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The best homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream is a classic flavor that everyone loves. Combine a few basic ingredients, freeze in an ice cream maker and mix in fresh chunks of cookie dough.
This is the recipe that started the entire collection of recipes on this site back in 2013. It’s my favorite ice cream flavor and is easy to make at home. You probably already have all of the ingredients to make this recipe. Homemade ice cream tastes rich and creamy and is better than anything you can buy at the store.
The recipe is slightly adapted from my favorite ice cream cookbook, The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. We love using his vanilla ice cream base to create my own unique combinations of flavors. You can mix almost anything into ice cream so we started with cookie dough and chocolate chips.
Cookie dough for ice cream
To make the cookie dough for the ice cream, stir together the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the flour, then the vanilla and chocolate chips.
Form the cookie dough into a disk about 1/2 inches thick, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. Once the dough is firm, chop or break into bite-sized pieces, then store in the freezer until you’re ready to mix in.
How to make homemade chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream
- Heat the liquid: Combine 1 cup heavy cream, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod to the pot. Stir and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add remaining ingredients: Remove the liquid from the heat and add in additional cream, milk and vanilla extract.
- Chill mixture: Chill the liquid thoroughly in the refrigerator. Remove the vanilla bean.
- Churn: Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. My ice cream maker requires about 20 minutes to churn.
- Add cookie dough: Fold the pieces of chopped cookie dough into the ice cream maker just before removing it.
- Freeze: Store the churned ice cream in a freezer safe container in the freezer.
Tips for making homemade ice cream
- Use fresh ingredients: Using high quality fresh ingredients creates the best flavor. Don’t skip the vanilla bean as it creates the high quality vanilla ice cream.
- Use whole milk and heavy cream: Always use full fat milk and cream for ice cream. It creates the best texture and flavor.
- Churn in an ice cream maker: We always recommend churning the ice cream in an ice cream maker. It helps cream the smooth and creamy texture. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can try freezing the mixture in a freezer safe container without churning, but the consistency may be different.
- Add other mix-ins: You can use the vanilla ice cream base and add in any of your other favorite mix ins. We also love adding chunks of Chewy Brownies, chocolate chips or chunks of fresh fruit.
We know that you’re going to love this homemade ice cream. There is nothing like a large scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day. Serve a scoop over our favorite Vanilla Mug Cake or Easy Mug Brownie for a delicious treat!
If you’re looking for a dairy free ice cream, try Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream!
Try it and let us know what you think!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 vanilla bean,, split in half lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cookie Dough
- 5 tablespoons salted butter,, melted
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- To make the cookie dough, stir together the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the flour, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Form the dough into a disk about ½ inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm. Once firm, chop the disk of cookie dough into bite-sized pieces, then store in the freezer until ready to mix in.
- To make the ice cream, combine 1 cup heavy cream, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod to the pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1 cup cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
- Once the ice cream mixture is chilled, remove the vanilla bean and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Fold the pieces of the chocolate chip cookie dough into the ice cream as you remove it from the ice cream maker.
- Store in a freezer safe container in the freezer.
Notes
- We recommend churning the ice cream in an ice cream maker. If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can try freezing the mixture in a freezer safe container without churning. The consistency may be different though as the churning helps create the smooth and creamy texture.
- Store the ice cream in the freezer for up to one month.
- Vanilla ice cream and cookie dough slightly adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing! I love cookie dough anything and this was so good!
All I can think about are all the flavors I can mix into this ice cream to get through the hot summer. This sounds so creamy and delicious that I can’t wait for my first batch to come out. I’m ready to add my fresh blueberries from my garden and some fresh peaches from my new state of Georgia.
Can the cookie dough be put into the ice cream maker while its freezing?
I recommend waiting until it is done churning and then just fold the cookie dough into the frozen ice cream.