Peanut Butter Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

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The classic cookies & cream ice cream flavor, but with a nutty twist!

Classic with a Twist

Cookies & cream is a classic ice cream flavor that is loved by many. In this recipe, we take that classic and add peanut butter – because what isn’t better with the addition of peanut butter?

The peanut butter adds a bit of depth and a nutty, toasty flavor to the ice cream which helps balance out some of the sweetness. It’s a wonderful combination!

Advantage of Homemade Ice Cream

One of the perks of making your own ice cream at home is that you have full control. If you love your cookies & cream ice cream with tons of cookies, go ahead – add more cookies! If you prefer only a small amount of cookies throughout, leave some out. Want a fudge swirl? Add it in! Want to mix in peanut butter cups too, go ahead – the possibilities are endless!

Here are a few more delicious ice cream recipes to try:

• Black Cocoa Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
• Brown Sugar Walnut Ice Cream
• Coffee Toffee Ice Cream
• Crème Brûlée Ice Cream
• Salted French Vanilla Brownie Ice Cream
• Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream

A Note on Peanut Butter

Traditional peanut butter and natural peanut butter (meaning the types that only contain peanuts and maybe salt) behave differently. Traditional, commercial peanut butter like Skippy or Jif is what is recommended for this recipe. These types of peanut butters don’t separate like natural peanut butter does, so they blend much better into the ice cream base.

Mixing in the Cookies

You’ll want to add the cookie pieces just before the ice cream is done churning. You can also manually mix them in after the churning process is complete.

If you add the cookies earlier than this, they may break down too much and you won’t have nice chunks of cookies throughout the ice cream. You may, instead, have tiny cookie flecks.

Equipment

I use an ice cream maker to churn this ice cream. The one I currently use, and some other options, are linked below:

• Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker (the one I currently use)
• Kitchen Aid Mixer Ice Cream Attachment
• Bosch Mixer Ice Cream Attachment
• Dash Ice Cream Machine

Don’t have an ice cream machine or not ready to buy one? Check out my post: How to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine.

Peanut Butter Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

Brookside Kitchen

The classic cookies & cream ice cream flavor, with a nutty twist!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chilling & Churning 8 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Servings 1 quart

Equipment

• Ice Cream Machine

Ingredients

  

• 2 2/3 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (see note)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 12 Oreo cookies

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside.
• Add milk, cream, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt to a pot. Place over medium heat, stirring frequently, until warm and beginning to steam.
• Slowly pour some of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking constantly to temper the egg yolks. Continue until all of the milk has been added.
• Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon well.
• Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (optional) into a heat-safe container. Cover and let cool slightly at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then, place in the fridge and chill overnight, or until completely cold.
• Churn ice cream according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Crush the Oreo cookies into small pieces and fold into the ice cream. Transfer to an air-tight container, cover, and freeze until firm.

Notes

Prepare Your Ice Cream Machine – If your ice cream machine has a bowl that needs to be frozen, remember to freeze it in advance so it’s ready when you need it. I prefer to freeze it overnight to ensure it’s fully frozen before using.

Peanut Butter – Traditional peanut butter and natural peanut butter (meaning the types that only contain peanuts and maybe salt) behave differently. Traditional, commercial peanut butter like Skippy or Jif is what is recommended for this recipe. These types of peanut butters don’t separate like natural peanut butter does, so they blend much better into the ice cream base.

Tempering the Egg Yolks – This step is important because it allows the eggs to heat up slowly, so they don’t curdle and cause little egg lumps in your ice cream mixture.

Cooking the Ice Cream – When cooking the ice cream, you’ll know it’s done when it coats the back of a spoon well. If you want to use a thermometer, it should reach this point around 160 – 180℉.

Strainer – Pouring the cooked ice cream base through a strainer or fine-mesh sieve is optional, but it ensures that you don’t end up with any lumps or pieces of cooked egg yolk in your mixture.

Chilling the Mixture – I prefer to chill the ice cream base overnight to ensure it’s fully cold and allow everything to meld together. If you don’t want to wait that long to churn your ice cream, you can move onto the churning step once the ice cream base is fully cold.

Serving – If the ice cream has been in the freezer for an extended period of time, you may want to let it sit out on the counter for a few minutes to allow it to soften slightly before scooping.

Churning without an Ice Cream Machine – If you don’t have an ice cream machine, I show an alternate method for churning ice cream here (https://brooksidekitchen.com/how-to-make-ice-cream-without-a-machine/).

Keyword cookies & cream, easy dessert, easy ice cream recipe, frozen dessert, homemade, Ice Cream, Oreo ice cream, peanut butter Oreo, summer dessert

If you try out this recipe, I’d love to see it! Please leave a comment with a rating here and tag @BrooksideKitchen on Instagram and use the hashtag #brooksidekitchen