Little Debbie's Oatmeal Creme Pie Ice Cream (Better Than Blue Bell!)
Heavily Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams Toasted Rice Ice Cream. Rich, cinnamon-y sweet, & flecked with both chewy & crunchy cookie bits, this Oatmeal Creme Pie Ice Cream recipe is one of my favorite frozen treats. It tastes better than store-bought, & it's also about half as expensive!
Equipment
- 4-quart Saucepan
Ingredients
Toasted Oat Pudding
- ¾ C Rolled Oats
- 12 oz Can Evaporated Milk
- ⅓ C Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
Ice Cream Base
- 1 ¾ C Whole Milk
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Corn Starch
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 C Heavy Cream
- ½ C Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Light Corn Syrup
- 1.5 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 pinch Ground Nutmeg
Cookie Crumble
- ¾ C All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 6 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick Butter chilled
- ¾ C Rolled Oats
Instructions
Make Toasted Oat Pudding
- Toast the oats in the dry saucepan over medium-low heat until slightly golden and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients (evaporated milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt) and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, until thick and the oats are cooked through. Remove to a bowl and set aside. (Don't bother washing the saucepan.)
Make Ice Cream Base
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing a couple of tablespoons of the milk and cornstarch in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Add the remaining milk, cream, salt, sugar, cornstarch, and spices to the saucepan. Set over medium heat, whisk to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and set the timer for 4 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, remove the pan from heat and whisk in the reserved cornstarch slurry. Return the pan to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Turn off the stove and remove from heat.
- Mix the ice cream base and oatmeal pudding together, stirring to combine. Pour into a container and allow to chill for a minimum of 2-3 hours in the fridge.
Make Cookie Crumble.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt to a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Grate the butter into the mixture.
- Working quickly, use your fingers to rub the dry ingredients into the butter until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add the oats and mix to combine.
- Spread the crumble mixture onto a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer, breaking any large clumps up to no larger than ½-inch in size.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning (especially at the edges) and to flip over any uncooked pieces. The crumble is done when golden and crisp. Cool completely.
Spin, Pack, & Freeze
- Spin the ice cream according to the manufacturer's directions.
- Scoop a few spoonfuls of ice cream into a freezer-safe container (enough to cover the bottom), then layer with a few handfuls of cookie crumble (enough to cover the ice cream layer). Repeat with remaining ice cream and crumble, layering ice cream as the top layer. (You may have leftover crumble — that's okay!)
- Freeze for a minimum of 2-3 hours to firm up, then scoop and enjoy!
Notes
- You may have a bit of leftover cookie crumble after packing the ice cream. If so, feel free to freeze it for up to a month for later use. It's also delicious crumbled over yogurt or as an added boost of texture in ice cream sundaes.
- Gluten-Free - Feel free to swap in your favorite all-purpose cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix in the cookie crumble. Just make sure to let the dough rest for about 30 minutes before baking to give the flour time to rehydrate and prevent a gritty consistency. You can also use oat flour to double down on the oatmeal flavor instead — no rest time necessary. Also, make sure you're reaching for certified gluten-free oats, as others may be processed on the same surfaces as wheat products and might have cross-contamination issues.
- Dairy-Free/Vegan - Use evaporated plant-based milk, your choice of creamy, full-fat plant-based milk, coconut cream (NOT sweetened cream of coconut), and vegan butter in place of the dairy. You'll also want to whisk in 3 tablespoons of vegan cream cheese into the base.
- Corn-Free - Swap in tapioca starch or potato starch and use an alternative invert sugar like tapioca syrup or brown rice syrup.
- Swap In Store-Bought Cookies - Making the cookie crumble from scratch is easy and requires just 2 extra ingredients. But, if you're short on time, there's exactly ZERO shame reaching for your favorite store-bought oatmeal cookies. Obviously, eponymous Oatmeal Creme Pies are a good choice, but you can also use crunchier oatmeal cookies. Alternatively, substitute your favorite warmly spiced granola instead.
- Add-Ins - If you're an oatmeal cream pie purist, this recipe requires nothing else. However, if you want a sort of chunky oatmeal cookie–oatmeal creme pie hybrid, consider adding in rum-soaked raisins or some stracciatella-style melted chocolate mixed with a bit of coconut oil. Toasted nuts are also a great addition!
- Once the ice cream is churned, transfer it to airtight, freezer-safe containers. Make sure to leave a little room at the top to allow for expansion as it freezes.
- Place the containers of ice cream in the coldest part of the freezer, preferably at a temperature of 0°F (-18°C) or below. Keep the containers away from the freezer door to prevent temperature fluctuations.
- Cover the surface of the ice cream with a piece of parchment or plastic wrap before sealing the container. This will prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface and keep the ice cream smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can try storing the ice cream upside down, but don't try that until it's frozen first!
- Homemade ice cream is best eaten within 2-3 weeks of freezing. After that, the texture and flavor may begin to deteriorate.
Nutrition
Calories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 407mgPotassium: 220mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 645IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 160mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!