Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is a classic for a reason. Creamy vanilla ice cream is stuffed with cookie dough chunks and chocolate chips! No baking, no eggs. Try making my chocolate chip cookies and making ice cream sandwiches with them.
I couldn’t possibly give you a recipe for ridiculously delicious homemade waffle cones and not give you another new ice cream recipe to stuff inside of those cones.
It occurred to me recently that I’ve never shared my chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream recipe, and seeing as it’s my go-to, favorite ice cream flavor… that just seems wrong.
Cookie dough and ice cream have always been my two vices. I can’t say no to either one. There’s a reason I’m not a smaller dress size – and I’m completely okay with that, because a life without ice cream and cookie dough is just not worth living for me.
Business idea: a cookie dough restaurant
Hear me out. I want to open a restaurant that serves nothing but ice cream, cookie dough, and variations of each. Can you imagine?
There’s no way that I wouldn’t “sample” every single thing I make and never eat anything else. That’s probably a less-than-balanced diet.
… Probably.
Making cookie dough ice cream
To make cookie dough ice cream, you need to make an ice cream base and a separate ice cream-specific cookie dough. Then you’ll churn them together.
You can’t just make cookie dough that you’d throw in the oven and bake – it needs to be without eggs so that it’s safe to eat raw.
Tips for making the cookie dough
- We’re going to use a mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar – this is part of the key to the cookie dough flavor, so don’t use entirely one or the other.
- To avoid the potential for bacteria in raw flour, you can quickly heat treat it by spreading it out onto a baking sheet and toasting it at 350°F for 5 minutes. Let it cool, then add to your cookie dough mixture.
- I recommend mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate instead of regular sized chocolate chips.
- You can use kind of milk or non-dairy milk you’d like, but I recommend one with a mild flavor. Something like coconut milk will overpower the flavors you’re going for.
Want even more cookie dough?
I considered doubling the amount of cookie dough in the recipe but then I thought that might be a little excessive. But frankly… do it if you want to, because I have from time to time.
The ice cream, overall, would end up being a little less creamy and more like Ben & Jerry’s. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a different texture than the finished product you see here.
This ice cream is so creamy – no eggs needed
The thing I really love about this recipe is that it stays creamy. There’s no need to warm up the ice cream scoop, or let the ice cream sit out on the counter to warm up enough for you to scoop.
As long as your freezer isn’t set to some crazy, unreasonably low temperature, it’s always ready to go.
How to serve cookie dough ice cream
Obviously you can just scoop it into a bowl and go to town. But it goes so well with my homemade waffle cones. The combination of flavors of the sugar cookie-esque cone and cookie dough ice cream is just… ugh. So good.
You know what else you could do? Dip the tops of the cones in melted chocolate, and let it set before you add the ice cream. Waffle cone + chocolate + chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream = everything you need in a summer dessert.
Jazz up your cookie dough ice cream with these toppings:
- Funfetti Whipped Cream
- Homemade Magic Shell from Live Well Bake Often
- Candied Pecans
- Easy Hot Fudge Sauce from I Heart Naptime
- Stabilized Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting
- 5 Minute Magic Vegan Caramel Sauce from Pinch of Yum
- Chocolate Guinness Whipped Cream
Behind the scenes
Every time I make ice cream, it’s basically a war in the kitchen between one of the cats and myself. Puck is a hardcore dairy enthusiast, and it’s almost impossible to get anything done without frequently having to pick him up and put him in another room.
Case in point, I turned my back to grab the ice cream for the photos and this thing was suddenly in frame:
And then he devolved into a fit of sneezing, which resulted in that second gem of a picture.
I want to make him some social media profiles just for the sake of humiliating him with this as his profile picture. But I’m sure that if I did that, he’d have more followers than my blog in a matter of days and it would be seriously depressing.
Damn cat.
After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk, or plant-based milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste, or substitute pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour*
- Pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Ice cream:
- 2 cups heavy cream**
- 1 cup half and half**
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste, or substitute pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 ounces chocolate of choice, chopped (optional, but encouraged)
Instructions
Cookie dough:
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until combined.¼ cup unsalted butter | ¼ cup light brown sugar | 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Add milk and vanilla and beat again until combined.1 tablespoon milk | 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste
- Add flour and salt and beat again until just combined. Add chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.⅓ cup all purpose flour* | Pinch of salt | ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until you’re ready to add them to your ice cream.
Ice cream:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine heavy cream, half and half (or milk – see notes), granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Use a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk to completely combine.2 cups heavy cream** | 1 cup half and half** | ½ cup granulated sugar | ¼ cup light brown sugar | 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste | Pinch of salt
- Pour ice cream batter into frozen ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturers directions (usually 20-25 minutes of churning).
- During the last 5 minutes, add in your cookie dough by the teaspoon and chopped chocolate (optional).
- Pour into a loaf pan or other quart-sized container, cover, and place into the freezer until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Heat treating raw flour: If you’re concerned about the potential for bacteria in raw flour, you can quickly heat treat it by spreading it out onto a baking sheet and toasting it at 350°F for 5 minutes. Let it cool, then add to your cookie dough mixture.
- Don’t have half and half? Just use 2 ½ cups heavy cream and ½ cup milk instead.
Barbara
My cooking students would like to make cookie dough ice cream with a small ice cream machine we have in our high school kitchen. We only have 43-minute classes and that includes getting ready and cleanup. They are really doing a demo on the ice cream maker, so I was wondering, in the interest of time if we could use premade edible cookie dough to add to the ice cream. Thoughts????? Thank you!!
Leslie Kiszka
What a great idea for a class! As long as it’s edible cookie dough (aka: no eggs), it should be just fine! I’d love to hear how it all works out :)
KP
This is really good, but when I eat too much, I find I get a slight waxiness in my mouth. Do you have any tips for this, or know what might cause it? I was thinking maybe it was the chocoloate I used, but I really have no clue.
Rubay
Chocolate chips often contain waxy stabilizers to help the chips keep their shape while melting, which means they don’t melt in your mouth very easily. Larger chunks of chocolate also don’t melt in the mouth easily. A better strategy is to shave bar chocolate with a vegetable peeler to form thin flakes that melt quickly in your mouth.
Barbie
This is amazing!
Also, come to Hanover, PA, sometime and visit Dough and Arrows: edible cookie dough by the scoop! It’s heavenly!
Leslie Kiszka
That sounds amazing! I don’t think my husband will go for an 8 hour road trip for cookie dough, but I can sure try lol
Dianna
It’s so delicious, only my second third time with an ice cream maker but it was pretty simple, can’t wait to have it again Tomorrow.
Ps. You are so funny!
Leslie Kiszka
I’m so glad you liked it, thanks for coming back to leave a comment and rating! And also, thanks for the kind words – I try to make it at least a little fun :)
Mkammah
Creamy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe ! Do you know the secret to keeping it so creamy and smooth even after freezing ? I’m trying to explain it to my French father in law…
Marie
Creamy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe ! Do you know the secret ingredient for keeping it creamy and smooth ? I’m trying to explain it to my French father-in-law.
Leslie Kiszka
I don’t have a “secret ingredient” for that, per se, but I do find the storing it in a loaf pan and then inside a freezer-safe resealable bag helps keep it that way!
Cady
I liked the taste of the final product, but my only big thing would be that I thought there was way too much sugar in the ice cream as well as the cookie dough. If you reduce the sugar, its a great recipe!
Zack
Its really good
Leslie Kiszka
I agree! I’m so glad you liked it – thanks for coming back to leave a comment and rating, I really appreciate it!
Susie Rodriguez
Delicious! Best homemade ice cream recipe we’ve tried ever! Super creamy. The second time I made it, I refrigerated the cookie dough a little longer, and it held it’s shape much better.
Leslie Kiszka
So glad you liked it as much as I do! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and rating, I really appreciate it.
Elizabeth
Saw this on Pinterest and wanted ice cream so I didn’t have to go to the store because thats so hard right now and itwas not as good as my towns store but I liked it
Leslie Kiszka
I know it can be tough to meet the same levels of deliciousness as your favorite local spots, but I’m glad you still liked it! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and rating.
Jenelle
I used salted butter because that’s all I had and it was a little too salty for my taste but I guess that makes sense. Loved the cookie dough chunks
Leslie Kiszka
I always call for unsalted butter in my recipes for that reason – you never know what you might end up with since every brand is different! Now you know for next time :) Thanks for leaving a comment and rating!
Jordan
Good thing I have an ice cream maker! ;) This recipe is going to come in handy next weekend when we’re on vacation. Can’t wait to try it out!
Jenna
Please please please make Puck an Instagram account!! I would totally follow him! He’s hysterical!! And also, your restaurant idea is a winner!! Also love your recipe- it looks chock full of cookie dough. I find most store bought ice creams go kinda light on the cookie dough pieces but yours looks generous with the dough. Yum!
Jo
My kids adore cookie dough treats and with temperature soaring high we can’t have enough of ice cream treats. This cookie dough ice cream looks absolute delish!
Kylie | Midwest Foodie
My sister’s love cookie dough ice cream and I can’t wait to try this recipe with them!!
Amanda
I love making homemade ice cream, and cookie dough is one of my favorite flavors, so this sounds perfect for me! Thanks son I h for sharing!
Kushi
Perfect summer treat. This ice cream looks so creamy and delicious!
Karyl
There’s no such thing as too much cookie dough in ice cream! It’s one of my favorite flavors, and I’m now obsessed with making no churn ice cream. This recipe looks easy and so delicious
Paula Montenegro
Love the idea of not using eggs in this recipe. And I vote for the having an active social media account, haha! So cute.
Amy
This recipe looks so creamy, sweet, and delicious — can’t wait to make some to share with my friends! And I totally laughed out loud at the cat pictures!
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen
Ha ha! Your cat really wants some! Looks like a great homemade ice cream recipe, perfect for the summer months!
Nicolas Hortense
Omg cookie dough and ice-cream combo just sounds stupidly amazing!! Im drooling.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
With all the bbq parties I am hosting this summer, I know this would be a hit. Perfect for filling cones. Great for putting on brownies, cakes, and pies too.