Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Recipe

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Recipe – Smooth and creamy vanilla ice cream loaded with chocolate cookie chunks. A classic ice cream flavor that is even better homemade!

I’ve experimented with several versions, including a no-churn one with whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk. None of them came close to this delicious recipe!

Cookies and cream has always been one of my favorite ice cream flavors. The custard base makes it extra rich and creamy, and I’ve never tried a better Oreo ice cream!

I tweaked the recipe that I use for my peppermint ice cream. Because it has eggs, you have to cook it first, but the silky texture makes it worth it. It is absolutely smooth and delicious!

And of course it’s loaded with cookie pieces – because there’s nothing worse than Oreo ice cream with just a sprinkling of cookie dust in it!

How to make Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• milk (I use 2% or whole milk)
• egg yolks
• granulated sugar
• salt (It may seem strange to add salt to ice cream, but adding a little bit cuts the sweetness and enhances the flavor. Trust me!)
• vanilla extract (It not only boosts flavor, the alcohol in it keeps the ice cream from freezing too hard.)
• cream (Heavy cream yields the creamiest ice cream, but whipping cream also works.)
• Oreos (We prefer regular, not double stuff.)

Directions:

1. BLEND – Combine milk, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk together till blended well.
   
2. COOK – Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, till mixture barely comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. STRAIN – To remove any lumps, pour ice cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
   
4. CHILL – Cover and chill till cold. (I usually put the pan in a sinkful of ice water to speed the process.) Stir in vanilla and cream.
5. CHURN – Let the ice cream churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it is soft-serve consistency. (I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker and I love it! It makes about a quart and a half of ice cream, which is the perfect amount for my family.)
   
6. RIPEN – Add the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and place in an airtight container in the freezer to harden for 2-3 hours.
   

Scoop up and enjoy!

PRO TIPS:

• After you break the Oreos into chunks, freeze them while you prepare the ice cream. That way when you add them to the ice cream mixture, they won’t melt it.
• Freeze the container that you will be storing the ice cream in. When you pour the ice cream from the ice cream maker into a bowl that is already ice cold, the ice cream sets up faster and freezes more evenly.
• For an extra punch of vanilla flavor, you can add the seeds of a vanilla bean.
• Make sure you leave large chunks of Oreos, because that is the best part!

If you can find the Oreo ice cream cones at your local grocery store, they are fabulous with this ice cream! You can order them online, but they have a tendency to break during shipping.

MORE HOMEMADE ICE CREAM RECIPES:

• Strawberry Ice Cream
• Butterfinger Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Ice Cream
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• Milky Way Ice Cream
• Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream Recipe
• Tin Roof Ice Cream

This cookies and cream ice cream recipe is exceptional, and better than anything you can buy at the store. It is the perfect dessert on a hot summer day!