Chocolate Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Cake
Updated. Originally 15th August 2018
This Oreo Cookie Ice Cream cake is a fun and delicious sweet treat to make and enjoy all summer long. Perfect for parties and celebrations and so easy to whip up. It is our easy take on Baskin-Robbins Fudge Brownie ‘n OREO Cookie Cake made with 3 delicious layers and 4 ingredients - a layer of fudgy oreo cake/brownie base with a layer of vanilla ice cream with swirls of crushed oreos and chocolate sauce, then topped with a chocolate Oreo crunch. We serve it just like that but if you like you can top it or even fully ice it with whipped topping and decorate with more crushed or mini Oreos. This version is more like an ice cream cake than an ice cream pie because of the fudgy brownie crust instead of a cookie crust. The slices hold up way better and the contrast in textures is just the best! Make it as homemade as you prefer or use store bought everything, making it the easiest most impressive dessert you can make!
Ok So technically this is not a no bake dessert but it sort of sneaks into the category because you can use store bought brownies or cake for the base, making it a no bake treat. I do both. If I feel up to making boxed brownies or make my own cake I will - its a part of the cake that can be made 1-2 days in advance too. If I’m looking to make this quickly - I buy cake or brownies/ brownie bites from the bakery section of the grocery store - easy peasy and it comes together in now time with no special equipment. It is such a forgiving recipe and the ratios are there as a guide in a way - because you are basically working with delicious components so if you prefer more ice cream or crumbles you can add more to taste.
Homemade Oreo Ice Cream Cake Recipe Ingredients
- VANILLA ICE CREAM: You will need 2 quarts, 8 cups or approximately 2 litres for this recipe. The quality matters here not just for taste but also for texture and the way the ice cream freezes and slices. A higher quality ice cream has high-butterfat and is dairy-rich ice cream which gives you a richer flavor and a creamier, easy-to-slice texture. A cheaper frozen dairy desserts type ice cream contain more water and air, which turn rock-hard and tend to form ice crystals in the freezer. If you would like to make your own vanilla ice cream you can definitely do that too.
- OREO COOKIES: We like using the name brand ones but you can use any sandwich cookies you prefer. For the actual recipe we use a standard size pack of Oreos but if you plan on garnishing with more Oreos I would get a family pack so you have extra to garnish with. You will need approximately 3 cups of crushed cookies or broken up cookies for the recipe itself.
- BROWNIES /CHOCOLATE CAKE: Feel free to make your own homemade chocolate cake or brownies or use a box mix or store-bought brownies or chocolate fudge cake. If you are using boxed brownies like we often do for this recipe make sure it’s the standard/classic size (15-18 oz boxes) not the family size. The size that bakes up in a smaller 8x8 or 9x9 tin. Tip: use a cake recipe or brownie mix that calls for oil instead of butter. The texture will be better once frozen and not rock hard.
- CHOCOLATE SYRUP/ HOT FUDGE: Feel free to use store-bought chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce or you can also use your favourite homemade chocolate fudge sauce
How To Make Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Cake
- Bake & Cool & Crumble Brownies /Cake: If you are baking your own I recommend making ahead to allow time for them to cool completely. Crush or crumble the cake or brownies into smaller pieces.
- Crush Oreos: We like to place the Oreos in a bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. They don’t have to be fine crumbs for this recipe just smaller oreo pieces or chopped Oreos so you can even just use a knife and cutting board to chop them up.
- Make Cake Base: Combine crumbled cake/brownies with some of the crushed Oreos plus some ice cream. Why do we do this? Mixing a little ice cream into crumbled cake/brownies acts as a binder, similar to how melted butter works for a graham cracker crust. It creates a moldable, fudgy base that can be pressed into a pan, prevents the cake from freezing into a rock-hard layer, and helps fuse the soft cake with the cold ice cream as well. Trust the process! Press the mixture into your pan and chill while you prefer the next layer. The crumbles Oreos add a little crunch and texture to the base.
- Make The Ice Cream Layer: Stir some of the cookie crumbles into the remaining vanilla ice cream along with some of the chocolate sauce. Swirl both in using a wooden spoon or you can even use an electric mixer for this. Once combined, spoon mixture over base and smooth out in an even layer gently pressing down to ensure there are no gaps between cake and ice cream layer. Chill while you prepare next layer.
- Make Chocolate Cookie Crunch Topping: Combine remaining cookie pieces/crumbles with remaining chocolate sauce and sprinkle or spoon mixture evenly over ice-cream layer. It gets sticky so I usually use my fingers to sort of sprinkle it over as evenly as possible.
- Wrap & Freeze: Use plastic wrap to wrap cake. I usually lightly press the plastic wrap right onto the cake making sure there are no gaps in between and freeze 4-6 hours until frozen solid, for best results overnight.
- Slice & Serve: Thaw the cake out for a few minutes before slicing cake. We usually unmold the cake and then slice. This cake slices well even from frozen and the slices really hold up well so I usually don’t give it too much time to thaw.
Tips & Alternatives
- Use a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan that’s at least 3 inches high for best results.
