Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

This homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream recipe is and easy, egg-free recipe that still manages to be creamy, rich, and the perfect dessert for a warm summer day. It starts with a homemade vanilla ice cream base and is loaded with Oreo chunks in every bite.

Who doesn’t love a good ice cream cone? Or maybe you prefer yours in a bowl. Either way, digging into something sweet, cold, and filled with cookies on that hot summer day is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. I love it so much I have even made a Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake that is like the ice cream but in a layer cake form.

I have a LOT of ice cream recipes on here because it’s one of our favorite things to make during the summer, but really all year long. Store-bought ice cream just isn’t the same! Especially with this flavor where they can never seem to strike a satisfying balance of cookies to ice cream.

Oreos are delicious all on their own, but it amazes me what you can do with any dessert when you add some Oreos to it. Some of my other favorite Oreo desserts are No-Bake Oreo Pie, Oreo Balls, Cookies and Cream Macarons, and these irresistible Slutty Brownies.

ice cream scoop dipping out a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream

Let’s talk about the cookies for a minute. This isn’t your typical fine fairy dust cookie crumb sprinkle that you might have had before in cookies and cream ice cream. Or a plain vanilla with just a few bits of cookie here and there.

We’re talking two packages of Oreo cookie chunks, I mean CHUNKS, throughout this delicious homemade vanilla ice cream. It doesn’t go quite so far as to turn the ice cream grey, but we’re getting borderline here because this is how I like my cookies and cream ice cream!

I guarantee you will be so proud of yourself when you take a bite of this delicious homemade dessert and won’t be going back to the grocery store to buy any other brand of cookies and cream ice cream. This is the cookies and cream I remember from my childhood when it used to be my favorite flavor before brands started getting stingy with the cookies.

Homemade ice cream can seem a little intimidating, but this recipe is seriously so easy, egg-free, and no cooking involved. All you need is your ice cream maker and a little bit of time for it to freeze.

Of course you can always use your favorite vanilla custard base made with eggs if you prefer, but I actually really like this one best with the uncooked version. Plus, it’s less intimidating if you are new to ice cream making.

cookies and cream ice cream in a freezer safe container scooped out with an ice cream scoop on a white table

Recipe Ingredients

Heavy cream: While you can make ice cream with half-and-half, I prefer using heavy cream for its higher fat content, which will give you the creamiest ice cream.
Milk: Whole milk is best for ice cream, although you can compensate for lower fat percentages by decreasing the milk a bit and adding some extra cream to make up for it.
Sugar: Granulated sugar gives just the right amount of sweetness in combination with the Oreos.
Vanilla extract: I love using my homemade vanilla extract which adds a wonderful depth of flavor to our cookies and cream ice cream.
Oreos: Regular Oreos work great or if you are feeling frisky, go ahead and choose your favorite flavored oreo (mint for me!).

measuring cups of milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract and packages of Oreos on a white table

How to Make Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Combine Ingedients. Whisk cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl to help dissolve the sugar. Add to your frozen bowl of an ice cream maker.

Churn the mixture for 20-30 minutes until thick and about the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. While the ice cream is churning, go ahead and add your Oreos to a large ziplock bag and gently mash until you get large chunks. You can also just use a knife and chop them up. Some finer crumbs are good because they will flavor the entire ice cream base, but I like to make sure there are legitimately large pieces of cookie throughout the ice cream as well.

crushed up Oreros in a large zip lock bag

Add the cookies, mix, then cure. Add the chopped Oreos during the last minute or two of churning so they can mix in and flavor the vanilla base, making it a true cookies and cream. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container like a bread pan and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze 4-6 hours until firm, which is known as “curing” the ice cream so it’s scoopable and hard.

Pro Tip: Hold a few of the cookie chunks in reserve to sprinkle on top of your ice cream before freezing. Not only does it make the ice cream look pretty and enticing, but it’s so satisfying to scoop through when you can already see big chunks like that!

Cookies and cream ice cream in a freezer safe container on a white table

Recipe FAQ’s

Can you use milk instead of heavy cream?

Ideally any milk will work for homemade ice cream. You can even substitute half and half if that is all you have. I prefer heavy cream because it provides a really nice creamy ice cream. Keep in mind that other substitutes will result in a little bit of a different flavor and texture of this recipe.

Why did my ice cream come out too hard?

If you feel like your ice cream is coming out too hard, it’s probably because your freezer temp is set really low. You might want to let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before scooping. Keep in mind that this homemade ice cream doesn’t have preservatives or other ingredients like eggs or cream cheese with corn syrup to keep it softer, so it usually does freeze a bit harder and needs that extra time on the counter to soften a bit.

ice cream cone with two scoops of Cookies and cream ice cream inside of a mason jar.

Tips for the Best Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Freezing. if you’re using a container with a lid, I would recommend leaving about a ½ inch space on the top of the container. As the ice cream freezes it will expand and might push the lid off.
Storage. You can easily find white pint-sized frozen dessert containers on Amazon which are really fun for gifting. Make up your own fun ice cream names just like Ben & Jerry’s, then write them in sharpie on the lid or the side and decorate them to give ice cream to friends!
Mix It Up! Have fun with this recipe and switch up your cookies. You can add in different flavored Oreos, peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, or whatever cookie you love the most. You really can’t go wrong!

A scoop of homemade cookies and cream ice cream

Other Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.

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