Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: About 1 1/2 quarts, 10 generous servings
• Prep Time: 35 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 9 hours 20 minutes, including chilling and freezing

Quick Ingredients

• Vanilla ice cream base: 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, 5 large egg yolks, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• Cookie dough bites: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips
• Extra mix-in: 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Do This

• 1. Freeze your ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours if your machine requires it.
• 2. Heat-treat the flour at 350°F for 5 minutes, then cool completely.
• 3. Make edible cookie dough, stir in 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, pinch into tiny bites, and freeze for 30 minutes.
• 4. Cook the custard base by heating cream, milk, sugar, corn syrup, and salt, then tempering in egg yolks and cooking to 175°F to 180°F.
• 5. Strain, add vanilla, chill in an ice bath, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until very cold.
• 6. Churn 20 to 25 minutes, then layer with frozen cookie dough bites and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. Freeze 4 hours before scooping.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Big cookie dough flavor: Every scoop has soft edible cookie dough bites and tiny chocolate chips throughout.
• Extra creamy texture: A cooked vanilla custard base gives this ice cream a rich, smooth, scoop-shop feel.
• Safe-to-eat dough: The flour is heat-treated and the dough contains no eggs, so it is designed for eating unbaked.
• Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the base and cookie dough bites the day before, then churn and freeze when ready.

Grocery List

• Produce: None needed
• Dairy: Heavy cream, whole milk, unsalted butter, large eggs
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, light corn syrup, fine salt, vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract, miniature chocolate chips

Full Ingredients

For the Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream Base

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

For the Edible Cookie Dough Bites

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

For Folding Into the Ice Cream

• 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Freeze the ice cream maker bowl and prepare your workspace

If your ice cream maker uses a freezer bowl, place the bowl in the freezer for at least 24 hours before churning. It should be fully frozen and should not slosh when shaken. Set aside a freezer-safe loaf pan or ice cream container, a fine-mesh strainer, a medium saucepan, a whisk, and a clean bowl for chilling the custard.

Step 2: Heat-treat the flour for safe cookie dough

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the 1/2 cup all-purpose flour in a thin, even layer on a small baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through. For best safety, the flour should reach 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let the flour cool completely before using it in the cookie dough, about 15 minutes. Do not mix warm flour into the butter or the dough may become greasy.

Step 3: Make the edible cookie dough bites

In a medium bowl, stir together the softened butter, light brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, and stir again until combined. Add the cooled heat-treated flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Fold in 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips.

Pinch or roll the dough into small pieces, about 1/2 teaspoon each. Small bites are best because they stay pleasantly chewy when frozen and distribute evenly through the ice cream. Place the dough bites on a parchment-lined plate or small baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes while you make and chill the ice cream base.

Step 4: Warm the cream mixture

In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, light corn syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is steaming. The temperature should be about 165°F to 170°F. Do not let the mixture boil.

Step 5: Temper the egg yolks and cook the custard

Place the egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl and whisk until smooth. Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. This gently warms the yolks so they do not scramble. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spatula. The temperature should reach 175°F to 180°F, which usually takes 5 to 7 minutes. Do not exceed 185°F, and do not allow the custard to boil.

Step 6: Strain, flavor, and chill the vanilla base

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl to remove any tiny cooked egg bits. Stir in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. For faster chilling, set the bowl of custard inside a larger bowl filled with ice water and stir for 10 minutes. Cover the custard and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until it is very cold, ideally 40°F or below.

Step 7: Churn the ice cream

Pour the chilled vanilla custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most home machines take 20 to 25 minutes. The ice cream is ready when it looks thick, creamy, and similar to soft serve. Keep the cookie dough bites in the freezer until the moment you are ready to layer them in.

Step 8: Add the cookie dough and chocolate chips, then freeze

Spoon one-third of the churned ice cream into a chilled loaf pan or freezer-safe container. Scatter over one-third of the frozen cookie dough bites and one-third of the remaining 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips. Repeat the layers two more times. Gently swirl once or twice with a butter knife, but do not overmix, so the cookie dough pockets stay generous.

Press a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream, then cover tightly with a lid or foil. Freeze at 0°F for at least 4 hours, or until firm enough to scoop. For the creamiest texture, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Pro Tips

• Keep the mix-ins small: Tiny cookie dough bites and miniature chocolate chips make each spoonful balanced and easy to scoop.
• Chill the base thoroughly: A very cold custard churns faster, traps more air, and produces smoother ice cream.
• Use an instant-read thermometer: Cooking the custard to 175°F to 180°F thickens it without scrambling the eggs.
• Layer instead of dumping: Layering the ice cream, dough bites, and chips prevents the heavy mix-ins from sinking to the bottom.
• Cover the surface: Pressing parchment or plastic wrap directly onto the ice cream helps prevent freezer burn and icy crystals.

Variations

• Brown sugar vanilla ice cream: Replace 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar in the ice cream base with packed light brown sugar for a warmer cookie-like flavor.
• Chocolate cookie dough ice cream: Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the cream mixture in Step 4, whisking until smooth before tempering the eggs.
• Salted cookie dough crunch: Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt over the final layer before freezing for a sweet-salty finish.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store the finished ice cream tightly covered in the coldest part of the freezer at 0°F for up to 2 weeks for the best creamy texture. It will still be safe beyond that, but the texture may become icier over time. The custard base can be made up to 24 hours before churning and kept refrigerated. The cookie dough bites can be made up to 1 month ahead and stored in a sealed freezer bag; add them directly to the ice cream while still frozen.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 417 kcal | Carbs: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Sodium: 120mg | Cholesterol: 171mg