ice cream maker.
- Whole milk, full fat, to make sure the ice cream is well combined and silky smooth. Adding half and half brings even more milky creamy flavor.
- Granulated sugar to sweeten the cream and balance out its sour taste.
- Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Classic flavoring for ice cream base. You can use any other extract you want. An extravagant add-on for an adults-only party can be the Vanilla Bean Crush (which contains vanilla seeds and alcohol).
- Pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness and bring flavors together. Never underestimate salt in dessert cuisine.
- Oreo cookies, roughly chopped. I really love big chunks because they don’t get too soft and cakey in the ice cream. Classic chocolate cookies work best for color (dark and white) and flavors (chocolate and vanilla). I use Oreo but you can use any chocolate sandwich cookies. Don’t be shy with cookies, you won’t regret having “too much”. Leave the creamy filling inside the cookies.
- Optional, sugar cones to serve ice cream.
Kitchen Appliances You Need
- Ice cream maker. Ice cream makers are expensive but if you love homemade ice cream they are well worth it. Mixing steadily while cooling makes the ice cream-making process much easier and keeps all the ice crystals away.
- Optional, ice cream scoop to serve ice cream.
- Freezer-safe container, pie pan, or loaf pan to store the ice cream.
What Does an Ice Cream Maker Do?
Ice Cream maker helps to churn the ice cream mixture. It continuously whips and cools the ice cream base which ensures the best texture, flavor, and no ice crystals.
When we don’t use an ice cream maker, we are making a no-churn homemade ice cream, which, by the way, also tastes good.
How To Make Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- Whisk the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the mixture is well chilled.
- Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker bowl and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This typically takes about 20-25 minutes.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to set up your electric ice cream machine.
- About 5-10 minutes before the ice cream is finished churning, and when it already looks like soft serve, stir in large chunks of chopped cookies into the machine. Allow the machine to mix in the cookies evenly.
- Transfer ice cream to an airtight container. Wrap the plastic wrap directly over the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming.
- Seal the container with its lid and freeze for at least 2 hours or until firm before serving.
- Serve as a dessert or as a topping for pies and brownies.
How to Scoop The Ice Cream To Serve
To create beautiful restaurant-worthy scoops of ice cream, move the ice cream from the freezer to the fridge and let it soften for about 10-15 minutes before serving (or at room temperature for 3-5 minutes).
Next, dip the ice cream scooper in hot water for a few seconds, dry it off, and scoop along the edge of the container, where the ice cream tends to soften first.
Don’t do zig-zags, just scoop in straight lines (if you have a rectangle dish) or around the rim.
If you don’t have an ice cream scooper, use a regular tablespoon.
Scoop a generous amount of ice cream. Without lifting the spoon, rotate it in a circular motion to create an oval or round shape.
Dip the spoon in warm water between scoops to make the process easier.
How To Store This Ice Cream
Store the ice cream in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 2-4 weeks. Do not fill the container to the brim, frozen ice cream tends to expand.
If you don’t have a container, wrap it tightly. Do not store uncovered, as it will cause freezer burn.
Homemade ice cream recipes don’t contain Xanthan gum, artificial stabilizers, or preservatives, and ice cream melts fast at room temperature.
Flavors Variations
Want to improvise with flavors? Easy! So many things go well with both vanilla and chocolate. For example:
- espresso powder
- chocolate ice cream is an option for true chocolate lovers.
- almond or coconut extract instead of vanilla. Super yum!
- chocolate or fudge drizzle (for topping or in the ice cream) to turn it into a sundae.
- strawberry or fruit jam, especially orange
- mint – goes so well with chocolate!
- prefer more vanilla? Swap chocolate Oreos with Golden Oreo cookies.
* Syrups are best to add before freezing.
Toppings Ideas
- More coarsely chopped Oreos for topping.
- Caramel sauce
- Whipped cream, of course! Cool whip or homemade, doesn’t matter.
Tips To Make The Best Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- For extra crunch, reserve a handful of cookie pieces to sprinkle on top when serving.
- Ensure all ingredients are cold before starting to speed up the churning process.
- Chill the bowl you will use for churning ice cream in the freezer for 24 hours.
- After 2 hours of freezing the ice cream is closer to soft serve. Leave overnight to get a firm, chewy consistency.
- If you blend all the ingredients, you will get the smoothest texture.
- If you like this recipe, keep some chopped Oreos in the freezer to use for your next batch.
- Add alcohol (vodka or rum) to churned ice cream before you freeze it to make the ice cream easier to scoop.
Popular Questions
What Can I Use Instead Of Electric Ice Cream Maker To Make No Churn Ice Cream?
You don’t have to use an ice cream maker to make homemade ice cream. No-churn ice cream recipes call for sweetened or unsweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, and once you combine all the ingredients you freeze it, without churning, for a minimum of 4-5 hours.
Don’t add milk, half and half, or eggs.
Churned ice cream requires less freezing time (2 hours is enough).
How To Make Homemade Ice Cream Soft And Fluffy?
To make homemade ice cream soft and fluffy without churning it in an ice cream machine, add ingredients like sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whipped cream, corn syrup, or a splash of unflavored vodka.
Vodka lowers the freezing point of the ice cream and that also keeps the ice crystals away.
Do I Need To Use Eggs To Make Homemade Ice Cream?
No, adding egg custard to ice cream is optional. Beaten eggs usually help to hold the structure of a dessert but they also need to be cooked. Modern recipes work without eggs.
What Is The Difference Between Cookies And Cream And Oreo Ice Cream?
Oreo ice cream is a specific brand of cookies and cream ice creams but not all cookies and cream ice creams are made with Oreo.
Cookies and cream ice cream usually have vanilla-flavored ice cream and chopped chocolate sandwich cookies, and it doesn’t have to be Oreo at all.
Why Do Cookies And Cream Ice Cream Taste So Good?
The well-balanced flavor of powerful chocolate and subtle vanilla paired with an interesting soft-crunchy texture is the secret to the amazing taste of the cookies and cream ice cream. It is a perfectly simple yet elegant and delicious frozen treat.
If you love this ice cream recipe, you’re going to love these other ice cream ideas, too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
More Great Treats with Oreo Cookies
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Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 20 Oreo cookies roughly chopped
Instructions
- Whisk the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the mixture is well chilled.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to set up your electric ice cream machine.
- Pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This typically takes about 20-25 minutes.
- About 5 minutes before the ice cream is finished churning, add the chopped cookies to the machine. Allow the machine to mix in the cookies evenly.
- Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming.
- Seal the container with its lid and freeze for at least 2 hours or until firm before serving.
Notes
- For extra crunch, reserve a handful of cookie pieces to sprinkle on top when serving.
- Ensure all ingredients are cold before starting to speed up the churning process.
Equipment
- ice cream maker
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Created by Gina Kleinworth
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