You’re looking at the first recipe that almost did me in. I’ve never worked harder or longer developing a recipe. Even my orange olive oil cake, with its 13 versions–was a breeze compared to this.
Searching for the Perfect Texture
Let me explain. There’s a wondrous farm nearby called Ferris Acres Creamery. Their ice cream is something to behold. Besides being ripped through with amazing flavors, it has an extraordinary texture–smooth yet chewy and slightly stretchy. CHEWY? I know sounds weird, but it’s true. And that became my Holy Frozen Grail.
All Cream
First, I tried using all cream rather than the usual combo of milk and cream. No go. The extra fat just muted the vanilla flavor.
Cornstarch Slurry
Next, I tried a cornstarch slurry. That’s a common ingredient in Italian gelato. That was promising, so I did six–count ’em–six versions with different amounts of cornstarch. I went through a box of cornstarch, and still, I didn’t hit the right texture.
Corn Syrup
I really didn’t want to go down the corn syrup path because some people freak out about it. I mean, restraining-order freak out. But I figured, what the hell, I could at least try it. Four versions from 2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of the stuff. It didn’t add much sweetness because it’s less sweet than sugar, which was a surprise. But the real plus was it prevented ice crystals from forming. And that was the first step toward my longed-for texture. Haters be damned!
Xanthan Gum
Because I was gaining weight faster than a pregnant marmoset, I had to stop. So, I took a break and did research instead. I owe a lot to Liza Zografou and Taylor Malek’s Salt & Straw cookbook. I discovered that most commercial ice creams use different types of gums, xanthan being the most common.
Now, I thought xanthan gum was something cooked up in a crazy scientist’s lab. A 100% synthetic creation. However, I learned it’s a natural thickener derived from fermented sugars and doesn’t change the flavor of foods. Intriguing.
It took just one test with xanthan gum and some corn syrup to get the–(cue the triumphal trumpets)–perfect texture.
After 15 tests over eight weeks, I had ice cream that could stand up to Ferris Acres. Now, on to whipping up all kinds of flavors for you this summer!
Chow,
Why Our Testers Loved This
My testers were smitten with the “rich and delicious” flavor of this homemade ice cream and delighted that it was just soft enough to be scoopable directly from the freezer. Tester Mary G. described it as a “luscious, cold delight with a great taste.”
What You’ll Need to Make This
- Milk and heavy cream–The combination of milk and heavy cream gives you rich flavor and creamy, smooth texture in your ice cream.
- Vanilla–Only the real stuff, please!
- Cookie dough–This recipe uses cookie dough that is designed to be edible. It contains no raw eggs, and the flour is heat-treated, so it’s perfectly safe to consume.
How to Make Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- Mix the xanthan gum, milk powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the corn syrup.
- Heat the milk over medium heat and whisk in the sugar mixture until dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the ice cream base into a bowl, cover, and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Prepare the cookie dough according to the recipe, adding 2 1/2 tablespoons of corn syrup with the milk and vanilla. Roll 1 to 1 1/2 cups of dough into pea-sized pieces or flatten the whole piece to 1/4-inch thick on a baking sheet.
- Freeze the cookie dough until solid. If using a single slab, chop the dough into small pieces.
- Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
- Mix in the shards of chocolate chip cookie dough. Freeze the ice cream until firm.
Common Questions
Nope. If you’re concerned about consuming this ice cream while pregnant or immunocompromised for fear of raw eggs, fear not! The cookie dough does not contain any eggs, and the egg custard for the ice cream is cooked to a safe temperature before chilling, so this ice cream has no trace of raw eggs in it.
Corn syrup plays a crucial role in both the edible cookie dough and ice cream. In the ice cream, it helps to prevent ice crystals from forming, keeping your it creamy, rich, and smooth. In the cookie dough, it makes the dough shards chewy rather than rock hard.
Xanthan gum is a type of natural complex carbohydrate that is frequently used in food production, as it helps to thicken and stabilize mixtures.
In ice cream, xanthan gum acts as a stabilizer to prevent the ingredients from separating and ice crystals from forming, ultimately resulting in a smooth, creamy consistency and mouthfeel. Using xanthan gum can also help to extend the shelf life of your ice cream.
Helpful Tips
- Use a thermometer when making your custard, and heat it to 180°F. If the temperature stalls during cooking, don’t turn up the heat. Give it a few minutes, and the temperature will begin to rise again.
- If you don’t want to turn on your oven, you can toast the flour in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn.
Storage
Keep your ice cream in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.
More Terrific Ice Cream Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
Ingredients
For the vanilla ice cream
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum, (I’m so easy to find!)
- 2 tablespoons dry milk powder
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the cookie dough
- 1 recipe eggless chocolate chip cookie dough
- 2 ½ tablespoons corn syrup
Instructions
Make the vanilla ice cream
- Mix the ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum, 2 tablespoons dry milk powder, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and pinch of salt in a small bowl.
