Cookie Jar Ice Cream

Creamy indulgent Cookie Jar Ice Cream contains chunks of three of my favorite cookies: Oreos, Chips Ahoy! chocolate chip cookies, and Nutter Butter cookies! 

Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from using your own favorite cookies if they differ from my delicious selection! Add in some chopped fudge, chopped candy bars or whatever else your heart desires to make the ultimate Cookie Jar Ice Cream! 

How to Make Cookie Jar Ice Cream

1. Beat the sugar, heavy cream, whole milk, and vanilla extract until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. When the ice cream is almost completely set, add the mix-ins.
4. For firmer ice cream, transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.

CAN I USE DIFFERENT COOKIES FOR THIS DESSERT?

• Cookie Jar Ice Cream is basically homemade vanilla ice cream with cookie chunks mixed in. You can use your favorite cookies, or the generic version of the cookies mentioned above. 

• Using different cookies may alter the taste of the desert slightly but don’t let that stop you from using your favorite choice of cookies. 

DO I NEED TO USE HEAVY CREAM FOR COOKIE JAR ICE CREAM?

• I highly recommend using heavy cream for making homemade ice cream. The heavy cream is an essential ingredient in making creamy and smooth ice cream which can’t be replicated to the same extent with a substitute that has less of a fat content. 

CAN I MAKE A VEGAN VERSION OF THIS RECIPE?

You bet! There are two main ingredients that you’ll want to change when making this ice cream vegan:

CREAM:

• Coconut cream is a great option because it has a good amount of fatty content like heavy cream. Of course, you can also make your own vegan mixture of plant-based milk and a flavorless oil like canola. 

MILK:

• Full fat coconut milk makes an excellent replacement and adds to the nutty, creamy flavor you’ll love in this delicious recipe! Cashew milk is also another great alternative with all the same tasty benefits!

• Another point to consider is making sure that you use vegan-friendly cookies as the mix-ins to the ice cream. 

CAN I MAKE THIS ICE CREAM WITHOUT AN ICE CREAM MAKER?

Take heart my friend, you don’t HAVE to have an ice cream maker to make this desert. Here are two ways to make this ice cream without an ice cream maker:

The food processor:

• Follow step 1 of the recipe instructions and then freeze the mixture flat in a Ziploc bag for about 2 hours.
• Once frozen, break up your frozen ice cream base into chunks and give it a good pulse using a food processor. 
• Place your processed ice cream into a freezer-safe container and leave it to freeze overnight. 

This method produces a very similar consistency to using an ice cream maker.

Ice Bath and Hand Mixer:

• Here, you’re going to be replicating an ice cream maker by using a large bowl filled with ice and ice cream salt and then a smaller bowl placed inside the larger bowl where you’ll assemble your ice cream mixture. 
• Set the ice cream bowl into the ice bowl and mix with a hand mixer until the ice cream base freezes. 
• Place both bowls as is into the freezer for 45 minutes.

The only challenge with this method is that you do need a good amount of freezer space and it does take extra effort making your ice cream this way. 

Other Scrumptious Ice Cream Desserts

• Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Fried Ice Cream Cake
• Easy Lemon Ice Cream Cake