Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Creamy no-churn vanilla ice cream is loaded with cookie dough chunks and mini chocolate chips in every bite! This cookie dough ice cream is made completely from scratch and is the ultimate summer treat.
Since perfecting my no-churn ice cream base, I’ve had fun experimenting with different flavors and mix-ins. The creamy vanilla ice cream is the perfect foundation for pretty much any flavor combination you like!
My latest creation is this chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Chunks of edible cookie dough are folded into the ice cream, and the finished batch tastes just like your favorite store-bought version!
I stuck to classic chocolate chip cookie dough for this recipe and added ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips. The chocolate chips add a subtle crunch and an extra dose of chocolate that pairs perfectly with the creamy ice cream and frozen cookie dough pieces.
I highly recommend keeping a batch of this in your freezer to enjoy all summer long!
What You Need
- All-Purpose Flour: Must be heat treated (i.e. microwaved or baked) to kill any lingering bacteria. This takes very little time and is essential for making the cookie dough safe to eat.
- Light Brown Sugar: Sweetens and infuses the cookie dough with flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: I prefer to use mini chocolate chips for this recipe, but regular chocolate chips will work as well! You could even finely chop a bar of chocolate and use that in place of the chocolate chips.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Not to be confused with evaporated milk! Sweetened condensed milk is thick, sweet, and syrupy. Make sure to use the right one, otherwise the ice cream won’t set up properly.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Check to make sure it contains at least 36% fat. The heavy cream is beaten to stiff peaks and then folded into the ice cream base; this is how we can avoid using an ice cream machine.
How To Make Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- First, you’ll need to heat the flour in the microwave or oven until it reaches a temperature of 160ºF. This will kill any lingering bacteria in the raw flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar. Add the vanilla and salt, then the flour and heavy cream. Fold in the chocolate chips last.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking tray and press it down into an even layer. Pop the cookie dough in the freezer while you make the ice cream.
- Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the cookie dough from the freezer and cut it into small pieces (about ½ inch).
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture, then fold the cookie dough pieces and mini chocolate chips into the ice cream. I like to set aside some of the cookie dough to place on top, but this is completely optional!
- Scoop the ice cream into a loaf pan (or any freezer-safe storage container). Top with additional mini chocolate chips and any reserved chunks of cookie dough. Freeze for at least 8 hours before scooping.
Storage Instructions
This homemade cookie dough ice cream will last up to three months in the freezer. Note that the ice cream is prone to forming ice crystals; to prevent that from happening, make sure to cover the loaf pan tightly. I like to press a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream so that it’s touching the surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you must microwave or bake the flour until it reaches 160ºF. The only way to know for sure that it’s reached that temperature is to use an instant read thermometer. You do not want to add raw flour to the cookie dough because it could contain bacteria.
I don’t see why not! I would recommend using a gluten-free flour that substitutes 1:1 for all-purpose flour. You will still need to follow the directions for heat-treating the flour as well.
You may customize the cookie dough with whatever mix-ins you like. M&M’s, chopped nuts, dried fruit, etc. would all work great!
Regular refrigerated cookie dough contains raw egg and raw flour, both of which can make you sick. I only recommend using store-bought cookie dough that is labeled as edible (like Toll House edible cookie dough).
Baking Tips
- When measuring your flour, make sure to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can lead to a crumbly, dry cookie dough.
- If you microwave the flour, it will be a little bit clumpy. Make sure to sift your flour into the cookie dough to remove any lumps.
- The cookie dough goes into the freezer to help it firm up and make it easier to cut into chunks. It may not be frozen solid by the time you go to cut it into pieces, that’s okay!
- Don’t over mix the whipped cream! This can cause it to deflate and the ice cream may not set up properly.
- If the ice cream is difficult to scoop, you may need to let it sit on the counter for about 5 minutes before scooping. Or you can run your ice cream scoop under some warm water, wipe it clean, then try scooping it.
Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (65 grams)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened (57 grams; ½ stick)
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar (70 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (15 ml; use from the carton for your ice cream)
- ¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (45 grams)
Vanilla Ice Cream
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (1 pint; 480 ml)
- ¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (45 grams)
Instructions
- To make the cookie dough: Place the flour in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Test the temperature of the flour with an instant read thermometer, it needs to register at least 160°F. If not, microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it’s at the correct temperature. Alternatively you may bake the flour at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together until well combined. Then, mix in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Sift the flour into the mixing bowl and continue mixing, the mixture will be a little crumbly at this point.
- Mix in the heavy cream until fully combined, then fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet and press it down into one even layer. You can make the cookie dough as thin or thick as you prefer, but I typically press mine into a 7 to 8-inch square.
- Place the baking sheet with the cookie dough in the freezer while you prepare the ice cream.
- To make the vanilla ice cream: Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, add the heavy whipping cream. Start mixing on low speed. Once the mixture starts to increase in volume, increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until just combined.
- To assemble the ice cream: Remove the cookie dough from the freezer. Peel the frozen sheet of cookie dough off the parchment paper/wax paper and place it on a large cutting board. Cut the frozen cookie dough into small pieces (I typically cut mine into ½ inch square pieces).
- Reserve about 10 to 12 pieces of chopped cookie dough for the top of the ice cream. Add the remaining chopped cookie dough and the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to the ice cream and gently fold them in until just combined.
- Scoop the ice cream into a 9×5 loaf pan and smooth it out into one even layer. Sprinkle the reserved cookie dough on top (feel free to roll it into small balls, if you prefer) and some extra mini chocolate chips.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream and transfer it to the freezer to freeze overnight (or for at least 8 hours).
- Once the ice cream is completely frozen, scoop, and enjoy!