- Prefer more crumble fudge topping - simply double the amount.
- Prefer to ice or decorate the cake: freeze cake then unmold or remove the collar from pan running a sharp knife or thin flat flexible spatula around it first. Use softened cool whip to frost and layer the sides with it and a piping bag to decorate the edges if desired. Carefully place back in the freezer to fully set. Once solid you can box or wrap cake carefully for longer storage or if you have one of those large cake carriers/covers or an airtight container that is for cakes, that is the perfect way to store it in the freezer.
- Make the crumble fudge layer over the brownie base or between two layers of ice cream.
- Line the pan fully with parchment paper or plastic wrap for easy removal if you wish. I usually don’t. I just grease the pan bottom and sides and it comes out just fine but if you prefer to line it you can.
- Need to transport your ice cream cake: Freeze the cake until it’s solid. Make sure to have it in a box or left in the cake pan with collar on and wrapped tight. Place it inside a large cooler packed tightly with many ice packs or dry ice and make sure you transport with the cooler on the floor or flat surface. Crank up the AC in your vehicle and make sure to unpack the ice cream cake as soon as you arrive and get it in a freezer until ready to serve. We don’t recommend super long drives with this cake in a cooler - a well packed cooler really can’t mimic a freezer or if it does it can’t for too long
- I would like to use my own homemade from scratch no churn ice cream recipe. No problem. You don’t even have to freeze and thaw. Once you have it whipped, fold in the cookie crumbles and chocolate syrup, spoon over the base and chill until solid before adding the syrupy cookie crumble topping- chill again after that to ensure topping is set as well.
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Recipe
Servings: 10-12
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30-35 min if baking your own cake and not using store bought
Non Active Time: 4-12 hours for chilling
Total Time: 12 hours (includes chilling time)
Ingredients
- 1 (13-ounce) standard package of Oreos or chocolate sandwich cookies, (approx 3 cups crushed/chopped)
- 1 standard box of brownies (15 - 18 oz), baked and cooled (or approx 1 lb /16 oz cooked brownies or chocolate pound /fudge cake)
- 2 quarts (1.9-2 litres or approx 8 cups) vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup chocolate sauce, any store bought is fine or homemade if you prefer. (My homemade recipe is simple and delicious)
Directions
- Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and let it sit and soften for 5-10 minutes before layering. You want it slightly softened to work with but not too melted or soupy
Prepare Pan
- Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by greasing lightly with butter or baking spray, or line with parchment paper or plastic wrap.
Chop Oreos
- Roughly chop or crumble the Oreo cookies into bite-sized pieces, you should have at least 3 cups.
For the Cake layer
- In a large bowl crumble the cake or brownies and stir in about ½ cup of the crumbled oreo cookies.
- Scoop in about 2 cups of soft vanilla ice cream, and gently stir until the cake and ice cream are well-combined.
- Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the springform pan to form your ice cream cake base. Chill in the freezer while you prepare the next layer.
For the ice cream layer
- In same bowl or a clean one, mix in the the rest of the vanilla ice cream with another ½ cup of the crumbled cookies, and pour or swirl in about ½ cup of the chocolate sauce. We usually use a stiff spatula, or wooden spoon but you could also use a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment on low speed to help if the ice cream is too stiff (we stick to a stiff spatula and fold and press into the ice cream until add ins look evenly swirled into the ice cream).
- Spoon mixture over the base layer and smooth out evenly. Return pan to freezer to chill while preparing the next layer.
For the top cookie layer
- Place remaining cookie crumbs (approximately 2 cups) into a medium size bowl and add the remaining ½ cup of the chocolate sauce and stir well to combine. The mixture will be thick and sticky.
- Top the ice cream layer as evenly as possible with the syrupy cookie crumbles and gently press into the ice cream layer.
Freeze & Slice
- Cover with plastic wrap, gently pressing it directly on the cake and place into the freezer to chill for 4-6 hours or overnight until hardened.
- When ready to serve, let the cake sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes to soften it slightly, and run a knife around the inside of the cake pan. Unmold the springform collar gently and remove and use a large knife to slice. The ice cream and base will still be hard so running knife under hot water before slicing will make it easier to make clean slices.
- Keep leftover ice cream cake covered in the freezer.
Recipe Notes
- If at any point during assembly the ice cream layer becomes too soft, simply return it to the freezer to firm up before proceeding.
- Storing Leftovers: Keep the cake whole. Slicing it exposes more surface area, which speeds up freezer burn. That is why we recommend freezing the leftovers as a whole not in slices. Cover any exposed cake areas with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the ice cream. Then, wrap the entire cake with a layer of aluminum foil and store in a sturdy, airtight container or a cake saver to protect it from being bumped in the freezer.
- The two cones and extra scoops of cookies and cream ice cream were purely for decoration - a cute fun way to decorate. They are not part of the recipe.
- If you prefer to not mix the cookies with the syrup for the topping an alternative way of doing it is to sprinkle over the cookies on the ice cream layer gently pressing them down then drizzle the remaining sauce over the cookies.
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn
