Cookie dough flavored ice cream filled with chocolate chip cookie dough pieces and mini chocolate chips. The ice cream itself actually tastes like cookie dough – you’ll go crazy for it!
I’m sure you’re wondering why I call this the “ultimate” chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. This is no ordinary cookie dough ice cream. It is 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, me). No need to pick out the good stuff here … it’s all the good stuff.
The ice cream has a buttery, deep brown sugar flavor that’s similar to cookie dough. Chocolate chips get mixed into the ice cream base and generous chunks of (egg-free) chocolate chip cookie dough get added too. Think cookie dough on top of cookie dough. It’s so, so, so good!
My first thought after a bite of this ice cream was, “This is worth every single calorie!” If eating this ice cream means I need to make some sacrifices elsewhere (a little extra time at the gym and dinner tonight will be salad), that is OK! This is so darn good that I’m willing to find a way to make it work. It’s all about balance, right? And if you don’t want to take my word for how delicious this ice cream is, check out my taste tester. He refused to leave even a drop behind. 😉
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Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Ingredients
Ice Cream:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups half and half
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 4 egg yolks
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips see assembly
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened, 4 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
For the ice cream:
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook the butter until it is light brown and smells nutty, stirring often. Be careful not to let it burn.
- Add the half and half to the butter and bring just to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, egg yolks, and salt for a minute or two, until light and fluffy. Slowly pour a cup of the warm half and half into the egg mixture, whisking while you pour (this will slowly bring up the temperature of the eggs). Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Heat, stirring often, until the mixture slightly thickens and reaches 170 degrees or until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Then transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold.
- Once the mixture is chilled, whisk in the 1 1/2 cups of whole milk. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze accordingly to manufacturer's directions.
- While the ice cream is churning, immediately prepare the cookie dough.
For the cookie dough:
- Beat butter and sugars for several minutes. 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 freezer for 10-15 minutes, to firm up slightly.
Assembly:
- Once the ice cream is almost fully churned, add 1/3 cup chocolate chips to the ice cream and drop small pieces of the cookie dough into the ice cream, allowing them to mix throughout. Serve straight from the ice cream maker or cover and freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
Love cookie dough? Try this ice cream in my Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sundae
Jay says
Mine tastes very strongly of brown sugar. It has more of a dulce de leche flavor than cookie dough, in my opinion. I followed the recipe exactly as written. What am I missing? Did I maybe burn the mixture on the stovetop?
Celebrating Sweets says
There is a nutty-caramely flavor in the base of the ice cream from the butter and brown sugar. If you over cooked it I think it would have tasted burnt.
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.
Raeann says
How many quarts does this make?
Also, does it have an icy texture like someone else mentioned?
Celebrating Sweets says
It’s between 3-1/2 to 4 cups, so around 1 quart. If it softens at room temp just a bit I don’t find it icy.
Stephanie Abedrabbo says
How many servings?
Celebrating Sweets says
It’s about ten 1/3 cup servings.