Learn how to make the best homemade cookies and cream ice cream recipe that’s chock full of Oreo cookies. I’ll show you how to use an ice cream maker for a perfectly creamy and velvety smooth, scoop-shop texture that’s not icy like other homemade ice cream recipes.
As an Oreo cookie lover, one of my favorite ice cream flavors is mint Oreo ice cream. But this homemade cookies and cream ice cream is great for when I want my Oreo ice cream fix, but without the mint. If you like indulgent ice cream flavors, you’ll also love my homemade butterfinger ice cream, as well as my St. Louis-inspired gooey butter cake ice cream!
I grew up making homemade ice cream in an old-fashioned ice cream maker, but the texture of old-fashioned ice cream resembles more of a soft-serve custard rather than premium scoop-shop ice cream at the ice cream parlor. Plus, old-fashioned ice cream is best eaten right away, because the soft-serve consistency turns pretty icy after it’s set in the freezer for a bit. In my opinion, the freezer bowl ice cream maker that I use in this recipe makes the best quality homemade ice cream, and they’re very affordable.
Why You’ll Love My Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Recipe
- This recipe uses my simple vanilla ice cream base with crumbled up chocolate sandwich cookies added at just the right time so that they don’t get soggy.
- I’ll show you how to use a freezer bowl ice cream maker for the best scoop-shop texture.
- Thanks to a few tricks I’ve learned over the years, my cookies and cream ice cream recipe is ultra creamy, velvety smooth, and never icy.
Ingredients & Substitutions Notes
- Whole Milk – For best texture, be sure to use whole milk. While 2% milk or even skim milk will work, the ice cream will be softer and not quite as dense. Due to the lower fat content, skim milk also tends to make icy ice cream.
- Sugar – Cane sugar plays an important role because it acts as an anti-freeze, lowering the freezing point of the ice cream. This in turn helps to prevent the mixture from freezing into ice crystals. Remember, properly made ice cream is more of a whipped emulsion rather than pure ice. If you’d like to learn more, Ice Cream Nation has a great article that explains the science of ice cream.
- Heavy Cream – Heavy whipping cream is the backbone of all ice cream. You need the high fat content of the heavy cream to create that rich and creamy, scoop-shop texture.
- Vanilla Extract – This recipe uses a simple vanilla ice cream base. This Mexican vanilla has been a favorite vanilla extract since I was a kid.
- Oreo Cookies – You’ll need Oreo cookies to make homemade cookies and cream ice cream. Any brand chocolate sandwich cookie will work. In fact, I use gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies to make this recipe gluten-free.
How to Make Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Before you start to mix this up, be sure you pre-freeze the freezer bowl that goes with your ice cream maker; if you don’t, your ice cream won’t freeze. You want to place it into the freezer at least 12 hours in advance, preferably 24 hours.
Also, you’ll need to crush up and freeze your Oreo cookies ahead of time so that they’re cold and ready to mix in. You can use a large knife to chop them up, or you can place them into a plastic gallon bag, and then crush them up with a rolling pin.
How to Make Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Recipe for an Ice Cream Maker
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole milk and sugar ’til the sugar dissolves, about 1-2 minutes. Then whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sea salt.
- Turn on the ice cream freezer, and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl with the churn paddle in place. Place the cover on top, and let it mix ’til it thickens, about 20-25 minutes.
- About 5 minutes before the freezing is completed (the ice cream should have a soft, creamy texture at this point), add the crumbled Oreo cookies through the top of the ice cream maker, and let the cookie crumbles mix in completely.
- Once the cookies are all mixed in, turn off the machine. It’s ready to serve!
You can scoop the soft-serve ice cream into bowls. If you’re using an ice cream scooper to scoop it into cones, I’d first recommend scooping it into an airtight container, and then placing it in the freezer for 2-3 hours to firm up a little more. Then serve when ready.
The Secret to Premium Scoop-Shop Ice Cream
If you’re looking for that perfect scoop of ice cream, just like the ones at the ice cream shop, I’ll give you a few tips.
- Avoid scooping it straight out of the freezer. Instead, let it soften for a few minutes so that it’s easier to work with. This is especially true with Oreo cookie ice cream because it has fairly large Oreo chunks that get pretty hard in the freezer.
- Dip your ice cream scooper into a bowl of warm water before every scoop. This pre-heats the scooper, making the ice cream more malleable. The water also creates a thin, nonstick film that helps the scoops to drop out cleanly.
- Avoid digging straight down into the ice cream. The better way to scoop your ice cream out is to glide it horizontally across the top of the ice cream. This way you can slowly fill up the scooper, forming the scoops as you go.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQs
This is usually because the freezer bowl for your ice cream maker was not frozen enough. Usually, 12 hours is sufficient, but I like to let it freeze for at least 24 hours just to be safe. Keep in mind that some freezers vary; we once had a camper freezer that would take up to 2 days to fully freeze the bowl!
Assuming that you didn’t allow the ice cream to partially melt before placing it in the freezer, this happens because the ice cream froze too slowly. This is either because the freezer bowl was not cold enough, or maybe the ingredients were too warm to start with. If this is a persistent issue, you can mix up the ice cream mixture ahead of time. Then let it set in the refrigerator for a few hours before churning everything together in your ice cream maker.
Stored in an airtight container in the freezer, homemade ice cream is safe to eat for up to 3 months. That said, both the texture and flavor will begin to decline after the first 1-2 weeks.
Optional Add-Ins & Recipe Variations
- Crushed Candies & Other Mix-Ins – Mix in M&M’s, mini chocolate chips, crushed pretzels and graham cracker crumbs.
- Fresh Berries – Strawberries and raspberries both pair the best with Oreos. Banana slices also make a nice touch!
- Hot Fudge Swirl – Swirl in some melted chocolate for a hot fudge swirl. Alternatively, you can also add caramel sauce, or even peanut butter sauce to make it a peanut butter swirl.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
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Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/8 cups cane sugar
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 12-15 whole Oreo cookies crumbled and frozen*
Instructions
- Before you start to mix this up, be sure you pre-freeze the ice cream canister that goes with your ice cream maker; if you don't, your ice cream won't freeze.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole milk and sugar 'til the sugar dissolves, about 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sea salt.
- Turn on the ice cream freezer, and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl with the churn paddle in place.
- Then place the cover on top, and let it mix 'til it thickens, about 20-25 minutes.
- About 5 minutes before the freezing is completed (the ice cream should have a soft, creamy texture at this point), add the crumbled Oreo cookies through the top of the ice cream maker, and let the cookie crumbles mix in completely.
- Once the cookies are all mixed in, turn off the machine, and scoop the soft-serve ice cream into bowls for serving; or if desired, scoop it into an airtight container, and place it in the freezer for 2-3 hours to firm up more. Then serve when ready.
My husband just asked if I’d make a new batch! This is a favorite and I love that you can make it gluten free! Another winner Mel!