Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (Oreo Ice Cream)

The best cookies and cream ice cream recipe! A creamy Oreo ice cream is loaded with crushed and chopped Oreos for a big cookie flavor in every bite!

In my opinion no ice cream shop or store-bought ice cream variety even comes close to being as delicious as homemade ice cream - especially when it comes to this Oreo ice cream recipe.

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 cookies and cream ice cream ever.

In this recipe, creamy Oreo ice cream is loaded with crushed and chopped cookies for a big Oreo flavor in every bite! No searching through a sea of plain vanilla ice cream to disappointedly find that there are only a few bits of Oreos - this recipe is jam-packed with the good stuff (cookies galore). 

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream: Ingredients & Substitutions 

Here are a few notes about the ingredients and possible substitutions in this Oreo ice cream recipe. 

• 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. 
• Granulated sugar. Organic cane sugar works well in place of white granulated sugar.
• Fine sea salt. if using iodized salt, reduce the amount by half. 
• Egg yolks. There is no substitution for egg yolks in this Oreo ice cream recipe. 
• Pure vanilla extract. I don't recommend using imitation vanilla. However vanilla bean paste is a good substitute. 
• Oreos cookies: Any sandwich cookie (or really any crunchy cookie of your choice) works well in this recipe. I suggest any flavor of Oreos (we love double stuff ), Trader Joe's Jo Jo's, or you can even find a gluten-free variety to make this recipe gluten-free.  Just be sure to realize that you process some of the cookies and coarsely chop the rest. 

How to make Oreo Ice Cream

This Oreo ice cream recipe has a few steps, but they are simple and easy to execute! We'll walk through the process step-by-step, and don't forget to watch the video.

Make the ice cream base

This cookies and cream ice cream recipe begins by making the ice cream base - because it needs to be chilled until cold. 

To begin, warm the half and half, salt and sugar over medium heat. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and add ½ cup of the warm mixture to the egg yolks, then whisk to combine.

Next, add the egg mixture to the half and half on the stovetop. Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly – just barely coating the back of a spatula – or reaches 170 degrees F.

Place the heavy cream into a bowl with a fine mesh strainer on top of the bowl, then strain the custard into the heavy cream and discard what is left on the strainer. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Chill

Transfer the ice cream mixture to an airtight container and chill completely in the fridge (preferably overnight).

Churn

Once chilled, turn an ice cream make on and pour mixture into it while it’s turning. Churn until it begins to thicken and add the finely crushed Oreos. Continue churning until thick and frozen.

Add Coarsely Chopped Oreos & Freeze

Once frozen, transfer the Oreo ice cream to a freezer-friendly container with a lid and stir in coarsely chopped cookies. Then freeze until hardened.

Serve! 

Enjoy this cookies n cream ice cream with a dollop of homemade whipped cream for an extra special treat! 

Store

This Oreo ice cream can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Ice Cream Making Tools

• Ice cream maker: I have this Cuisinart Ice Cream maker. I bought it at a garage sale and got a great deal on it! If I was going to purchase a new one, I would get this nicer version Cuisinart Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker because it's bigger and newer, and relatively similar in price. 
• 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 have a little collection of ice cream scoops! I like using a large cookie scoop because it makes pretty, round servings of ice cream due to the shape and release feature.  The shape of this scoop makes it easy to serve ice cream! 

FAQs about Oreo Ice Cream

More Delicious Recipes: 

If you love this cookies n cream recipe, try these:

• This Dirt Cake is another delicious recipe for Oreo lovers, also these Oreo truffles! 
• Our homemade vanilla ice cream is infused with vanilla beans and is oh-so good. This paleo vanilla ice cream is also a reader favorite. 
• Make your own cookie dough ice cream and load it with cookie dough chunks!
• This is the absolute best homemade chocolate ice cream you will ever try. 
• My all-time favorite is chocolate peanut butter ice cream - homemade is so much better than even your favorite ice cream shop. Also try this healthier, dairy-free chocolate peanut butter ice cream. 

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