Mint Cookies & Cream Oat Milk Ice Cream
Here’s a delicious oat milk based ice cream that still has the smooth texture and rich taste of dairy ice cream. It also pairs two crowd pleasing flavors: mint and cookies & cream. Even if you are a non-dairy ice cream skeptic, give this recipe a try. I have a feeling you will like it!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this ice cream:
Oat milk: Serves as the base for this non-dairy ice cream. I used one that is marketed as being “thick and creamy” to help add to the creaminess and richness of the ice cream.
Cashews: Provides a creamy mouthfeel closer to dairy ice cream. Raw and unsalted cashews are best.
Sugar: Granulated sugar for sweetness.
Peppermint and Vanilla Extracts: For flavor. Make sure you use pure extracts, not flavorings. Read more about the differences between the two here.
Oreos: Crushed and mixed in the ice cream for added texture and flavor.
Green Food Coloring: Optional, but recommended for the visual impact.
Make the Ice Cream Base
This ice cream base is very simple to make, but it does require some waiting time, so make sure you plan accordingly.
Start by soaking your cashews in bowl of boiling water for 1 hour. This will soften them up and make them easier to blend. Unsoaked cashews will result in a grittier texture.
Strain the soaked cashews and add them to a high powered blender along with 1 cup of oat milk. Blend on high speed until smooth and transfer to a bowl.
Add the remaining oat milk, sugar, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and green food coloring (if using) and whisk for 30 seconds to help dissolve the sugars. Don’t go overboard on the food coloring - a little goes a long way. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Churn and Add the Oreos
Crush Oreos to your desired texture. An easy way to do this is by putting them in a plastic bag and hitting with a rolling pin.
Churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer instructions for your ice cream maker. Add the crushed Oreos when there is about 1 minute left in churning so they get mixed in evenly. If desired, reserve some crushed Oreos for topping.
Freeze the Ice Cream
Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and freeze until solid. For ease of scooping, pull the ice cream out of the freezer 10 minutes in advance and run an ice cream scoop under hot water before serving.
Mint Cookies & Cream Oat Milk Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, raw and unsalted
- 2 cups oat milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- green food coloring, optional
- 6-8 Oreos, crushed
Instructions
- Put the cashews in a small heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the cashews and let them soak for 1 hour.
- Strain the soaked cashews and add them to a high powered blender along with 1 cup of oat milk. Blend on high speed until smooth and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the remaining oat milk, sugar, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and green food coloring (if using) and whisk for 30 seconds to help dissolve the sugars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Churn the ice cream according to manufacturer instructions. Add the crushed Oreos when there is about 1 minute left in churning so they get mixed in evenly. If desired, reserve some crushed Oreos for topping.
- Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container and freeze until solid. For ease of scooping, pull the ice cream out of the freezer 10 minutes in advance and run an ice cream scoop under hot water before serving.
