The best chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream recipe! A creamy homemade vanilla ice cream is loaded with cookie dough chunks so there’s a piece in every bite. 

I adore ice cream, and in my opinion no ice cream shop or store-bought option even comes close to being as delicious as homemade.

When you make your own, like this chocolate ice cream or chocolate peanut butter ice cream, you control the quality of ingredients, amount of add ins, etc. Which is why I created this recipe for the best cookie dough ice cream ever. 

In this homemade cookie dough ice cream the vanilla ice cream base is absolutely loaded with cookie dough so there is a piece in every bite. No searching through a sea of plain vanilla ice cream to find the few chunks of dough in there as you do in store-bought varieties. 

The vanilla base is creamy and tastes like cookie dough itself, which makes this cookie dough ice cream recipe the whole package. 

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

As always, I recommend making this recipe exactly as written for the best results, but here are some notes on the ingredients & substitutions.

Ice Cream Ingredients

• Half and half/heavy cream. This recipe calls for 3 cups of liquid dairy. You can change the ratios of half and half : cream if desired, as long as the total amount equals 3 cups. You could also substitute some of the liquid with whole milk. 
• Light brown sugar. The brown sugar gives the ice cream base a cookie dough flavor (different than my regular vanilla bean ice cream). I don’t recommend making substitutions. 
• Granulated sugar. Organic cane sugar works well in place of white granulated sugar.
• Egg Yolks. There is no substitution for egg yolks in this recipe. 
• Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract yields the best flavor, I don’t recommend using imitation. 
• Sea Salt. A pinch of sea salt goes a long way. Any fine salt works well in this vanilla ice cream recipe. 

Cookie Dough Ingredients

• Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well in this recipe. 
• Milk. In this recipe I use whole milk because it is what my family buys! Any liquid dairy (half and half, whipping cream, 2% milk, etc.) will work well! To make it dairy-free, substitute your favorite non-dairy milk. 
• Flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour to make this cookie dough! To make it gluten-free, use an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour! Oat flour also works! See this edible cookie dough post on heat-treating flour. 
• Chocolate Chips. Mini chocolate chips are the best in this edible cookie dough because they are small and melt in your mouth with every bite. However any size chocolate chips or chopped chocolate work well in this recipe! You can get fancy with other mix-ins like peanut butter cups, white chocolate, nuts, coconut etc.! 

Ice Cream Making Tools

I adore homemade ice cream and make it all the time. These are some of my favorite ice cream making tools that we use often! 

• Ice cream maker: this is my favorite: Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker
• Storage container: I store our homemade ice cream in a glass tupperware with a lid.  There are also great containers that are made for storing ice cream, like these 1-quart storage tubs and this jumbo 2.5 quart container (for larger batches). 
• Ice cream scoop: I like using a large cookie scoop. The shape of this scoop makes it easy to serve ice cream.

How to Make Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Let’s jump into how to make this cookie dough ice cream recipe, we’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video!

Make the Vanilla Ice Cream

Begin by making the vanilla ice cream base since it has to chill completely (preferably overnight), before churning the ice cream.

Warm the half and half, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt over medium heat in a medium saucepan.

Next, beat the egg yolks in a small mixing bowl. Then, add ½ cup of the warm half and half mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Once combined, pour the mixture into to the half and half on the stovetop.

Then, cook the egg mixture over medium-low heat stirring constantly until it thickens slightly and just barely coats the back of a spatula.

Next, add the heavy cream to a bowl. Put a fine mesh strainer on top of the bowl and strain the custard into the heavy cream. Discard the residue on the strainer.  

Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine, then transfer the cookie dough ice cream base to an airtight container and cool it completely in the fridge (preferably overnight).

Make the Edible Cookie Dough

If you’re interested in more detailed instructions on making edible cookie dough – check out my full edible cookie dough post. 

In a medium bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a hand-held mixer (or standing mixer) until well combined (about 60 seconds). Be sure to start on low speed and increase it as the ingredients begin to stick together.

Add 4 Tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat to combine. 

Once the dough is ready, stir in the mini chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.

Note: the cookie dough should be soft. This way it is still easy to eat when it’s frozen. 

Shape the cookie dough for ice cream in one or two ways:

1. Roll the cookie dough into balls, then freeze. You may need to chill it first if you do this. 
2. Preferred method: Spread the cookie dough evenly on the prepared baking sheet, then place it in the freezer to harden. Once hardened, cut into chunks with a sharp knife. Then keep frozen until ready to add to the ice cream.

Assemble

Once the vanilla ice cream base is completely chilled, turn an ice cream make on and pour mixture into it while it’s turning. Churn until thick and frozen, then transfer to a freezer-friendly container.

Add the cookie dough pieces to the churned ice cream and stir until evenly combined.

Transfer to the freezer to freeze until hardened (about 3 hours).

Serve

Remove from the freezer 3-5 minutes before serving to soften. Then scoop and enjoy.

Store

Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Cookie Dough Ice Cream FAQs

If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!

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