Vanilla lovers unite! Cookies and cream has always been one of my favorite ice cream flavors, but as I’ve discussed countless times, vanilla has always appealed to me more than chocolate does. Walking through the grocery store a few weeks ago, I noticed a cookies and cream ice cream made with Golden Oreos, and I immediately thought about how I wanted to try making it from scratch.

After tasting this, I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to regular cookies and cream – it really is that good! It definitely is vanilla overload with a full bean, vanilla extract, AND vanilla cookies with vanilla cream inside. It’s this vanilla lover’s dream, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Printable Recipe
Makes about 1 quart

ingredients:
3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
3/4 tsp vanilla
20 golden cream filled cookies

instructions:
Combine 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixture and add the pod to the pot as well.

Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and add the remaining 2 cups cream and the vanilla.

Refrigerate for several hours (I let it sit for 4 hours), then remove the vanilla bean pod and pour the mixture into the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

While the mixture is churning, chop the cookies into small pieces.

About 5 minutes before the mixture is finished, add in the cookies and allow to churn for the remaining 5 minutes.

Serve immediately as soft serve or freeze for several hours for a more traditional ice cream texture.

Enjoy!

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop