Homemade Cookie Dough Ice Cream | gluten-free & vegan
There’s nothing better than ending a summer night with homemade ice cream. We love making new flavors, but cookie dough has been a popular one lately. This flavor is vegan, gluten-free, and easy to customize.
It’s safe to say that the ice cream maker we purchased last summer has been the best investment. I sometimes dread buying an appliance because I feel like I won’t use it and it’ll take up shelf space, but our ice cream maker gets used more than the toaster. And I eat a lot of avocado toast, so that’s saying a lot. I already have my pumpkin spiced latte ice cream ready to go for a Fall recipe, so if you don’t have an ice cream maker yet, you may want to invest in one! It’s a lot of fun coming up with your own flavors, and it’s much cheaper than buying those overpriced pints at the grocery store.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a boomerang of my cookie dough ice cream on Instagram. I didn’t realize so many people loved cookie dough ice cream, but the requests for this recipe was high. I’m so excited for you all to try this one because it’s practically heaven in a bowl. We sat outside on the patio last night with our bowls of ice cream, and I had the “I never want summer to end” feeling for the first time in a long time. 
Making ice cream used to sound intimidating to me, but it’s one of the easiest desserts to make. For the base of my ice cream, I add light coconut milk, almond milk, sugar, tapioca flour, sea salt, and vanilla. This is almost always my ice cream base to make it creamy while keeping it dairy-free. You can make swaps to change it up, which we do all the time if we don’t have an ingredient on hand. You can change the sugar to monk fruit or stevia if you want to keep it sugar-free, and you can use any nut milk to replace the almond milk.
I start by blending all the ingredients on high, giving it a taste-test with a spoon to see if it needs a splash of anything else, and then add it to my ice cream maker. We always keep the base of the ice cream maker in the freezer that way we can have ice cream anytime we want.
Since I was making cookie dough ice cream, I added a few cookies to the oven while the ice cream churned.
I took the easy way out and bought vegan cookie dough for this recipe.
If you don’t feel like purchasing the store-bought cookie dough, you can make homemade vegan and gluten-free cookies for this recipe. I’ve done it plenty of times, and it turns out delicious. I use my chocolate chip cookie recipe and keep the baking soda and flaxseed out. There’s no need to add them in if you’re not baking the dough.
If you don’t like coconut, you should still try out this recipe. The coconut tastes is so mild, and most non-coconut fans who try this recipe end up loving it. 
Homemade Cookie Dough Ice Cream | gluten-free & vegan
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 1 can light coconut milk 13.5 FL OZ
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk any nut milk works
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsps tapioca flour
- 1/3 cup sugar or any sweetener of your choice
- 1 cup vegan cookie dough homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Add the coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk, vanilla, sea salt, tapioca flour, and sugar to a blender. Mix on high until smooth
- Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and let it churn for 25-minutes.
- Fold in the crumbled up cookie dough.
- Enjoy!
I’ve never been a huge fan of the store-bought cookie dough ice cream. I feel as if you don’t get many chunks of cookie dough and it’s just globs of vanilla ice cream, but with this recipe, you can add as much cookie dough as you’d like, and the coconut makes it more of a creamy soft-serve, which is my favorite!
I hope you all have an amazing weekend! Ours will be filled with backyard picnics and sticky ice cream fingers! 🍦
Questions for you!
- Come up with the coolest ice cream flavor, and I’ll make it for the blog!
- Do you have an ice cream maker?
- What are you doing this weekend?
Hi Taralynn!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I’ve been looking for a good non-dairy ice cream recipe to try in my ice cream maker, and this looks great. I’d love to see an ice cream recipe using ginger maybe with vanilla and/or peach if you’re feeling creative!
This weekend I’m hanging out with some of my nieces and nephews and keeping things low key. I hope you’re enjoying the summer!
Maureen
Hi, Maureen!
I bet a ginger peach would be so good! I loveeeee ginger.
Sounds like a fun weekend! ♥️ have fun!
What brand of coconut milk do you use?
I just use the store brand, but any brand will work!
That sounds so delicious and my kids love eating the cookie dough from my bowl.
How about a mint chocolate chip recipe?
