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Home » Recipes » Ice Cream

Vegan Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Published: Jun 2, 2021 by Lexi

1.0K shares
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There's nothing better than homemade ice cream. Churn up your own cookie dough ice cream with this vegan and gluten free recipe that's made with cashews, coconut milk, and made-from-scratch cookie dough bites.

overhead view of vegan cookie dough ice cream in antique tin with ice cream cones around it.
Jump to:
  • 🍪 Why We Love This Recipe
  • 🍨 Ingredients
  • 📋 Ingredient Notes
  • 🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
  • 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
  • 🍽 Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

🍪 Why We Love This Recipe

  • Cookie dough: I mean, do we need to say anymore? We don't mess around when it comes to cookie dough, so we developed our own version that's free from eggs and regular flour, so you can pack your ice cream full of the good stuff without worrying about those pesky CDC guidelines.
  • Extra creamy: Cashews and coconut milk team up to replace regular dairy products. This creates a luxurious, creamy texture without any off-putting flavors.

🍨 Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this vegan cookie dough ice cream:

overhead view of ingredients for vegan cookie dough ice cream in small prep bowls.

📋 Ingredient Notes

  • Cashews: Alongside the coconut milk, the soaked cashews are essential to create a creamy texture when you're making vegan ice cream. Be sure to soak your cashews for the recommended amount of time so you end up with perfectly smooth ice cream.
  • Maple syrup: We used maple syrup, but agave nectar or date syrup will both work well.
  • Cookie dough bites: We repurposed our edible vegan cookie dough bite recipe to add to this ice cream. Instead of rolling them into balls and coating in chocolate like we do in the original recipe, we press the cookie dough into a thin sheet and then slice into small squares to fold into the finished ice cream!
  • Coconut milk: Make sure to use full fat coconut milk. This will typically be canned and can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. Full fat milk is key to creating a rich, creamy texture.
overhead view of vegan cookie dough ice cream in antique tin.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

Ice Cream Base:

(Prep) Soak cashews for 2 hours in room temperature water. After 2 hours, drain and rinse.

(1) In a blender, combine all of the ice cream ingredients: 1 can full-fat coconut milk, 1 cup soaked cashews, ⅓ cup maple or agave syrup, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.

overhead view of vegan ice cream base in blender.

Pour into the ice cream maker and start the churn cycle.

Cookie Dough Bites:

(2) While the ice cream is churning, add the ¼ cup vegan butter to a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until creamy.

before and after mixing together butter, maple syrup, sugar and peanut butter in mixing bowl.

(3) Add in ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.

(4) In a separate bowl, stir together 2 cups oat flour and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add this oat and salt mixture to the butter mixture and mix until well incorporated.

(5) Stir in ½ cup mini chocolate chips.

before and after adding chocolate chips to edible cookie dough batter.

(6) Spread the cookie dough onto a rimmed tray (make sure that it will fit in your freezer first) lined with parchment paper and press down. To get an even distribution, top the cookie dough with another sheet of parchment paper and press down with another cookie sheet.

(7) Put in the freezer for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the freezer and cut into ¼ inch sized cubes. Put back into the freezer and keep stored until ready to mix into the ice cream.

before and slicing edible cookie dough into small squares for ice cream.

Combine:

(9) Once the ice cream is finished, transfer to a freezer container and fold in the cookie dough pieces. Freeze until set, which usually takes 3 to 4 hours.

overhead view of vegan cookie dough ice cream in antique tin with ice cream cones around it.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

  • Fold in cookie dough bites after churning: Most ice cream makers will instruct you to add the cookie dough in while it's still churning, but we prefer to fold it in afterwards to retain the large bites of cookie dough.
  • Soaking the cashews: Since we're not using milk, the soaked cashews are key to creating a smooth, creamy texture. Don't skip this step! If you're super short on time, you can soak the cashews in super hot water for 20-30 minutes.
  • Sweetener: We used maple syrup in this recipe, but you can also use agave nectar, date syrup, etc.
  • Coconut milk: Make sure to use full fat to ensure maximum creaminess.
  • If you're in the market for an ice cream maker, we wholeheartedly recommend Breville. We've had ours for years and it makes perfect vegan ice cream every time. The model we have in on the pricier end (we use it a lot!), but here's another less expensive option we've heard good things about.
  • Storage: We recommend transferring the soft ice cream into a loaf pan or similar container, and then store in a gallon freezer bag. If your container doesn't fit in a bag, give your container a thorough wrap with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
close up view of scoop of vegan cookie dough ice cream in ice cream tin.

