Ultimate Cookie Dough Ice Cream
This Ultimate Cookie Dough Ice Cream combines a rich, creamy vanilla ice cream base with generous chunks of safe-to-eat, chewy cookie dough. Perfect for homemade indulgence, this recipe yields bakery-style, scoopable ice cream with customizable flavor variations. Whether you choose a classic custard base or a simple no-churn method, this dessert is guaranteed to satisfy cookie dough and ice cream lovers alike.
Equipment
- Ice cream maker (optional, for churned version)
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheet (for chilling dough balls)
- Parchment paper
- Spatulas
- Loaf pan or airtight container (for freezing)
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Food thermometer (if making custard base)
- Cookie scoop or spoon
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream Base (Custard version):
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean (split and scraped)
- 4 large egg yolks
For the Ice Cream Base (No-Churn version):
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the Edible Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (heat-treated)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Heat-treat the flour:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread flour on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Make the cookie dough:
- In a bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in the cooled flour until just combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Shape into small dough balls and chill on a parchment-lined baking sheet for at least 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the ice cream base:
- Custard base: In a saucepan, heat cream, milk, and half the sugar until steaming. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks and remaining sugar. Slowly temper yolks with hot milk mixture, then return to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170–175°F). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool completely.No-churn base: Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract gently.
4. Chill the base:
- Refrigerate the custard or no-churn base for 3–4 hours or overnight until very cold.
Churn or mix:
- If using an ice cream maker, churn the cold base according to manufacturer’s instructions (about 20–30 minutes).If no churn, pour base into a freezer-safe container and freeze, stirring every 30 minutes for 2 hours to maintain creaminess.
Add cookie dough chunks:
- Fold frozen cookie dough balls (chopped into bite-size pieces) into the ice cream just before the final freeze.
Final freeze:
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4–6 hours or overnight until firm.
Serve:
- Scoop and enjoy! For easier scooping, let sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Heat-treating flour is essential for safe edible cookie dough; do not skip this step.
- For a richer ice cream, use the custard base; for simplicity and less fuss, the no-churn method works beautifully.
- Store leftover cookie dough chunks separately in the freezer to maintain freshness.
- Customize by swapping mini chocolate chips for nuts, white chocolate chips, or dried fruit.
- To avoid hard dough chunks, keep cookie dough balls small and buttery.
- For vegan or dairy-free options, substitute with coconut milk and vegan butter, and use vegan chocolate chips.
- Press some cookie dough bits on top of the ice cream before final freezing for a bakery-style finish.