I don’t blame them 😂 Oh, that’s a great idea! I love mint CC!
Your photography and bowls are always the cutest. Where do you buy most of your dishes?
Hi, Jessica!
Thank you 😊 I buy a lot of them at Home Goods! Some are lucky finds from thrift stores.
Do you hire a freelancer for your photos?
Nope! I take my photos 😊
I need to try this! So delish! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Hope you enjoy!
Hi Taralynn! I have to try this recipe. I received the ice cream kitchen aide attachment for my birthday years ago but never really gave it a chance. Bluebell makes a birthday cake/confetti flavor that I am obsessed with but its not exactly healthy lol.. That might be a fun flavor to try and make at home. I’m planning on watching some movies and trying to make raisin bread! Also, I’ve started replying to your questions, but I’ve been a fan of your blog for years (since it was undressed skeleton). We even made your Teriyaki Cheddar Chicken Burgers in our first apartment. Anyways, Thanks for the great content! Have a nice weekend.
~Marie
Hi, Marie 💜
I think making a confetti cake ice cream recipe would be so fun.
Ahhh i forgot about those burgers and I need to make soon!! Thanks for the kind words!!!
Hey Tara
1. How about a toasted coconut flavor or smores? I’d totally eat that ginger peach recommendation from above if the peach was fresh and prominent too though!
2. WE JUST ordered your ice cream maker because the non dairy selection can be limited and expensive so we are hopeful that we can make our own flavors at home. In addition to some awesome flavor posts of ice creams I’d really love to see a post dedicated to any setup/cleanup needed for your cuisinart ice cream maker. HOW to for those of us who haven’t used it but want to use it correctly the first time. The step by step with pictures might sound silly to some people but for those of us who are new to the kitchen its invaluable.
3. Weekend plans include walking, alternating coffee, wine and iced tea at home, and tasty mesquite steaks with big side salads and veggies (you’ve definitely influenced our healthy eating this summer with loads of veggies and salads beside every meat and carby dish and my waistline is thanking you!).
Thanks again Taralynn- your role modeling healthy behaviors with a little indulgence thrown in encourages me every time I visit!
Hi, Jenny!
I actually have a s’mores recipe! 😊 It’s SO GOOD. Here’s the link: https://simplytaralynn.com/2019/07/12/homemade-smores-ice-cream-gluten-dairy-free/
I can’t wait to hear what you think of the ice cream maker. You’re going to have SO MUCH FUN making them with your family. I’ll make sure to add a tutorial in my youtube video! It’s the EASIEST assemble/cleanup EVER!
Have an amazing weekend! xo xo xo you’re the sweetest!
Thanks Taralynn!
Sorry to sound like such a newbie but a video watching it assembled and cleaned will definitely help me! Pictures and videos of recipes and cooking equipment make it easier for me to follow than reading a handbook of instructions that will undoubtedly come with it. I learn best by watching it done and seeing photos or video of the step by step so I can follow along, rewind, do it on my own, and then follow along again LOL
Hi ya! What about a Lemon, blueberry, poppyseed ice cream, or watermelon/strawberry , basil, balsamic flavor?? My husband and I went to an Outdoor Wedding on Saturday, Today we went on a 5 mile hike. It was uphill the entire way to our destination. Coming back was a breeze though. We have a Kitchen Aid attachment ice cream maker. Hope your weekend was marvelous.
Sounds like an amazing weekend! ♥️
I love the idea of a blueberry lemon poppyseed one! Maybe with some muffins crumbles inside!
Hi! I’m super excited to try out your ice cream base! We have an ice cream maker (that my mom didn’t want anymore) and we use it but the base we like is very dairy and sugar heavy so we don’t make it often.
My favorite flavors so far have been a peach cobbler one and a chocolate coffee one (I used a little Kahlua in the base with some chocolate and butterscotch swirls). I can’t wait to see what you try next 🤗
Hi, Emma!
This base is so fluffy and creamy that most people think it’s heavy cream! so good 😊
ohhh I really need to make a coffee one!!!
I can’t wait to try this! I have been looking for a cake batter ice cream and a banana pudding recipe that is non dairy. Would love your thoughts on one.
I think a cake batter needs to happen soon!
Delicious!