🍽 Related Recipes

  • Edible Cookie Dough Bites (Vegan)
  • close up view of vegan lemon blueberry ice cream in a loaf pan ice cream in scoop.
    Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream
  • overhead view of Vegan Mocha Ice Cream
    Vegan Mocha Ice Cream

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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📖 Recipe

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overhead view of vegan cookie dough ice cream in antique tin with ice cream cones around it.

Vegan Cookie Dough Ice Cream


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 6 hours
  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

There's nothing better than homemade ice cream. Churn up your own cookie dough ice cream with this vegan and gluten free recipe.


Ingredients

Ice Cream Base:

  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for 1-2 hours in room temp water
  • ⅓  cup maple or agave syrup
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp fine kosher salt

Cookie Dough Bites:

  • ¼ cup vegan butter, softened to room temp
  • ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp cane sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups oat flour 
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup mini chocolate chips


Instructions

Ice Cream Base:

  1. Soak cashews for 2 hours in room temperature water. After 2 hours, drain and rinse.
  2. In a blender, combine all of the ice cream ingredients: 1 can full-fat coconut milk, 1 cup soaked cashews, ⅓  cup maple or agave syrup, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. 
  3. Pour into the ice cream maker and start the cycle. 

Cookie Dough Pieces:

  1. While the ice cream is churning, add the ¼ cup vegan butter to a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until creamy. 
  2. Add in ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. 
  3. In a separate bowl, stir together 2 cups oat flour and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add this oat and salt mixture to the butter mixture and mix until well incorporated. Stir in ½ cup mini chocolate chips. 
  4. Spread the cookie dough onto a rimmed tray (make sure that it will fit in your freezer first) lined with parchment paper and press down. To get an even distribution, top the cookie dough with another sheet of parchment paper and press down with another cookie sheet. 
  5. Put in the freezer for  30-40 minutes. Remove from the freezer and cut into ¼ inch sized cubes. Put back into the freezer and keep stored until ready to mix into the ice cream.  

Combine:

  1. Once the ice cream is finished, transfer to a freezer container and fold in the cookie dough pieces. Freeze until set, which usually takes 3 to 4 hours.

Notes

Fold in cookie dough bites after churning: Most ice cream makers will instruct you to add the cookie dough in while it's still churning, but we prefer to fold it in afterwards to retain the large bites of cookie dough. 

Soaking the cashews: Since we're not using milk, the soaked cashews are key to creating a smooth, creamy texture. Don't skip this step! If you're super short on time, you can soak the cashews in super hot water for 20-30 minutes. 

Sweetener: We used maple syrup in this recipe, but you can also use agave nectar, date syrup, etc.

Coconut milk: Make sure to use full fat to ensure maximum creaminess.

  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Freeze Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Frozen
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Scoop
  • Calories: 284
  • Sugar: 12.3 g
  • Sodium: 134.4 mg
  • Fat: 17.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 28.3 g
  • Fiber: 1.9 g
  • Protein: 6.3 g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Comments

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    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Laura says

    May 29, 2024 at 8:33 am

    Can you use almond flour instead of oat flour.

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      June 05, 2024 at 9:56 am

      I haven't tried it, but that should be fine!

      Reply
  2. Patricia says

    August 06, 2021 at 4:39 pm

    Sounds great! Is there a sub for coconut milk? (I have an allergy). Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      August 16, 2021 at 9:20 am

      Hi! A thick nondairy creamer (we love Nutpods) should work well. It should be pretty thick (like the consistency of coconut milk) – regular nondairy milk will be too thin in this recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions!

      Reply
  3. Heather says

    May 03, 2020 at 8:45 pm

    Sweet Baby Jesus! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      May 04, 2020 at 11:33 am

      Haha of course!! We actually made a batch of this ice cream this weekend, I forgot how good it is!

      Reply
  4. Nicole says

    June 23, 2019 at 11:19 pm

    We have a nut allergy, what can I use instead of cashews?

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      June 24, 2019 at 8:27 am

      Hi Nicole!

      You can sub the cashews for an extra can of full-fat coconut milk. It may not have exactly the same texture, but it will definitely work. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
      • Vasiliki says

        August 06, 2021 at 12:12 pm

        I don't have an ice cream maker can I still do this recip? How though? It's soooo good to miss this 🤤😍

      • Lexi says

        August 07, 2021 at 6:53 pm

        Hi! We actually just published a recipe for a no churn ice cream! You can make that base and stir in the cookie dough: https://www.crowdedkitchen.com/no-churn-vegan-vanilla-ice-cream/

Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

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