It’s common to see 2nd editions of popular books, but often they are just an image update. When I decided to do a new edition of Go Dairy Free, I wanted to make it a total overhaul. After all, I’ve learned a lot in the last 10 years. Why shouldn’t I share more knowledge and delicious recipe hacks? One thing that I discovered was how to make delicious dairy-free frozen dessert that doesn’t taste like coconut! This dairy-free cookies and cream ice cream recipe uses that secret.
Adapted from the brand new Vanilla Ice Cream recipe in Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition, this cookies and cream ice cream is made with Ripple Pea Milk Beverage. Why pea milk (that name always makes me giggle!)?
For starters, it’s richer than most dairy-free milk beverages with both a good dose of plant-based fat and protein. These ingredients help tremendously in the making of a good dairy-free ice cream.
It’s also an emulsified milk beverage. This means that it stays quite fluid, but it also has the ability to emulsify easily with more oil. Oil doesn’t freeze, so it aids in creating a soft, creamy consistency. This eliminates the need for ingredients like eggs, nuts, and coconut. And the combination of milk beverage and oil is fairly neutral in taste. So it ends up tasting like the ice cream flavor you are making, not the base!
Ripple Pea Milk Beverage has become a staple in my ice cream making. I used the Unsweetened Original in this dairy-free cookies and cream recipe, but the Unsweetened Vanilla would also be delicious. Or, you could use a sweetened version and simply reduce the sugar.
Also, I used dairy-free, gluten-free sandwich cream cookies to make this recipe. They tend to be a little more crumbly than your average “just dairy-free” sandwich cream cookies. So I added quite a few chocolate crumbs, and the more I stirred the darker and more chocolaty my cookies and cream ice cream became. You might see more vanilla ice cream streaks than I did if using wheat-based, dairy-free cookies.
This post is sponsored by Ripple Foods. But as always, the recipe, photo, and opinions are all my own. I chose to make this cookies and cream ice cream recipe because Ripple really IS the milk beverage I’ve used to create several coconut-free, allergy-friendly ice cream recipes!
Special Diet Notes: Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- 3 cups Ripple Unsweetened Dairy-free Pea Milk Beverage (original or vanilla)
- ⅔ to ¾ cup sugar (see Sweetness Note below)
- ½ cup non-GMO canola oil or other neutral-tasting oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla flavoring or paste
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (corn-free is available)
- 20 chocolate sandwich cream cookies, chopped into pieces (gluten-free, if needed; see Cookie Note below)
- Pour about half of the milk beverage into your blender and add the sugar. Blend for 1 minute, or until the sugar dissolves.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil through the lid opening (keep your hand around the opening as it might splatter!). Continue to blend for 1 minute.
- Add the rest of the milk beverage, vanilla, and salt, and blend for 15 seconds.
- Add the xanthan gum and blend for 1 minute.
- Place the blender jar in your refrigerator and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.
- Give the mixture a quick 10 second blend.
- Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
- Once the churning is complete, stir in the chopped cookies.
- Pack the ice cream into a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2 hours for soft set, or 4 or more hours for firm.
Cookie Note: It can be hard to locate sandwich cream cookies that are gluten-free AND top allergen-free, since most brands contain soy. So I created a quick "cheat" recipe for making your own Top Allergen-free Better-than-Oreo Cookies.
Pin this Dairy-Free Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Recipe!
60 Comments
Is there some way you can still make it without an ice cream maker?
I haven’t tested this one specifically without an ice cream maker, but here is our tip sheet for making ice cream without an ice cream maker -> https://www.godairyfree.org/news/tips-for-making-homemade-dairy-free-ice-cream-without-an-ice-cream-maker
This looks so incredibly delicious!! This is my hubby’s favorite ice cream flavor! I love that you use pea milk, I bet it is so creamy!
It really is! Just don’t defrost and refreeze it too many times for pictures, lol 🙂
Another dairy free milk? Intolerance to peas
Another milk beverage that contains an emulsifier or thickener of some type would work best since they help to bind the milk beverage and oil into a creamy consistency. If not, then I would use lite canned coconut milk to help with the richness. This will have a light coconut influence on the flavor.
which sandwich cookie is egg free?
Most brands are egg-free. The brand I used here is (although it has a may contain traces warning for eggs) – Kinnikinnick. Oreos, Country Choice, Trader Joe’s, Newman’s Own, etc. are all made without eggs. Enjoy!
Not gluten free though. I need gluten and dairy free..
Yes, it is gluten-free. Even the version pictured is gluten-free. I’ve used Kinnikinnick and Trader Joe’s gluten-free – both are gluten-free and dairy-free. Enjoy!
Very glad to find this as my future SIL has both dairy and peanut allergies. Pea protein is also in the nut allergen family.
Are there any other good substitutes?
Hi Sheri,
Pea protein isn’t technically a top allergen or in the nut family. But some people who have peanut allergies have cross-reactivity with lupine and/or pea. Most allergists test separately for these to see if there is a concern. That said, you can substitute lite coconut milk, perhaps flax milk, or another milk beverage. I just can’t guarantee the flavor or consistency – each option will impart a different flavor and some may not emulsify as well as this one, causing an icier result. But you can certainly experiment with them! I hope you find one that works for her.
I love this, Alisa! Thanks for the great information, I’ve tried Ripple and love it.
ooh, then you will love ice cream with it!
can I use almond milk instead?
Please read the post for the reasons I use pea protein milk before using almond milk. You can certainly use almond milk, but keep the richness and emulsifiers in mind. The results might be a little icier, or more like ice milk. If your almond milk doesn’t have ample emulsification, it will definitely be a little icier.
What xathem gum is corn free!! My son has corn allergies!
There are actually several, but I usually recommend Namaste Foods -> http://www.namastefoods.com/products/cgi-bin/products.cgi?Function=show&Category_Id=11&Id=51
Also, you can usually sub guar gum for xanthan gum, I’ve just haven’t tested recipes much with guar gum myself.
So excited to try this! What brand of cookies did you use? I haven’t been able to find any that are soy free.
Well shoot, now I can’t find the soy free ones! For the batch in the photograph I used Kinnikinnick, which do contain a wee bit of soy lecithin (I don’t know why they do that since they’re an allergy friendly brand!). But I have made the recipe with soy-free sandwich cookies, too, but I’m having trouble figuring out which one it is online! If I can’t find it, I’ll share another fix soon 🙂
Since top allergen-free sandwich cookies are hard to locate, I just created this quick “cheat” for making them yourself (they are delicious in this ice cream, too!) -> https://www.godairyfree.org/news/crunchy-cookies-recipes-ideas
Hello.. my son is allergic to dairy, wheat, soy, egg, peanuts & tree nuts. We use the Ripple Vanilla milk but I am having trouble finding chocolate sandwich cookies that are free of dairy, wheat, soy, egg, peanuts & tree nuts. What brand were you able to find?
Hi Heather, I just responded to someone on this above. I have found soy-free with wheat, but all of the gluten-free brands that I am seeing do contain soy lecithin. I’m still on the hunt though! And I have an idea on a homemade quick fix that is gluten-free and top allergen-free. If it works, I’ll post it in the next couple of weeks!
Hi Heather, just sharing this now. Since top allergen-free sandwich cookies are hard to locate, I just created this quick “cheat” for making them yourself -> https://www.godairyfree.org/news/crunchy-cookies-recipes-ideas
Wow this looks like total perfection! I LOVE cookies and cream ice cream…and I miss it since going dairy free. Can’t wait to make this (and not share it) 🙂
Haha, well be warned, it makes a BIG batch. You might be coaxed to share.
I’m in awe of this one Alisa! This looks soooooo good and looks like a great use for some gluten-free cookies. Thanks for the recipe!
It is! Those gluten-free cookies are funny though as they crumble quite a bit when you cut them. I went and threw everything in, crumbs and all, so it comes out like a chocolate cookie-infused ice cream with the gluten-free cookies. My husband loved this!
This ice cream looks amazing! Making dairy-free foods has become so much easier with all the great new products on the market.
Indeed, it has! Congrats on your recent allergen successes, too, Kortney! If you ever need an option on my recipe ideas, just let me know 🙂
I cannot wait to try this one! I have been LOVING the Ripple milks – adding this to my MUST MAKE SOON list! 🙂
Seriously Kristina, once you start making Ripple ice cream, you’ll be in love. I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface of experimentation!
The name “pea milk” makes me giggle too but so good to know it works well when making ice cream. We always have the creamer on hand but now I’ll have to try this one.
You bring up a good point, too. I haven’t tried using part creamer yet – that would probably be delicious!
This used to be one of my favorite flavors, I need to make this! I love Ripple milk so much, I’m sure this is great.
I mean, who doesn’t love cookies, icing and ice cream?
What a fabulous idea – I am totally drooling.
Absolutely delicious.
Thank you Trinity!
This looks dangerously yummy!! I am so ready for summer and this is the perfect treat to keep me patient until then.
Tell me about it! That warm weather can’t get here fast enough!
Seriously I love Oreos and to have them in an ice cream is just pure perfection!!
Right? Match made in heaven!
This looks amazing! It is just about ice cream season!
Does ice cream season ever really end? 🙂
I am SO EXCITED about this! I’m terribly lactose intolerant but have allergies to egg and coconut {most likely, getting checked next week} so this is on my to-make list ASAP!
You are going to love it Brianna! I didn’t realize you had a coconut allergy. It does seem like coconut is in everything dairy free! Allergy or not, I think a lot of us could use a coconut break 🙂
This looks so yummy! It’s finally warming up here, which means that it’s officially ice cream season! I need to break out my ice cream maker and give this a whirl!
Here too! We had a mini heat wave for this time of year where it hit 80 degrees – that was my queue to break out the ice cream maker!