Make mint Oreo ice cream in 30 minutes or less. This nostalgic recipe is filled with peppermint flavor and crushed Oreo cookies in a creamy ice cream base. It's quick, easy, and eggless too!
As a girl, I fell in love with mint chocolate chip ice cream the first time I had it in a restaurant in Glacier National Park with my dad and mom. That creamy, minty, green ice cream had my heart right then and there.
Since getting our milk cows, I've come up with all sorts of flavors, one of my favorites being Butterfinger ice cream. I have to say, though, that I think mint cookies and cream ice cream has to be one of my personal absolute favorites.
I think it's a nostalgia thing for me.
Why I Think You'll Love This Ice Cream Too
Let me count the ways…
- It's so easy to make, it's not even funny.
- 8 simple ingredients. That's it. 2 of those ingredients are milk and cream.
- It's affordable. Cartons of ice cream have gone down in size and up in price. And let's face it, homemade is better than store bought anyway. Most of the ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- Make it gluten-free if you want. I make it with gluten-free Oreos.
- It's a quick recipe you can make in 30 minutes or less.
- There will be leftovers. Unless you're feeding a crowd, you'll have plenty left over. I have a family of 5, and I actually make one batch of this to last a few days. Sometimes during the hotter months it goes a lot quicker; but we always have leftovers to store in the freezer and enjoy through the week.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes:
What's in this Oreo mint ice cream recipe? Actually, the ingredients are really quite simple…
- Whole Milk – While I like to use raw milk, you can use store bought milk too. I do, however, recommend sticking with whole milk to make your ice cream more creamy.
- Cane Sugar – You can also use granulated sugar.
- Sea Salt – While you can use regular table salt, I love the flavor and the “real” of Redmond Sea Salt.
- Heavy Cream – Again, while I use cream I skim off our milk, you can buy heavy whipping cream at the store and substitute that if needed.
- Vanilla Extract – My favorite vanilla is this Mexican vanilla. It has superior flavor and makes everything I use it in absolutely delicious.
- Peppermint Extract – I prefer Watkins peppermint extract. While you can make the flavor spearmint, most mint ice creams are flavored with peppermint, whether you use fresh mint or an extract.
- Green Food Coloring – This is totally optional, but I like to differentiate between regular cookies and cream ice cream and mint by adding a little bit of green to the mix. You can always use a natural food coloring like Watkins. But food coloring is generally how to make mint ice cream green.
- Oreo Cookies – You only need about 8 cookies, so the rest of the pack is all yours. Crush them up and you're set to go. You can also use gluten-free Oreos.
How to Make Mint Oreo Ice Cream
Before you start to mix this up, be sure you've pre-frozen the ice cream canister that goes with your ice cream maker; if you don't, your ice cream won't freeze.
I usually just wash mine after using, then store it, covered with wrap, in the freezer. That way it's always frozen and ready to go. (Oh, how I wish Cuisinart would make a lid for our ice cream canisters, don't you? It's my one wish for this ice cream maker.)
I also recommend freezing the crushed Oreo cookies ahead of time, so they don't warm the ice cream when you add them.
How to Mix It and Freeze It
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole milk, sugar, and salt 'til the sugar dissolves, about 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and green food coloring, if desired.
- 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 crushed 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.
I'm really thinking mint Oreo would make a great flavor for my gluten-free ice cream sandwiches, the next time I make them. Can you imagine how yummy that will be?!
How to Serve It
Oh boy, this is the fun part. You can serve mint cookie ice cream in a bowl or on a cone. If serving on a cone, I definitely recommend putting it in the freezer to firm up more, so then you can get actual scoops to put on the ice cream cone.
Here are a few more ideas…
- Serve it with toppings, like chocolate syrup, butterscotch syrup, caramel syrup, hot fudge, etc. Make a grasshopper sundae with a cherry on top!
- Crumble more crushed cookies on top.
- Put a scoop of mint Oreo ice cream on a warm brownie.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's
My expert tips would be to, again, make sure you freeze the ice cream canister beforehand; and also freeze the crushed Oreo cookies so the cookie crumbles don't melt the ice cream as they're added.
Of course, you'll need to store it in the freezer. But as far as containers, I found these super cool ice cream containers online, and I have 2 of them, so I can always have 1-2 containers of ice cream in the freezer for the kids. They work great, and they're easy to wash too. You can find more options in my guide filled with ice cream accessories and tools.
I've found that it'll generally last about 3-4 weeks, as long as it's stored in an airtight container where it won't get freezer burn.
Yes, you really do. I recommend the one I have, which is this ice cream maker. It's easy to use, and it makes 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) of ice cream at a time.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes to Make
If you love homemade mint Oreo ice cream, you'll love these recipes too…
- Homemade vanilla ice cream
- Old-fashioned strawberry ice cream
- Old-fashioned banana ice cream – This one's inspired by my dad, who made the best banana ice cream there ever was.
- Vanilla ice cream no eggs
- Homemade chocolate ice cream no eggs
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Mint Oreo Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/8 cups cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 5 drops green food coloring optional
- 8 whole Oreo cookies crushed*
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, sugar, and salt 'til the sugar dissolves, about 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and green food coloring, if desired.
- 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 crushed 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.
