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The whole darn family loves Oreos, so when summer hit this year, it was no surprise that I made Oreo Ice Cream! Guess what? They inhaled it!

Our pantry is always stocked with Oreos, mainly Double Stuf. So it wasn’t much of a risk to make a Cookies and Cream Ice Cream chock full of those beloved cookies.

Oreo Ice Cream scoops in a tea cup garnished with an Oreo.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 How to Make
4 Frequently Asked Questions
5 You May Also Like:
6 Oreo Ice Cream

Why You Must Make

  • If your family is full of Oreo fanatics like mine, this Oreo Ice Cream recipe will be a huge hit!
  • You can add as few or as many crushed Oreos as you want when you make it yourself.
  • You can even shake up the base and use chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla. The options are endless!

Ingredient Notes

  • Egg Yolks – Use large eggs
  • Sugar – regular granulated
  •  Heavy Cream – Should be at least 36% butterfat
  •  Whole Milk – Ice cream will not be as creamy if you substitute skim or 2% milk
  • Kosher Salt – Salt is a flavor enhancer and is important in desserts. If you don’t have kosher salt on hand, use slightly less table salt (eyeball about 3/4 of that 1/4 teaspoon)
  •  Real Vanilla Extract – Never use imitation vanilla as the flavor is obviously artificial.
  •  Oreo Cookies  – Any kind of Oreos will work. I used Mega Stuf since that’s what we had on hand but just chop and measure what’s available to you.
4 mini cones of Oreo Ice Cream on a white tray.

How to Make

Oreos have always been a stock item in our pantry. But, frankly, I have never been a fan. As a child, we’d make our own Double-Stuf Oreos by pressing together two twisted apart halves with filling still attached. And I only ate the cookie part to be polite. I definitely preferred the filling.

Later I did discover I enjoyed a chocolate cookie pie crust, so that became my excuse to have these filled sandwich cookies in the house. But our three children took after their father, and will always gravitate towards our tin of Oreo cookies when there are no homemade treats to be found. When I heard about the new breed with even more filling, MegaStuf, I thought they’d be wonderful in ice cream. And when Bill did a taste test, he confirmed my prediction. Feel free to use any type of Oreo cookie in this ice cream recipe.

  1. WHISK yolks and part of the sugar in a heatproof bowl. Pro-Tip: I like to use a large Pyrex measuring cup since has a spout.
  2. Bring the rest of the sugar, cream, milk, and salt to a SIMMER in a saucepan, then slowly drizzle a part of the hot cream into the yolk mixture, WHISKING constantly. Repeat with more hot cream, still whisking, then add the egg mixture back to the saucepan, whisking continuously. PRO-Tip: This process is called tempering which warms up the eggs slowly instead of scrambling them.
  3. HEAT, while stirring, until the mixture thickens, another minute or two.
  4. POUR the custard through the strainer into a clean bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. PRO-Tip: This step removes any cooked egg bits and will make a smoother custard.
  5. PLACE the bowl in an ice bath (I fill the sink with ice and water), stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches room temperature.
  6. Cover the bowl and place the mixture in the refrigerator and CHILL for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  7. FREEZE the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  8. Once the ice cream is ready, scoop a third of it into a freezer-safe container, LAYER with half the chopped cookies, and repeat. Top cookies with the last 1/3 of the ice cream.
  9. You may eat immediately or freeze for 4 more hours for firmer ice cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Invented Cookies and Cream Ice Cream?

There are numerous claims from individuals, a university, and companies that say they invented this ice cream.
An ice cream consultant, Malcolm Stogo, reported that he invented Oreo ice cream in 1976, 77, or 78. Then South Dakota State claims their dairy department invented it in 1979. Blue Bell started producing cookies and cream in 1980, though Edy’s/Dreyers contradicts them saying they were the first to produce it in 1982.

How Popular is Cookies and Cream Ice Cream?

In 2020, it was tied for 5th place with Cookie Dough Ice Cream among adults in the U.S.

How Do You Crush the Oreos for Ice Cream?

I prefer to chop the Oreos into bite-sized pieces instead of crushing them. This keeps the cookie filling intact instead of it oozing out during the crushing process.
If you want to crush the cookies, place them in a gallon Ziploc bag, seal the bag, and use the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to break the Oreos into pieces.

What Kind of Oreos Should You Use?

This version was made with Double Stuf, but it’s equally delicious with any of your favorite types of Oreos.

Why Are There Eggs in this Homemade Ice Cream?

Using eggs in the ice cream base makes for a French styled custard base. The yolks provide additional fat and make the ice cream extra creamy.

How Do You Store Oreo Ice Cream?

Ice cream should be stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Pressing plastic wrap over the surface will help minimize the chance of any frost developing.

White cup of Oreo Ice cream on a red and white napkin.

You May Also Like:

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Oreo Ice Cream | Dreamy vanilla ice cream with chunks of Oreo cookies!
The Recipe:

Oreo Ice Cream

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 1 quart

Luscious vanilla ice cream with chunks of Oreo cookies

Ingredients

  • 5 egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1¾ cups heavy cream
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1¼ cups chopped Oreo cookies (I used 10 Mega-Stuf, you will need more regular Oreos)

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the egg yolks and ¼ cup of the sugar in a large Pyrex measuring cup or heatproof bowl; set aside.
  2. Heat the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, cream, milk, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.
  3. When the mixture begins to simmer, slowly drizzle ½ cup into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
  4. Repeat with another ½ cup of hot cream, still whisking constantly, then add the egg mixture back to the saucepan, whisking continuously.
  5. Continue to stir the mixture over medium heat until the mixture thickens, about 1-2 minutes.
  6. Pour the custard through the strainer into a clean bowl and stir in the vanilla extract.
  7. Place the bowl in an ice bath (I fill the sink with ice and water), stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches room temperature.
  8. Cover the bowl and place the mixture in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  9. Freeze the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  10. Once the ice cream is ready, scoop a third of it into a freezer-safe container, top with half the chopped cookies, and repeat. Top cookies with the last ⅓ of the ice cream. You may eat immediately or freeze for 4 more hours for firmer ice cream.

Notes

Straining the custard will help remove any tiny bits of cooked egg. This will make a smoother ice cream.

To make an Oreo Ice Cream Pie, scoop the ice cream into a chocolate cookie crust, smooth the top, and freeze. Once it's frozen, top with fudge sauce and freeze again.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 scoop
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 294Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 155mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts