No-Churn Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream Recipe
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People tend to get pretty enthusiastic about ice cream. The frosty treat is the perfect blend of nostalgia and straightforward deliciousness, culminating in a sensory delight that comes in an endless array of flavors. Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins goes for a winning combination with this no-churn peanut butter cookie dough ice cream recipe. If you don't have an ice cream maker or agree with Watkins that the preliminary step of freezing the bowl before you start is just one more obstacle between you and your scoop, then this homemade ice cream recipe is for you.
"The base for no-churns, heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk, are magic making," Watkins raves and adds, "You get that sweet, smooth, creamy consistency. Plus, it's versatile!" Edible cookie dough is a favorite for many, and Watkins is no exception. "I found myself heartily snacking on it while crafting — bites of dough would just end up in my mouth — whoops." Before popping it in the freezer, make sure to properly cover the ice cream with aluminum foil and plastic wrap to prevent any potential ice crystals from forming.
Gather the ingredients for no-churn peanut butter cookie dough ice cream
For the peanut butter cookie dough component, you'll need all-purpose flour, salted butter (softened), chunky peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and peanut butter chips. Next, for the ice cream base, get heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and more chunky peanut butter and vanilla extract.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Bake flour
Begin the peanut butter cookie dough: Spread the flour evenly over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the flour reaches 160 to 165 F.
Step 3: Mix butter, peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla
Meanwhile, place softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth.
Step 4: Add baked flour to peanut butter mixture
Once the flour has baked, add to the mixing bowl, and stir to combine the dough (if the dough is dry/super crumbly, add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to soften).
Step 5: Stir in peanut butter chips
Add the peanut butter chips to the bowl and gently stir to combine.
Step 6: Roll cookie dough into balls
Using a teaspoon-sized measuring spoon, portion the dough, and roll into little balls. Set aside.
Step 7: Whisk heavy cream
Make the ice cream base: Place heavy cream in the mixing bowl, now fitted with a whisk attachment (it's okay to use the same bowl used to make the cookie dough). Whisk until stiff peaks form.
Step 8: Build the ice cream base
Add the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla to the bowl, and gently stir or fold to combine.
Step 9: Add half of ice cream and cookie dough to dish
Transfer half of the ice cream base to an 8x8-inch baking dish and top with half of the cookie dough balls.
Step 10: Add another layer of ice cream and cookie dough
Repeat with another layer of ice cream base and cookie dough.
Step 11: Cover and freeze the cookie dough ice cream
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Freeze for 6 hours or until firm.
Step 12: Scoop and serve cookie dough ice cream
Once firm, scoop and serve.
Pairs well with no-churn peanut butter cookie dough ice cream
No-Churn Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream Recipe
Not only is this a no-churn ice cream recipe, but it's one that features homemade peanut butter cookie dough for added decadence and fun.
Ingredients
- For the peanut butter cookie dough
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- For the ice cream base
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 6 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Begin the peanut butter cookie dough: Spread the flour evenly over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the flour reaches 160 to 165 F.
- Meanwhile, place softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth.
- Once the flour has baked, add to the mixing bowl, and stir to combine the dough (if the dough is dry/super crumbly, add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to soften).
- Add the peanut butter chips to the bowl and gently stir to combine.
- Using a teaspoon-sized measuring spoon, portion the dough, and roll into little balls. Set aside.
- Make the ice cream base: Place heavy cream in the mixing bowl, now fitted with a whisk attachment (it's okay to use the same bowl used to make the cookie dough). Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla to the bowl, and gently stir or fold to combine.
- Transfer half of the ice cream base to an 8x8-inch baking dish and top with half of the cookie dough balls.
- Repeat with another layer of ice cream base and cookie dough.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Freeze for 6 hours or until firm.
- Once firm, scoop and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 493 |
| Total Fat | 34.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16.1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.7 g |
| Cholesterol | 66.2 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 38.3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 29.2 g |
| Sodium | 88.8 mg |
| Protein | 10.5 g |
Why do I have to bake the flour for the cookie dough?
Although the bulk of this recipe takes places in the freezer, the oven plays an important role in it too. "The food safety folks really want you to heat treat your flour before snacking on it," Watkins remarks, which is why she instructs baking the flour before using it for your edible cookie dough. She explains, "Flour is made from raw grains that are not always treated to remove bacteria before they are milled, so there is always a risk of contamination (like salmonella or E. coli)."
Luckily, there's an easy way to avoid this unpleasant outcome, and it simply involves baking the flour as instructed in this recipe. Sure it's one more step getting in the way of you and your scoop of ice cream, but as Watkins reminds us, "Safety first, friends!" The repercussions are definitely not worth it.
Can I use creamy peanut butter instead of chunky?
Watkins uses chunky peanut butter in this recipe because it has a more interesting texture. She also notes, "Chunky PB is less sweet than creamy (the base ingredients of our ice cream are already pretty sweet, chunky peanut butter can balance that)." That said, if you're not into crunchy textures in your smooth ice cream, creamy peanut butter is totally fine. "Just give it a taste test," Watkins recommends and suggests, "If your creamy PB is super sweet, add a pinch of salt to your dough."
Meanwhile, you might also have to add a bit more flour to the dough to achieve the same texture. "Just to make sure your dough can be formed into little balls/[is] not super sticky," she says. And if you want to take this delicious concoction a step further, Watkins recommends swapping the peanut butter chips partly or entirely with chocolate chips instead. It's no secret that peanut butter and chocolate are a timeless match, after all.