Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
A smooth, vanilla ice cream layered with chocolate chips and crumbles of homemade cookie dough; it doesn’t get much better than that!
Oh. My. Gosh. You guys have no idea how good this ice cream was. I know it’s getting cold outside, but I think ice cream is fit for any season, and you seriously have to try out this recipe.
Cookie dough is probably one of the most underrated flavors of ice cream out there, but it has never ceased to be one of my favorites. However, when I go out to get ice cream with my family, I’m always disappointed with the lack of cookie dough in my ice cream! Even when we get a gallon from the store, my siblings and I have to sift through the ice cream to find any cookie pieces, so it was important to me that this recipe had the right ratio. Have no fear—this recipe is guaranteed to have chocolate chips and cookie dough bits in every bite!
Ingredients for Cookie Dough Ice Cream
For the ice cream:
- Whole milk
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Egg yolks
- Granulated sugar
For the cookie dough:
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Mini chocolate chips
Tips for Making Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- Making the crème anglaise. Don’t let the fancy wording throw you off, as we’re just making a simple custard for the ice cream base. The hardest thing about the custard is tempering the eggs. After simmering milk and heavy cream on the stove, you’ll ladle in a several hot spoonfuls of the milk to the eggs and sugar. By adding the hot milk slowly, you prevent the eggs from scrambling and curdling.
- How to tell when the custard is done. The easiest way to tell when it’s cooked is by stirring until a thermometer registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, use your spoon to gauge when it’s done. Once the custard coats the back of a spoon and you can run your finger through it, leaving a clean line, it’s done.
- Cooling the custard. Before cooling, make sure to strain the custard to remove any egg bits or lumps, then place it in the fridge to cool. You only need to chill it for around 3-4 hours, but it’s best to cool overnight.
- To make edible cookie dough, it’s necessary to omit eggs and bake the flour for a few minutes to kill any bacteria. Other than that, everything is pretty straightforward! I’ve included how to make edible cookie dough in the recipe, but feel free to use any pre-made cookie dough from the store. I mean, there’s always a little risk of salmonella by using unbaked cookie dough, but I salute you; the risk is well worth it.
Happy ice cream making!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
A smooth, vanilla ice cream layered with chocolate chips and crumbles of homemade cookie dough.
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Servings: 2 pints
Ingredients
For the ice cream base:
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- Pinch salt
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 6 egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
For the cookie dough:
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons milk (to adjust consistency)
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips (plus more for the ice cream)
Instructions
Make the ice cream base.
- In a large saucepan, stir together the milk, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla. Bring the mixture to a bare simmer over medium heat.
- While the saucepan is on the stove, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until thick, ribbon-like, and slightly paled.
- Whisking all the while, slowly add a few ladles of the hot milk mixture to the eggs. Add the entire egg mixture back to the milk on the stove and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon or a thermometer registers 180°F.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve, allow it to cool slightly, then cover it and transfer to chill in the fridge until cold (around 3-4 hours, or overnight).
Make the cookie dough.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the flour in a thin layer over the parchment and bake for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before use, or the chocolate chips will melt.
- In a bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the heat-treated flour and chocolate chips, then add the milk until the dough holds together well. Roll most of the dough into bite-sized pieces, reserving a bit for cookie crumble topping, if desired.
Make the ice cream.
- Take the ice cream base from the fridge and pour into a prepared ice cream maker. Churn according to manufacterer's instructions, then 5 minutes before ready, add in the cookie dough and additional chocolate chips (alternatively, you could finish churning the ice cream, then fold in the chocolate chips and cookie dough before freezing).
- The ice cream should have a soft-serve consistency. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan or ice cream container, top with any remaining cookie dough, then cover and immediately place into the freezer to set for several hours. Once firm, scoop and enjoy!
