Birthdays are a special gift. Every birthday that I can remember, I’ve celebrated with Oreo ice cream. Specifically, this recipe for super-easy homemade Oreo ice cream. I don’t know where my mom found it, but I know that it’s been one of our family favorites for well over thirty years. Thirty wonderful, glorious, years of birthdays! (I’m feeling nostalgic as I write this…this month our beautiful, thoughtful, daughter became a teenager!)
When we were growing up, my brothers and I lived for our birthdays because we knew Mom would get out the special tall, rectangle Tupperware container and it would soon contain this creamy, sweet, Oreo ice cream. I’m not sure why Mom only made it for our birthdays, because this ice cream is one of the easiest recipes ever! Plus, you don’t have to dust off the ice cream maker in order to enjoy it! It’s a win-win!
Throughout the years as my husband and I had children, I’ve introduced them to this recipe, and Oreo ice cream now makes an appearance at their birthday celebrations. However, we can’t stand to only eat this sweet, creamy treat only twice per year. So, I make it all the time! Since I try to make all our ice cream, this recipe comes in handy. It’s very fast and makes all of us smile! Like many recipes I post, this can be made into a smaller portion. But I wouldn’t suggest that…this goes fast, and it’s a good idea to always have more in the freezer! 🙂
The steps are simple:
- Beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form (do not over beat, or you’ll make butter!).
- Mix in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
- Fold in broken Oreos. (Truthfully, I don’t measure this! I enjoy breaking them into little bits with my fingers and then judging if I think there are enough cookies in the mixture when I fold it all together. In my book, the more cookies, the better!)
- Freeze.
See? Simple! By this time tomorrow, you can be enjoying your own creamy bowl of goodness.
The original recipe called for adding raw egg yolks to the condensed milk mixture before folding into the whipped cream. The fat from the yolks would help to keep the consistency more creamy after freezing, since the recipe doesn’t need an ice cream machine. However, I am not a fan of foodborne illnesses, so I’ve removed the yolks from my recipe. However if you use pasteurized eggs, feel free to beat six egg yolks (not the whites), add to the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, and then add to the whipped cream. I leave them out and don’t feel like the quality of the finished product is much different.
We have been blessed with many wonderful memories over the years, and one of the constants in our celebrations is this beautifully simple recipe. I love that we have favorite, family recipes that when enjoyed, either together or apart, we can remember all the great times we’ve had as a family. Here’s to many more birthdays, family gatherings, and memories! Wishing you much happiness in your celebrations! 🙂 I’m off to enjoy a bowl of ice cream!
Notes
Be sure to use heavy whipping cream and not whipped topping.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 qt) heavy whipping cream
- 2 (14 oz) cans of sweetened condensed milk
- 2 2/3 Tablespoons (8 t.) vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups coarsely broken Oreo cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over whip.
- Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
- Fold in crushed cookies.
- Pour into a large (13+ cup capacity) sealable container and freeze overnight.
For an even quicker sweet treat, you might like my Hasty Bread Pudding, ready in 30 minutes or less!