An all-American classic, better when it’s homemade!
Cookie dough ice cream feels timeless, but this icon is a relatively new kid on the block. It debuted in 1984 at Ben & Jerry’s original Burlington, Vermont, scoop shop and has been climbing the charts ever since, routinely landing in the top five of America’s favorite flavors. One spoonful explains the devotion. Combine creamy ice cream with the joy of sneaking bites of raw cookie dough, and you’ve got a treat loaded with nostalgic charm.
Making it at home? That takes it to a whole different level! Our version starts with a vanilla base enriched with brown sugar for subtle cookie-dough vibes, plus a silky egg custard that churns into an ultra-smooth scoop with the pure, fresh flavor you only get from homemade. Then comes the really good stuff—plenty of chocolate chip dough pieces so every bite delivers. The dough is safer to eat, too. We skip the raw egg in favor of a splash of cream for richness, and the flour gets a quick toast in the oven to make it safer for snacking straight from the bowl. Thanks, Ben and Jerry, we’ll take it from here!
The secrets to custard-based ice cream
If you’re familiar with homemade ice cream recipes, you’ll know there are traditionally two major varieties: those with cooked egg custard bases, sometimes called French ice cream, and those that are uncooked and eggless, sometimes called Philadelphia ice cream. This recipe follows the custard style for an ice cream that’s particularly rich and dense and generally less prone to ice crystals. Here are a few easy tips for getting the custard just right.
Temper the eggs slowly. To prevent the egg yolks from scrambling when added to the hot cream, first very gradually whisk a small amount of the hot liquid into the yolks. Then slowly whisk in more. This gradually raises the temperature of the eggs so they’ll stay smooth, not curdled.
Stir constantly over moderate heat. Once the tempered mixture is returned to the pan, keep the heat on medium-low (or medium at most) and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom and edges so no lumps form there. The custard is done when it’s thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and your finger can make a track on it, at least 160°F but no higher than 170°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Immediately transfer the custard to a bowl. The heat in the pan can continue to cook the custard, so quickly pour it through a strainer into a bowl as soon as it’s done. Chill the custard rapidly by placing the bottom of the bowl in an ice bath (a mix of ice and water), then refrigerate it until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.
How do I store leftovers?
Freeze the ice cream in an airtight container. Pressing a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface will help to keep air out. Homemade ice cream lacks the stabilizers found in commercial ice cream, so it’s best to enjoy it within 2 to 4 weeks for the ideal texture. When you’re ready to serve it, take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes for the perfect scoopable texture.
Serving suggestions
Does your crowd always want a sauce over their ice cream? Go for broke with The Best Chocolate Sauce Ever or this Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe, both an excellent match for cookie-dough ice cream. And as long as we’re talking about abundance: homemade ice cream is amazing dolloped over just-baked brownies. Try the ice cream with your favorite recipe, or whip up a batch of our Easy Homemade Brownies, made with cocoa powder, or our double-chocolate Browned Butter Brownies for double the homemade bliss!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base:
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cookie Dough Bits:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the ice cream base. In a medium saucepan, mix together the cream, milk, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, and salt. Heat the cream mixture over medium-high heat. When bubbles form around the edge of the pan, take it off the heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining brown sugar until smooth.
- Slowly whisk the hot cream (about 1/4 cup at a time) into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
- Pour the yolk and cream mixture back into the saucepan. Put back on the stove and cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Add the vanilla. Set the bottom of the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice and water until cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
- While the ice cream base is cooling, start the cookie dough bits. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the flour on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until it reaches 160°F, 5 to 9 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool completely. Meanwhile, cream together the butter, both sugars and the salt.
- Add the vanilla extract and cream to the bowl. Mix in the flour and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and drop cookie dough bits (about 1/2 teaspoon each) onto the sheet. Freeze until ready to use.
- Freeze the ice cream base according to manufacturer’s instructions for your ice cream machine. When the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve, transfer it to a freezer-safe container.
- Stir in the frozen cookie dough bits and freeze the ice cream until firm, approximately 2 hours.
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