Just 5 ingredients with virtually no prep work and you’ll have the creamiest, most luxurious, and most delicious Cookies and Cream Ice Cream ever! This Cookies and Cream Ice Cream recipe is made without eggs and there is no cooking involved. It’s completely fuss free and features a delicious vanilla ice cream that’s chock full of Oreo cookie chunks!
As health-conscious as our family is when it comes to eating healthy foods and avoiding bad stuff, ice cream is one of the “sinful indulgences” we refuse to give up. And we’re okay with that because occasional indulgences are important for mental health and as we all know, our mental health also impacts our physical health and so….it’s important to treat yourself occasionally. And guess what? If it’s homemade you can feel even less guilty about it because homemade generally doesn’t have all the junk ingredients in it like store-bought does. AND it tastes better! Win-win!
So yes, we’re a family of ice cream lovers and we love experimenting with all kinds of flavor combinations. (I just made a wicked batch of honey lavender ice cream last weekend – so good!) But there are some flavors that will always be “standards” – favorites that we come back to again and again. Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (aka, Oreo Ice Cream) is one of them. Scooping those creamy spoonfuls into your mouth and biting down on those chunks of Oreo cookies is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
This Cookies and Cream Ice Cream recipe features just 5 ingredients and it is 100% fuss free. Meaning there are NO eggs and there is NO cooking involved. Simply stir the ingredients together and let the ice cream maker churn it into a thick consistency you can then transfer to the freezer. For the BEST Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, it just doesn’t get any simpler than this!
I’ve experimented with different quantities of crushed Oreo cookies and settled on 1 1/4 cups as the right amount for lots of delicious chunks in each bite without it being overkill. Feel free to add more or less according to your own preference.
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Recipe
In a bowl, combine the milk and sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
I own two ice cream makers, both of which are excellent and I highly recommend. The first is this Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. As with most ice cream makers, it requires that bowl be frozen ahead of time in the freezer, but it works really well and is affordable. This Cuisinart 2 Quart Ice Cream Maker is the newer version and holds an additional 1/2 quart which makes it convenient when you want to double any 1-quart recipe.The other machine that I’ve since upgraded to is this Cuisinart Compressor Ice Cream Maker. It costs more but it has its own built in compressor, meaning you don’t have to pre-freeze the bowl. You simply plug it in, pour in the ingredients, and watch it go. No planning ahead necessary. You can’t go wrong with either of these ice cream makers, they both produce excellent results. After approximately 20 minutes, after the mixture is thickened, add the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and let it continue to churn for another 5-10 minutes or until the ice cream is nice and thick.
Spoon the ice cream into a freezer safe container with a lid and freeze for at least 2-3 hours until firmly set.
Makes about 1 quart.Scoop the ice cream into individual serving bowls and garnish with an Oreo cookie if desired.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup whole milk , chilled
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream , chilled
- 2 teaspoons quality pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups coarsely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (e.g., Oreo cookies)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a bowl, combine the milk and sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. After approximately 20 minutes, after the mixture is thickened, add the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and let it continue to churn for another 5-10 minutes or until the ice cream is nice and thick. Spoon the ice cream into a freezer safe container with a lid and freeze for at least 2-3 hours until firmly set.Makes about 1 quart.