Oreo Ice Cream

Homemade No-Churn Oreo Ice Cream

Who says you need an ice cream maker to make homemade ice cream? Once you try no churn ice cream, you’ll kiss your ice cream maker goodbye. One less appliance to clutter up your countertops!

Ice cream is one of my kids’ favorite after-school treats. Who doesn’t love ice cream (especially when it’s jam-packed with Oreo cookies!)? This no-churn Oreo ice cream is bursting with cookies and cream flavor. I gotta admit, we “big kids” love it, too.

Wondering if there’s a difference between Oreo ice cream and cookies and cream ice cream? There isn’t any! Cookies and cream is simply a generic term for ice cream that has chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo cookies) blended into it.

Easy Ice Cream Recipe

Simple ingredients. You only need 4 ingredients to make rich and creamy Oreo ice cream from scratch.

Quick. No churn ice cream takes about 10 minutes, maybe less, to whip up before it spends some time in your freezer.

Ultra-creamy. This homemade ice cream is very creamy and soft. Every spoonful just melts so dreamily in your mouth. The creaminess is extraordinary, like high-end, expensive ice cream that you can make yourself!

If you like the idea of homemade freezer treats, be sure to check out my list of 14 delicious frozen desserts!

What Does No-Churn Ice Cream Mean?

Many homemade ice cream recipes begin with a homemade custard. The custard is churned in an ice cream maker. No-churn ice cream is exactly what it says: no churning is required. There’s no need to fuss with a custard base. The necessary air is incorporated into the cream by whipping it with an electric mixer before it’s frozen. No-churn ice cream is soft, easy to scoop, and oh, so creamy.

You might be wondering if no-churn ice cream can be good-tasting if it’s so easy to make. The answer is YES! There are so many variations you can make, from this Oreo ice cream to creamy cinnamon ice cream. Keep reading for more no-churn ice cream recipes.

Ingredient Notes

• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Look for this canned milk in the baking aisle of the grocery store. Don’t mistakenly buy evaporated milk because it’s not the same thing. Sweetened condensed milk has added sugar and is more condensed than evaporated milk. It’s very thick and creamy.
• Heavy Cream: Look for heavy cream that is 36 to 40% milk fat. Whipping cream, half-and-half, or light cream won’t work as well.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: This makes it vanilla-flavored ice cream. You could substitute vanilla bean paste if you prefer.
• Oreo Cookies: You’ll need 15 to 18 cookies chocolate sandwich cookies, about 2 cups crushed. Regular Oreo cookies work better than Double Stuf or Mega Stuf. Any of the flavored Oreos (Mint, Toffee Crunch, Chocolate Hazelnut, etc.) are great variations.

How To Make Oreo Ice Cream

It’s so easy. You’ll need a mixer, a large bowl, and something to freeze the ice cream in. A loaf tin works great.

Crush the Oreo cookies. Seal the cookies inside a resealable zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy bottle. The cookies should still be a little chunky.

Whip the cream. With an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the cream with the vanilla extract until it holds stiff peaks. Stiff peaks mean that when you lift the beaters, the peaks completely hold their shape and do not bend over.

Add the cookies. Next, fold in the sweetened condensed milk and the crushed cookies. Be gentle! You don’t want to stir out the air in your whipped cream and make it go flat.

Freeze. Spread the mixture into the loaf pan, then cover it with foil and place it into your freezer. Freeze for six hours (or overnight) and the ice cream is ready to serve.

Tips for Success

Use full-fat ingredients. The secret to no-churn ice cream that’s smooth and creamy and not icy is fat content. Always use heavy cream that has at least 36% milk fat. Lower fat content means more water, which causes ice crystals to form. Also, make sure that you’re using full-fat sweetened condensed milk.

Make sure the cream is well chilled before you whip it. The colder the cream, the better it whips up. It’s also a good idea to put your bowl and beaters into the freezer for 15 minutes so that they are chilled, too.

Give the ice cream enough time to freeze. Make sure that you budget enough freezing time, bearing in mind that you’ll want to chill your Oreo ice cream for at least 6 hours before serving.

Line the loaf pan with parchment paper before freezing the ice cream. When it’s frozen, lift the ice cream out of the pan with the parchment paper and transfer it to a resealable container. Easy peasy!

Variation Ideas

• Use mini Oreo cookies instead of regular-size Oreos. You can just throw them in whole, guaranteeing big bites of cookie goodness. You don’t have to bother with the plastic bag/rolling pin situation.
• Buy flavored Oreo cookies. This recipe will work with Golden Oreos, Double-Stuf, or any other specialty flavor. Mint Chocolate Oreos would be scrumptious!
• Stir in another kind of cookie. Instead of Oreo cookies, try oatmeal cookies, gingersnaps, chocolate chip cookies, or any of your favorite cookies. Plain chocolate wafer cookies with no filling are good, too.

Storing Homemade Ice Cream

No churn ice cream will keep for a few months in the freezer if it’s stored properly. If you plan on storing it long-term (see if you can resist the temptation of eating it all right away!), you’ll want to put the ice cream in a resealable container. It helps to put a layer of plastic wrap or parchment directly on top of the ice cream so it stays fresh.