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Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Cookies and cream ice cream with a rich vanilla custard base, churned until thick, then studded with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies for dark chunks in a snow-white cream. This Oreo ice cream recipe delivers a churned cookies-and-cream swirl when some cookie pieces dissolve slightly.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Custard base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Cookie mix-in
  • 20 chocolate sandwich cookies roughly crushed (about 2 cups)

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 fine mesh sieve

Method
 

Make the vanilla custard
  1. In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and whole milk until steaming, not boiling. Visual cue: small bubbles form around the edges and the surface looks steamy.
  2. Whisk the steaming cream mixture slowly into the egg yolks beaten with granulated sugar. Visual cue: the mixture turns smooth and slightly lighter as you add it in a steady stream.
  3. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175F. Time: about 10 minutes; visual cue: it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Chill and churn
  1. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container. Visual cue: you remove any bits of cooked egg for a smooth, snow-white base.
  2. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt, then cool completely to room temperature. Visual cue: the custard looks glossy and uniform.
  3. Refrigerate the custard at least 4 hours until thoroughly chilled. Visual cue: it is cold throughout and holds its shape when stirred.
  4. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a thick, soft-serve consistency. Visual cue: it looks creamy and light while still holding ridges.
  5. During the last 2 minutes of churning, add the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. Visual cue: some cookie pieces stay chunky while others dissolve slightly to create a cookies-and-cream swirl effect.
Freeze to firm
  1. Transfer the churned ice cream to a container with a lid and freeze until firm. Time: until scoopable and set, about 4 hours; visual cue: it becomes dense with minimal movement when the container is shaken.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat at medium-low and stir constantly so the custard reaches 175F without scrambling the egg yolks—straining helps guarantee a silky texture. Refrigerate the finished custard base up to 2 days before churning, and keep the churned ice cream frozen up to 2 weeks. Freezer yes; portion and re-freeze covered for best texture. Dietary swap: use a lactose-free milk/cream substitute to make it lactose-friendly while keeping the same method.