- Pour the 1 ½ cups whole milk into a saucepan, then drizzle in the 2 tablespoons corn syrup.
- Heat the milk mixture over medium heat. Dump in the sugar mixture and whisk vigorously until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Slide the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the 1 ½ cups heavy cream.
- Stir in the 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- Pour the ice cream base into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or, for better flavor and texture, overnight (8 to 12 hours).
Prepare the cookie dough
- Make 1 recipe eggless chocolate chip cookie dough according to the recipe instructions, adding the 2 ½ tablespoons corn syrup in step 4 when you add the milk and vanilla.
- Scoop out 1 to 1/2 cups of the dough. Refrigerate the rest to munch on at your leisure.
- Either flatten the dough to a 1/4 thicken or roll it into small balls of different sizes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid.
- If you've flattened the dough, chop the slab of frozen dough into shards of varying sizes. Slide the sheet back into the freezer.
Churn and freeze the ice cream
- Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
- Gently fold in the frozen cookie dough shards or balls.
- Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm, 4 to 6 hours.
- Scoop and enjoy your homemade cookie dough ice cream!
Notes
- Toast the flour on the stovetop–If you don’t want to turn on your oven, you can toast the flour in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn.
- Storage–Store the ice cream in a freezer safe container for up to 1 month.
An LC Original
View More Original RecipesNutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Cookie dough and ice cream are perfect to welcome summer. The clever mixture of no-egg cookie dough is delicious on its own and, when combined with the luscious ice cream, means a double batch is a must.
Don’t you love when you discover a secret ingredient that takes your dish to the next level? There are two secrets here. First, making the cookie dough, brown your butter and let it cool before you mix it together. [ed note: Why didn’t I think of that?]
The ice cream gets its beautiful texture from xanthan gum. We couldn’t wait for the churning to finish. The soft-serve waves were the visual cue that this ice cream was going to be scrumptious.
I used regular-sized dark chocolate chips, which created chunkier dough bits, but no one seemed to mind. And if you’re like me, who always adds more chocolate chips than any recipe calls for, add more here, too.
If you want to try something fun for summer, this tasty cookie dough ice cream is easy to make. The cookie bits are good, too!
Anything with chocolate chips has to be great, right? This chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream didn’t last long around our house because it’s so darn yummy! I found this to be very simple and will definitely be making this again.
I’d like to tell you that I served it in an heirloom sundae glass on a lace tablecloth or that I made homemade waffle cones. It was just so darn good that I had a hard time waiting for it to firm up after it was done in the ice cream maker. Sharing it was even harder. Don’t ask. I have issues when it comes to sharing ice cream.
Every single time I make ice cream, I ask myself, “Why don’t I do this more often?” This time was no different, and I’ve been making a list of what to add to this amazing vanilla base the next time; it would need to be pretty special to beat the cookie dough, though.
The cookie dough came together quickly. I did a riff by adding some Maldon salt to it (while keeping the amount of salt in the recipe the same). I think it cut through the sweetness a bit and added some interest. Both the cookie dough and the ice cream remained scoopable after their stint in the freezer.
If you’re looking for an ultra-rich ice cream…this is it. Wonderful texture and flavor. The cookie dough nuggets taste exactly like traditional cookie dough licked off the beaters.
This cookie dough ice cream recipe took me back to my youth in a rural area of Massachusetts. The local dairy was Lowell’s Dairy, which made AMAZING vanilla ice cream. It was rich, it was smooth, and it had a deep vanilla taste.
I’ve searched for an equivalent over the years but hadn’t found one until this recipe came along. It lived up to the ice cream of my memories. Then, I added bits of chocolate chip cookie dough to it, and it improved something that I thought could never be improved. Need I say more? It’s delicious!
I’ve been a sucker for chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream ever since discovering it as a kid on the day school let out for the summer (RIP to Thrifty Drugstore and their famous ice cream counter) circa 1993. And this recipe did not disappoint!
My husband declared it “bang-on perfect” upon sampling the final product, and I 100% agree. The vanilla ice cream is wonderful on its own, rich and smooth, while the taste, texture, and amount of cookie dough shards all add up to the perfect cookie dough ice cream.
This pretty much hit all my expectations for ice cream…creamy mouth feel, a little texture from the cookie dough balls, chocolate (always a high point), and bonus points for not being rock hard when you take it out of the freezer.
The vanilla flavor was prominent but not overwhelming, and the semisweet chocolate bits cut some of the sweetness. I made the cookie dough with gluten-free flour, and the corn syrup helped to keep it chewable rather than rock hard.
Thanks for your notice about the move of the feed. ❤️👍
Enjoy your summer
Of course, Nat!