Cookie dough flavored ice cream filled with cookie dough pieces and mini chocolate chips. The ice cream itself actually tastes like cookie dough! No ice cream maker needed.
Are you wondering why I call this the “ultimate” chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream? That’s because we have cookie dough flavored ice cream with cookie dough chunks mixed into it. Yes, the ice cream itself actually tastes like cookie dough!
This recipe is for those of you that only eat cookie dough ice cream in order to pick out the chunks of cookie dough (ahem). No need to pick out the good stuff here… it’s all the good stuff.
Recipe overview
Cookie dough pieces: start by making a small batch of (egg-free) chocolate chip cookie dough. Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator to firm up while you continue with the ice cream base.
Cookie dough flavored ice cream: a combination of browned butter, brown sugar, sweetend condensed milk, vanilla, and whipped cream make this dreamy ice cream base.
Assembly: layer the ice cream base, mini chocolate chips, and pieces of cookie dough into a freezer safe container (I use a loaf pan) and place it in the freezer overnight.
What makes the ice cream taste like cookie dough?
Several things: a combination of browned butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips. These ingredients flavor the ice cream base giving it a deeper, richer flavor than plain vanilla ice cream (which you typically see in cookie dough ice cream).
Recipe tips
- This ice cream is best if it has had a chance to freeze overnight. You can eat it within about 10 hours of freezing it, but it will be on the softer side.
- Be sure to make your cookie dough pieces fairly small so that they can be evenly distributed through the ice cream.
- Use mini chocolate chips instead of regular sized chocolate chips.
More Chocolate Chip Recipes:
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Recipe updated August 2020 – I changed the recipe to be “no-churn” so that it can be made without an ice cream maker. Here is the original recipe (which does require an ice cream maker), if you’d prefer that version.
Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Ingredients
Cookie dough pieces:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- pinch salt
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
Ice cream:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 scant cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (see note)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups chilled heavy cream
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Cookie dough:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, butter and sugars for 1 minute, until creamy and well combined. Beat in milk and vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator to firm up while you prepare the ice cream.
Ice cream:
- In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Cook the butter until it is light brown and smells nutty, stirring occasionally, and being careful not to let it burn. If you've never browned butter before, see this tutorial. Transfer the browned butter (and the browned bits) into a medium-sized bowl and cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes or so).
- Once the butter has cooled, add the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and vanilla to the butter. Whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add half of the browned butter mixture to the whipped cream and carefully fold it in. Add the remaining browned butter mixture to the cream and fold it in. Fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top, if desired.
- Transfer half of the ice cream into a freezer-safe container (I use a loaf pan). Top with half of the cookie dough (pinching it off into small bite sized pieces). Top with the remaining ice cream and then the remaining cookie dough pieces and reserved chocolate chips. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Jay says
It has more of a dulce de leche flavor than cookie dough, in my opinion. I followed the recipe exactly as written.
Celebrating Sweets says
There is a nutty-caramely flavor in the base of the ice cream from the butter and brown sugar.
Mason says
I love how this cookie dough ice cream is more than just a simple vanilla ice cream with cookie dough pieces. The base is so good!! However, the fat ratio is not quite right. The use of whole milk makes it have an icy texture instead of creamy. Instead of using Whole milk, next time I’m going to try to replace it with heavy whipping cream. Other than that, load up with the cookie dough! It’s the best part 🙂
Celebrating Sweets says
Thanks for sharing your experience. I find that if the ice cream sits out and softens a bit it’s much more creamy than when it is straight from the freezer.
Antoinette E. Stokes says
Thank you!
Sandy says
When you say ice cream maker do you mean the older kind or the new ones that you freeze in the freezer? I guess you can tell I am older and we always used the large maker with the paddle inside.
Celebrating Sweets says
It should have a frozen insert and a paddle for churning.
Rahul Yadav says
Oh yum! This looks amazing! And totally worth the calories.
Stephanie Abedrabbo says
How many servings?
Celebrating Sweets says
It’s about ten 1/3 cup servings.
wilhelmina says
This is a cookie dough lover’s heaven! I am totally in the camp of eating cookie dough ice cream for the chunks of dough and this ice cream delivers! So good!