Just so we’re clear, small talk is not my forte. I did not go through the effort of starting this blog so we could chat about the Yankees, the news, or the weather. But on days like today, it bears mentioning that it is hot. It is too. darn. hot.
A Brief Lament Regarding the Heat
If you happen to be reading this blog from some idyllic land where the temp is currently a comfortably breezy 75 degrees and sunny, please, don’t tell me. Over here, in what is quite possibly America’s armpit, I have pools of sweat collecting behind my knees, in between my boobs, and in just about every other undesirably hot place on my body. Ignorance is bliss and I would rather pretend everyone resides in a town that scorches similar to the surface of the sun, ok?
This should be an example of my dedication to baking: even on Africa-hot days like today, my oven and stovetop still get a workout. Today, I’m testing out a bread pudding recipe, which, to be honest, sounds about as yummy as a bowl of ghost pepper chilies, or, I don’t know, a serving of liquid hot magma.
Ice Cream: The Cure for Summer
What I really want on days like today (besides a margarita and a one way ticket to Antarctica) is ice cream. All the ice cream.
I think having to choose a favorite ice cream would be similar to having to pick a favorite child. There’s just so much to love in every flavor. Except for rum raisin. WHO ORDERS THAT?
One flavor that has always comes close to the top of my favorites list is Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk. Do you guys remember that flavor? According to my research, it was a limited batch ice cream that B&J are no longer offering. It was creamy, sweet, and deliciously reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie (sans the raisins.)
Let’s have a moment of silence in remembrance.
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream
The good news? Today’s recipe is a show off. This oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream is really, really close to my memory of the original. Which means it’s really, really spectacular.
Yes, it’s stuffed to the brim with oatmeal cookie pieces, and of course there’s a little cinnamon sugar swirled in there too, but what really makes this ice cream special is that the milk and cream are steeped in oatmeal. So even the ice cream base tastes like a cookie. WHAT?!?! Mind blown.
How to Make Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream
We start with a perfect ice cream base recipe, which, for me, is Jeni Britton Bauer’s recipe. (Sidenote: If you don’t have her book yet, just quit stalking it on Amazon and buy it already. The recipes work, are delicious, and are worth every second of stovetop time in this summer heat.) To Jeni’s vanilla ice cream base, we add in some oatmeal because we want every bite of this oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream to be reminiscent of those flavors we all know and love. From there, we fold in some chewy oatmeal cookie chunks and a few drizzles of cinnamon sugar goodness. That’s all there is to it!
The only thing that would make this oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream experience more enjoyable on a day like today is if I could just go to the store and buy it from Mr. Ben and Mr. Jerry. I really don’t want to crank up my stovetop any more on a steamy afternoon like today, but I will since the forefathers of oatmeal ice cream decided to call it quits on us. Is there a petition we can sign to bring it back??!!
I hope you’re somewhere on a beach with a cold drink in your hand, but if you’re like me, stuck at home with a bad case of boob sweat– make this oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream. You deserve it.
(PS– Mom, I’m sorry for mentioning my boobs on the internet . Don’t be mad.)
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream
This oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream is an oatmeal flavored ice cream base filled with chunks of chewy oatmeal cookie and cinnamon sugar swirls.
- Prep Time: 45
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the oatmeal cookie pieces
- 1–1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups of quick cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1–1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
For the cinnamon swirl filling
- 1/3 cup corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sugar
For the ice cream
- 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 2–2/3 cups whole milk
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1–1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
Instructions
To prepare the oatmeal cookie pieces
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until combined in a medium sized bowl.In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating well to combine thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients slowly and mix just until combined.
- Pat out the dough into the bottom of an 8″x8″ baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the dough at the center of the pan looks nearly done. Allow to cool at room temperature or in a fridge. Dice 1/2 of the pan into 1/2″ squares just before using. The remaining pieces can be stored at room temperature for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To prepare the cinnamon swirl filling
- Combine the corn syrup, cinnamon, and sugar by stirring. Set aside until ready to use.
To prepare the ice cream
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats out on a small sheet pan and toast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. The oats should become fragrant but not burned.
- Meanwhile, mix two tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt together until smooth.
- In a 4 quart saucepan, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, and oats. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 4 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the oats from the milk mixture and discard. Pour the milk mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat. Gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Mixture will thicken slightly and should coat the back of a spoon after about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Whisk the milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and without clumps. Pour the mixture into a gallon sized plastic bag and place it, sealed, in to the ice bath. Allow to chill until cold, adding ice as needed.
- Once cold, pour the mixture into a prepared ice cream maker canister and prepare ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Once ice cream is finished, smooth, and creamy, layer large spoonfuls into a dish (I use a loaf pan), drizzling with the cinnamon swirl filling and topping with cookie pieces as you layer in the ice cream. Once all of the ice cream has been layered in the dish with the cookies and swirl filling, drag a knife through the ice cream 5-6 times to swirl the components together. Cover and allow to freeze in the freezer for at least 6 hours prior to eating.
Recipes Adapted From: Jeni Britton Bauer
6 thoughts on “Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream”
So the mixture is getting creamy but isn’t thick and…I don’t know how to explain it…grainy? -Like it normally does after 20+ minutes in the ice cream machine. I’ve given it a good 45mins in there hoping it’d thicken up, but to no avail. I’m still going to pour it in and do the layers and freeze and such, but is this a worrying sign? I’m making this in advance for a surprise birthday gift (boyfriend’s favorite flavor was the discontinued B+J recipe), so would love to know if I need to start over 🙂 Thank you! And thanks for the recipe!
Sarah,
I’m so sorry to hear about this! I’ve never had this happen, but let’s try to troubleshoot. You’re right- it should only take about 20-25 minutes, so 45 is not a good sign. If you’ve used the ice cream machine before, I’m guessing you already know to make sure your ice cream canister/ bowl is super super frozen and cold. The ice cream mixture should also be super chilled before you put it into the canister. I’ve also had this happen when my ice cream had too much of certain ingredients like maple syrup, honey, etc, but again, not an issue for this ice cream. I would take it out of the machine bc you’ll have butter soon (if not already) and that’s no Bueno. I would freeze it see what happens, but I don’t have high hopes for it. I’ll try to research it tonight and see what I can come up with. I’m sorry that happened though!!!
Okayyyyy. Yes. This is amazing and I love you for it. Also, lets grab margs and commiserate over this HOT AS HADES place we call home.
I feel like we should already have done this??!!
I chuckled out loud through this post — I feel you on the mega heat and sweaty knee-pits. We were recently in VT and visited the B+J factory. They have a graveyard for all the flavours that are no longer in rotation, this one included. It was wild to see how many flavours they developed but pulled off the shelves. So glad people like you are recreating them!
You’ve been to the factory!!?? Too cool. That’s a bucket list item. I’ve been to the Blue Bell Factory here in Alabama, but B+J seems pretty next level. I would kill for that!