If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at homemade ice cream but were afraid that it’d be too difficult, you have to try my ridiculously simple Mint Cookies and Cream Ice Cream recipe! Made with just 8 ingredients and only about 10 minutes of active time, this refreshingly minty riff on Oreo cookies & cream ice cream is sure to become a family favorite.
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Why You’ll Love This Mint Oreo Ice Cream Recipe
Aside from being frosty and refreshing, this mint chocolate cookie ice cream recipe is also:
- Quick, Easy, & No-Cook - Just stir, churn, pack, and freeze. It’s so stinkin’ simple, and it’ll only take about 10 minutes of active prep time!
- Made With Only 8 Simple Ingredients - And they’re all pantry-stable! As a bonus, this mint chocolate cookie ice cream is made without any weird preservatives, hard-to-pronouce ingredients, or artificial colors.
- Budget-Friendly - I whipped up a generous 1.25 quarts of this delectably minty cookies and cream oreo ice cream for just $3.50 (as of July 2023). So, not only is this mint cookie ice cream better-for-you than store-bought, but it’s cheaper, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you only need a handful of pantry ingredients to make this mint cookies and cream homemade ice cream. Here’s what to grab:
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - This is the secret ingredient that means we can mix up the ice cream base without any cooking. Feel free to swap in a vegan substitute.
- Heavy Cream - You can use regular whipping cream, so long as it has a minimum milkfat of about 30%. Feel free to swap in your favorite vegan substitute, or use shelf-stable heavy cream powder reconstituted in water.
- Whole Milk - When it comes to ice cream, I’m not someone who cares about going low-fat. It’s dessert, after all! That said, you can also use 1%, 2%, or the plain or vanilla unsweetened plant-based milk of your choice.
- Vanilla Extract - For added warmth and depth. Feel free to swap in an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder, or use half as much ground vanilla bean.
- Mint Extract - I prefer peppermint extract for the bracing fresh taste, but you’re welcome to use spearmint if you prefer. You can also use 4-6 drops of food-grade peppermint or spearmint essential oil.
- Kosher Salt - I use Morton’s kosher salt. If you’re using a different variety or brand of salt, consult a conversion chart.
- Matcha Powder optional, for coloring. Can also use 4-5 drops green gel food coloring.
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies - OG Oreo cookies are my top choice, but feel free to use any chocolate sandwich cookies you prefer.
How To Make Mint Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
This mint cookies ice cream recipe couldn’t be easier if it tried. Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Combine all ingredients except cookies in a large measuring cup (easier for pouring) or mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. (You can also blend it in a blender.)
NOTE: If using matcha powder, whisk it in a small bowl or glass with a few tablespoons of milk (using a milk frother if you have one) before adding it to the rest of the mix.
Step 2: Churn according to the ice cream maker manufacturer's instructions. In the meantime, break Oreos into bite-sized pieces.
Step 3: Add Cookies. When the ice cream is about 5 minutes from being done churning, tip in the crushed cookies.
Step 4: Pack the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Press a piece of parchment directly on top of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming, then wrap tightly in plastic or place the lid on.
Step 5: Freeze for about 4 hours, or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
As much as I love this mint Oreo ice cream recipe, there are tons of ways for you to make it your own. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream - Swap in your favorite plant-based sweetened condensed milk, plain or vanilla plant milk, and vegan whipping cream. Regular Oreos are vegan-friendly, so no need to worry there!
- Gluten-Free Cookies and Cream Ice Cream - Just use your favorite gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies to keep this recipe safe for celiacs.
- Play With Different Flavor Bases - Keep it simple with plain Oreo cookies and cream ice cream by omitting the mint and matcha. You can also go for a coffee-flavored ice cream base by adding 1-2 tablespoons of instant coffee powder or a teaspoon of coffee extract. Or, add extra chocolatey goodness by swapping in ¼ cup of sifted cocoa powder for the matcha!
- Use Flavored Cookies - Oreo has a wide range of different flavors of sandwich cookies to choose from, so have fun mixing and matching to your heart’s content. The mint flavor is fun to double down on the mintiness, or, if you’re using a plain vanilla base, pretty much any flavor is fair game!
- Extra Rich - Rather than using the no-cook method, use Jeni’s base ice cream recipe. Add the mint extract during the cooking process, and add the matcha to the cornstarch. Churn as directed after chilling, then add the cookies in the last few minutes as directed below.
Serving Suggestions
I don’t think anyone needs a primer on how to enjoy ice cream, but here are just a few ideas to get you started:
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches - Get meta by sandwiching mint cookies and cream ice cream between two of your favorite cookies. I love my oat flour chocolate chip cookies because they stay soft and chewy even after freezing.
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Bars - Rather than packing the ice cream into a tub, pack it into popsicle molds and freeze it. Once frozen solid, gently remove the bars from the mold by running it under cool tap water for a few seconds, then dip them into a bowl of melted chocolate thinned with some coconut oil.
- Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake - Make a chocolate sponge cake in a parchment-lined pan (any shape works, so long as there are at least a few inches of headroom after baking) and let it cool to room temp before popping it in the freezer. Top with freshly churned ice cream, then freeze until solid. Remove the entire cake/ice cream combo from the tin, then frost with buttercream and decorate with a chocolate drip and some whole Oreos.
- Mint Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Pie - Make the Oreo crust from my peanut butter pie recipe, then let it cool. Freeze the cooled pie shell while the ice cream churns. Add an optional layer of chocolate ganache in the bottom, then spoon in the freshly churned ice cream. Pop in the freezer for a minimum of 4-6 hours to set. Decorate with rosettes of stabilized whipped cream, whole Oreos, and a drizzle of Magic Shell on top.
- Brownie Sundae - Add a scoop of mint cookies and cream ice cream on top of your favorite brownie. Drizzle with hot fudge, top with a dollop of whipped cream, and add a cherry. Dig in!
Expert Tips
- Freeze your homemade ice cream in the coldest part of the freezer, not in the door. Also, make sure to press some parchment directly on top of the ice cream before wrapping it or putting a lid on it — this helps to prevent ice crystals from forming.
- Homemade ice cream doesn’t have any preservatives, so it’s best eaten within 2 weeks of churning.
- Adding matcha is a great way to get a lovely green hue in your ice cream without adding any artificial dyes. If you add just 1 tablespoon, the color will be fainter but still visible, and you won’t be able to taste the matcha much at all. If you go for 2 tablespoons, the color is much more vibrant, but the green tea flavor is also much more pronounced. Matcha mint is a lovely flavor combo, but it might not appeal to all palates!
- If you don’t use a ton of milk on the daily, opt for shelf-stable bottles. I get mine from Costco for about $0.75 -$1 per 8-ounce (1-cup) serving, which is more expensive than a larger jug at the store. BUT, since I really only use it for baking or cooking, I prefer having it in the pantry in small doses so I can only use what I need.
- To make your homemade ice cream softer (more like store-bought), use reconstituted heavy cream. This is my new favorite trick!
Frequently Asked Questions
While it definitely doesn’t have to be green, many ice cream producers dye their mint-flavored ice creams green to give a visual cue that they are minty instead of plain vanilla. In this mint ice cream recipe, I like to use matcha powder to dye the base instead of using artificial colors. Feel free to omit it if you prefer!
So long as you’re a fan of both mint and chocolate, that’s a HECK YES!
There are quite a few reasons, but the simplest way to explain it is that home cooks don’t have the same fancy equipment as large producers, and they also don’t add the same stabilizers/emulsifiers/other artificial junk that commercially produced ice cream has.
That said, I think I’ve found a hack to make homemade ice cream freeze a bit softer — use reconstituted heavy whipping cream powder! I’ve tried it multiple times now (including in this mint chocolate cookies ice cream recipe and my oatmeal cream pie ice cream, among others), and it consistently yields softer, more scoopable results. As a bonus, it’s also cheaper than regular cream and shelf-stable to boot!
More Easy Dessert Recipes
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Mint Cookies & Cream Ice Cream (No Eggs!)
Equipment
- Large Liquid Measuring Cup
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 1 14oz Can Sweetened Condensed Milk or vegan substitute
- 2 C Heavy Cream or vegan substitute
- 1 C Whole Milk you can also use 1%, 2%, or plant-based
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Mint Extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1-2 tablespoon Matcha Powder optional, for coloring. Can also use 4-5 drops green gel food coloring.
- 12 Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except cookies in a large measuring cup (easier for pouring) or mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. (You can also blend it in a blender.) NOTE: If using matcha powder, whisk it in a small bowl or glass with a few tablespoons of milk (using a milk frother if you have one) before adding it to the rest of the mix.
- Churn according to the ice cream maker manufacturer's instructions.
- In the meantime, break Oreos into bite-sized pieces.
- When the ice cream is about 5 minutes from being done churning, tip in the crushed cookies.
- Pack the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Press a piece of parchment directly on top of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming, then wrap tightly in plastic or place the lid on.
- Freeze for about 4 hours, or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!
Notes
- Adding only 1 tablespoon of matcha powder gives the ice cream a nice hue without too much matcha flavor; increasing to 2 tablespoons leaves a much more distinctive matcha mint flavor. It's good, but you can definitely taste the green tea!
- If you want your homemade ice cream to have a softer consistency, I've found that using reconstituted powdered heavy cream is the ticket! Just note that it will NOT work for no-churn recipes that require you to beat the cream to stiff peaks first.
- Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream - Swap in your favorite plant-based sweetened condensed milk, plain or vanilla plant milk, and vegan whipping cream. Regular Oreos are vegan-friendly, so no need to worry there!
- Gluten-Free Cookies and Cream Ice Cream - Just use your favorite gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies to keep this recipe safe for celiacs.
- Play With Different Flavor Bases - Keep it simple with plain Oreo cookies and cream ice cream by omitting the mint and matcha. You can also go for a coffee-flavored ice cream base by adding 1-2 tablespoons of instant coffee powder or a teaspoon of coffee extract. Or, add extra chocolatey goodness by swapping in ¼ cup of sifted cocoa powder for the matcha!
- Use Flavored Cookies - Oreo has a wide range of different flavors of sandwich cookies to choose from, so have fun mixing and matching to your heart’s content. The mint flavor is fun to double down on the mintiness, or, if you’re using a plain vanilla base, pretty much any flavor is fair game!
- Extra Rich - Rather than using the no-cook method, use Jeni’s base ice cream recipe. Add the mint extract during the cooking process, and add the matcha to the cornstarch. Churn as directed after chilling, then add the cookies in the last few minutes as directed below.
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