Cookie Dough Ice Cream

This Cookie Dough Ice Cream is a delightful blend of creamy banana nice cream and homemade cookie dough bites. It’s an indulgent yet healthy-ish summer dessert made with creamy cashew butter, ripe bananas, and luscious coconut cream for a delectable gluten-free and dairy-free treat that will satisfy your cravings and makes the perfect fusion of sweetness and texture!

Updated August 2023

Indulge in Creamy Bliss with Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Are you a fan of cookie dough and ice cream? Get ready for a tantalizing treat that combines the best of both worlds. Our Cookie Dough Ice Cream is a delightful blend of creamy banana ice cream and homemade cookie dough bites. Get ready to embark on a flavor journey that will satisfy your sweet tooth and leave you craving more!

Plus, it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and paleo-friendly making it the perfect healthier dessert option when you’re craving an indulgent sweet treat.

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

• Creamy cashew butter: This creamy and rich nut butter provides a smooth texture and nutty flavor to the cookie dough. You can also use any other nut butter as a substitute. For a nut-free alternative, sunflower seed butter or tahini work as well.
• Pure maple syrup: Acting as a natural sweetener, pure maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness to the cookie dough. Feel free to use your preferred liquid sweetener such as Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup if you want a lower sugar option.
• Unsweetened almond milk: Adding moisture and enhancing the texture, unsweetened almond milk helps bind the ingredients together and create a dough-like consistency.
• Vanilla extract: This delightful extract infuses the cookie dough with a warm and aromatic flavor, enhancing the overall taste experience.
• Superfine blanched almond flour and coconut flour: These gluten-free flours form the base of the cookie dough, providing structure and a tender crumb. The combination of these flours ensures a perfect texture. You can try swapping the almond flour for gluten-free oat flour for a nut-free alternative.
• Ground cinnamon and fine sea salt: These spices add a subtle depth of flavor to the cookie dough, enhancing its overall complexity.
• Dairy-free mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate: The final touch, these chocolate chips or chopped chocolate add decadence to the cookie dough. Feel free to use any sugar-free or regular chocolate of your choice. We like Pascha’s Chocolate, Eating Evolved, Hu’s Kitchen or Lily’s Sweets for dairy-free or refined sugar-free options.

For the ice cream:

• Medium ripe bananas: These frozen banana rounds create the base of our creamy ice cream. Their natural sweetness and smooth texture mimic traditional ice cream without the need for dairy.
• Canned coconut cream: This luscious ingredient provides richness and a creamy mouthfeel to the ice cream. Look for coconut cream without gums or fillers for the best results. If unavailable, you can use the thick part of chilled full-fat canned coconut milk. If you’re not a fan of coconut, you can try subbing with a dairy-free coffee creamer of your choice. You’ll have to whip it until thick and creamy stiff peaks form. Heavy cream whipped until stiff peaks form also works if you’re not plant-based / dairy-free.
• Pure vanilla extract: Adding a hint of aromatic flavor, vanilla extract complements the cookie dough and brings out the best in the ice cream.

Instructions: How to make Cookie Dough Ice Cream

For the cookie dough:

1. Prepare the dough: In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the cookie dough ingredients in the order they appear, starting with the creamy cashew butter. Use a fork and then your hands to knead the mixture until it forms a cookie dough texture. Adjust the consistency by adding more liquid sweetener, milk, cashew butter, or almond flour as needed.
2. Shape the dough: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out small ½ teaspoon-sized portions of the dough and roll them into balls. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the pan in the freezer while you prepare the ice cream.

For the ice cream:

1. Blend the ingredients: In a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the frozen banana slices, canned coconut cream, and pure vanilla extract. Blend the ingredients until they resemble a smooth and creamy soft-serve ice cream consistency. Scrape the sides of the processor and add additional coconut cream or plant-based milk if needed to achieve the desired texture.
2. Incorporate the cookie dough: Take the pan of cookie dough bites from the freezer. Add one-third of the cookie dough bites to the ice cream mixture and pulse for 30 seconds to break them up. Stir in the remaining cookie dough bites, reserving some for topping on the ice cream.
3. Serve or freeze: Serve the ice cream immediately for a soft-serve consistency. If you prefer a firmer texture, transfer the ice cream to a resealable airtight container or a loaf pan and freeze until solid, which typically takes about 2 hours.
4. Enjoy: Serve your delectable Cookie Dough Ice Cream with reserved cookie dough bites as a topping, and indulge in the creamy bliss of this irresistible treat.

Tips for Success

• Adjusting the dough consistency: Achieving the perfect cookie dough texture may require slight adjustments. Add more liquid sweetener, milk, cashew butter, or almond flour as needed to ensure the dough is neither too dry nor too wet.

Storage and Freezer Instructions

If you have any leftover Cookie Dough Ice Cream, store it in a resealable airtight container or a loaf pan in the freezer. It will maintain its delightful flavors for up to one week. Just remember to allow a few minutes for the ice cream to soften before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Our Cookie Dough Ice Cream is a delightful treat on its own, but you can enhance the experience by adding your favorite toppings. Consider drizzling chocolate sauce, sprinkling crushed nuts, or adding a dollop of whipped cream for an extra touch of indulgence.

Variations and Substitutions

• Flavorful mix-ins: Feel free to experiment with additional mix-ins in your cookie dough, such as chopped nuts, dried fruit, or even mini chocolate chips.
• Alternative nut butters: If cashew butter is not available, you can substitute it with other nut butters like almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter for a unique twist.
• Customized ice cream: Get creative and customize your ice cream by adding your favorite flavors, such as mint extract, cocoa powder for chocolate flavor, or fresh fruit puree for a fruity twist.

Now that you have the recipe and tips at your fingertips, it’s time to embark on the delightful journey of making your own Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Get ready to savor the creamy goodness and relish the irresistible combination of cookie dough and ice cream. Brace yourself for a flavor explosion that will leave you longing for more with every spoonful.

More healthy ice cream recipes you will love:

Blueberry Ice Cream

Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

Pumpkin Nice Cream

5 from 1 vote

Print

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Prep Time

10 mins

Chilling Time

2 hrs

 

This Cookie Dough Ice Cream features creamy cashew butter, ripe bananas, and luscious coconut cream that comes together to create a delectable and dairy-free treat that will satisfy your cravings. It's the perfect fusion of sweetness and texture and the perfect healthy-ish dessert for summer!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry nice cream, cookie dough ice cream, healthy ice cream, vegan ice cream

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 166 kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

For the optional cookie dough balls

• 2 tablespoons creamy cashew butter , or any nut butter or seed butter / tahini for nut-free option
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup , sub with Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup or preferred liquid sweetener for a lower sugar / lower carb option
• 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups superfine blanched almond flour , add more as needed - can sub with gluten-free fine oat flour for a lower fat or nut-free version
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dairy-free (or regular) mini chocolate chips OR chopped chocolate. We like Pascha's Chocolate, Lily's Sweets, Eating Evolved or Hu's Kitchen Gems for dairy-free. Omit if preferred.

For the Ice Cream

• 3-4 medium ripe banana , cut into rounds and frozen
• 1/2 cup coconut cream , we usually use the ones with no gums or fillers - either Trader Joe’s, Aroy-D or Earth’s Choice - if you don’t have coconut cream, you can also spoon the thick part from full-fat canned coconut milk that has been chilled for at least 6 hours. If you're not a fan of coconut, you can try subbing with a dairy-free coffee creamer of your choice. You'll have to whip it until thick and creamy stiff peaks form. Heavy cream whipped until stiff peaks form also works if you're not plant-based / dairy-free.
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the optional cookie dough balls

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the cookie dough ingredients together in the order they appear (starting with the cashew butter) using a fork followed by your hands to knead into a cookie-dough texture.  Add more liquid sweetener, milk or cashew butter if the dough seems too dry and alternatively, add more almond flour if the dough seems too wet.

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out ½ teaspoon-size of the mixture and roll into balls. Repeat with remaining dough.

   Place the pan in the freezer while you make the ice cream.

For the Ice Cream

1. Add the frozen banana slices, coconut cream and vanilla in a food processor or a high-powered blender.

   Blend the ingredients together until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream. Scrape the sides of the processor and add additional coconut cream or 1-2 tablespoons plant-based milk as needed. After a few minutes, the ice cream should have the correct creamy texture.

2. Take the pan of the cookie dough bites from the freezer and add ⅓ of the cookie dough bites and pulse for 30 seconds to break them up.

   Stir in the remaining cookie dough bites, reserving some for topping on the ice cream. Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency, or transfer to a resealable airtight container or a loaf pan and freeze until solid, approximately 2 hours. Serve with reserved cookie dough bites and enjoy. 

3. Serve with reserved cookie dough bites and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 166 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 4g8%

* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer: This updated post was generated in August, 2023 by ChatGPT, an AI language model, and all info should be reviewed and validated by a human for accuracy and relevancy before implementation.