Attention chocolate chip cookie dough fans! This recipe is for those who sneak bites of it while baking or love eating it in ice cream. I count myself among the latter group, with cookie dough ice cream being in the top 5. Blue Bell was always my favorite, but my aging taste buds have been finding it a little too sweet, so I started making my own.
Golden Vanilla Cookie Dough Flavored Base
This version uses a custard-style base made with four egg yolks for a richer flavor and deeper color reminiscent of traditional cookie dough ice cream. A combination of white and brown sugars, a touch of honey, and a small amount of butter extract enhances the cookie dough flavor and sets the base apart from standard vanilla. Vanilla bean paste, such as Nielsen Massey’s, provides the complexity of fresh vanilla bean with added convenience.
Safe Cookie Dough for Ice Cream
Now, about the cookie dough. Any edible cookie dough will work, but in a moment of nostalgia (and a dollar off coupon), I went with Pillsbury. It is safe to eat raw, and has been since 2020, but I just now realized that. Normally, homemade dough would be my go-to, but the texture of the packaged version turned out to be just right: slightly crumbly, easy to mix in, and no prep required. Feel free to use your favorite edible dough—store-bought or homemade.
Meltable Chocolate Chunks
In addition to the chunks of cookie dough, I drizzled in a mixture of melted dark chocolate and coconut oil so that there’s be melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chunks in the mix. I made the meltable chocolate chunks while the ice cream custard was chilling. That just entailed melting chocolate in the microwave with a little coconut oil, pouring it onto a plate and freezing.
Light Cookie Dough Ice Cream
I jokingly call this my light cookie dough ice cream because my other version had 2 cups of cream, 1 cup of milk and 6 egg yolks, so slightly different ratios. The half cream, half milk and 4 egg yolks version is still good, and stays soft and creamy. The xanthan gum helps, but you can leave it out if you don’t have any because the honey and small amount of vodka will also work.
Sugar Amount
I’ve made this a few times now and have cut the sugar to ⅓ cup granulated (65 grams) and 5 tablespoons brown (60 grams).
Recipe
Cookie Dough Ice Cream
This is a creamy golden colored cookie dough flavored ice cream that stays soft thanks to a little honey (which also adds flavor, but not too much) and vodka.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup white sugar (65 grams)
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar (60 grams)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon butter flavoring or extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon honey (20 grams)
- ½ tablespoon vodka
Cookie Dough and Melting Chocolate Chunks
- ½ roll chocolate chip cookie dough, crumbled (use as much or little as you like)
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips or 3 oz dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
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Mix together the sugars, salt and xanthan gum in a medium saucepan, then whisk in the cream and all but ¼ cup of the milk. Set over medium heat and heat just until it begins to bubble around the edges and is very hot.
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While the cream mixture is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and the reserved ¼ cup of milk in a medium size bowl. It’s helpful to have one with a spout.
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Gradually whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then pour the mixture back into the pan and cook over low to medium low heat, whisking or stirring constantly, until mixture is about 180 degrees F.
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Pour the mixture into a clean bowl, let cool slightly. Add the honey, vanilla paste, and butter flavoring (if using). Cover and chill for several hours or even overnight until very cold.
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Right before churning, add ½ tablespoon of vodka to the cold custard and whisk well. Pour into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the ice cream machine directions.
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While the ice cream base is chilling or anywhere else earlier in the process, mix together ½ cup dark chocolate chips (or 3 oz chopped dark chocolate) and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Melt at 50% power in the microwave. Spoon the melted mixture onto a small tray or dinner plate lined with parchment paper, then freeze. Break or chop into chunks.
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To pack, cut or crumble the cold cookie dough and add it along with chunks of your solid chocolate bits to the ice cream as you pack it into the containers. You should get a little over two pints.
