Ice Cream Cookies

When you hear “ice cream cookies,” you are probably thinking about ice cream cookie sandwiches. A scoop of ice cream squished between two yummy cookies. Although these are delicious, that’s not what this recipe is about. This ice cream cookie, inspired by Crazy for Crust, uses ice cream as an ingredient! Regular cookie dough is mixed with ice cream to make soft, flavorful, unique cookies. 

The ice cream adds so much moisture to the cookies, that they are unbelievably soft! Depending on what flavor of ice cream you use, there is also a secret hint of flavor in the cookies that make them addictive to eat! The best way to make these delicious ice cream cookies is by lessening the amount of butter and eggs. Let’s get into the recipe!

Jump to:

• WHAT’S AN ICE CREAM COOKIE?
• INGREDIENTS
• SUBSTITUTIONS
• HOW TO MAKE ICE CREAM COOKIES
• TIPS
• QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RECIPE
• Ice Cream Cookies

WHAT’S AN ICE CREAM COOKIE?

Rather than enjoying ice cream as a topping for fresh cookies, this recipe incorporates the ice cream into the cookies themselves. This makes them soft with a pop of flavor. Ice cream cookies taste great with vanilla ice cream, but you can experiment with fun flavors your family will love. Use strawberry ice cream, and see your family’s confused faces when they taste strawberry in the chocolate chip cookies! It will be delicious and funny! 

Since ice cream has a lot of fat and dairy, it is important to cut down the amount of butter and egg used in the recipe. Ice cream cookies are an amazing twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. It is well worth the try!

INGREDIENTS

• Butter: it’s best to use unsalted butter. Make sure it’s melted before using.  
• Granulated Sugar: brings sweetness to the cookies.
• Light Brown Sugar: adds a sweet caramel-like flavor to the cookies.
• Ice Cream: this recipe uses vanilla ice cream, but feel free to use any flavor of ice cream. 
• Egg: acts as a binding agent in the cookies.
• Vanilla Extract: try to use pure vanilla extract over imitation vanilla. Imitation tends to leave a chemical-like flavor.
• Baking Soda: helps the cookies to rise. 
• Salt: balances the sweet flavors, and enhances the cookies’ flavors.
• All-Purpose Flour: you can use a gluten-free version.
• Chocolate Chips: use any type of chocolate chips you like.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• For a familiar chocolate chip cookie flavor, it’s best to use vanilla ice cream. However, you can use any flavor you would like.
• Instead of chocolate chips, use butterscotch chips, sprinkles, or M&Ms.
• Use gluten-free All-purpose flour and gluten-free products for a gluten-free cookie.
• Switch pure vanilla extract with imitation vanilla if that’s all you can find. Double the amount of vanilla extract if using imitation. 
• Use a plant-based ice cream if you are lactose intolerant. Make sure to use a full fat dairy-free ice cream.

HOW TO MAKE ICE CREAM COOKIES

Add the butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt it. Add the melted butter into the stand mixer’s bowl, and mix in all the sugar on low. It’s best to use a paddle attachment for mixing in this recipe. Once the butter and sugar are well combined, mix in the ice cream. Mixing will be easier if your ice cream is softened before adding it in. 

When the mixture is smooth, mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Combine the ingredients with baking soda and salt. Slowly add in the flour and mix between intervals. It is important to add the flour in increments, so flour doesn’t splash around everywhere. When you finish mixing in the flour, add in the toppings you would like (i.e. chocolate chips or sprinkles). 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop the dough onto the sheet. Wrap them in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You can chill the dough for longer, but it’s best not to go over 2 hours in the fridge. If you leave them in the fridge for more than 2 hours, flatten the cookies a smidge before they go into the oven. This will help them to flatten easier.

While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 more baking sheets with parchment paper. Take the cookie dough out of the fridge and separate them onto the additional baking sheets, so each cookie has about 2” of space. 

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Once they have completely cooled, enjoy these fresh ice cream cookies with a nice glass of milk!

TIPS

• For an extra level of flavor, brown the butter before adding it into the stand mixer.
• Soften the ice cream a bit for an easier time mixing. This is optional, though! 
• It’s best to use full-fat ice cream, as it’s the fat that adds all that moisture and flavor to the cookie. 
• Make sure to chill the dough. It will help the flavors combine better, and will give you a better end texture. It takes a bit more time, but it’s not a step that you want to skip.
• Be careful not to overmix the dough. Adding too much air into the cookies will make them collapse and lose their shape while baking.
• Don’t use a cold egg in this recipe. Leave the egg out at room temperature for a bit to make it blend better with the other ingredients.
• Keep your eye on the cookies, because the baking time may vary depending on the model of your oven. When the edges of the cookies are becoming golden brown, they are ready to take out of the oven.
• There’s no need to grease the parchment paper. This may make the cookies feel a bit oily, so just stick with regular parchment paper or a clean silicone baking mat.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RECIPE

How can I store these cookies?
They probably won’t last too long, but you can keep them in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature. Or, freeze them in an airtight container for a month. They will stay nice and soft the whole time!

Can I use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer?
If your hand mixer has a beater attachment it could work. The dough needs something with enough power to mix it well. A regular whisk, or whisk attachment will not be able to mix the dough as well as a stand mixer.

Why do I have to chill the dough?
Chilling the dough helps with many aspects in the end result of the cookie. The most important is that it helps give time to the flavors in the cookie to blend together and pop more when baked. It also helps solidify a lot of the butter in the cookie, so it holds its shape better when baking.

Can this recipe be made vegan-friendly?
The texture may end up different, but there are a few ways to make these cookies vegan. Switch out the dairy products with a plant-based alternative. For the egg, mix ground flaxseed with water. This will give a similar binding effect as eggs. Depending on which plant-based alternative is used, the flavor may differ as well. For instance, using coconut milk ice cream will give off a slight coconut taste to the cookies. So, you may want to use a subtler plant-based product like soy.

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