Circus Animal Cookie Ice Cream

This is the cookies and cream ice cream of my childhood dreams. Frosted circus animal cookies dance through every bite of this memorable ice cream.

pink ice cream scooped into little white bowls topped with animal cookies

This recipe takes the best and easiest ice cream base and loads it up with big chunks of frosted animal cookies. You get the perfect mix of crunchy cookie meets creamy ice cream in every single bite.

And while the drop of pink food coloring that I added is completely optional, it sure does bring a grin when you’re topping each bright pink scoop of ice cream with a dash of fun sprinkles.

If you know someone who loves animal cookies even a fraction of the way that “I” love these cookies, they’re about to have the biggest, happiest smile on their face with every bite. Each scoop of this animal cookie ice cream is a trip down memory lane.

tray of animal cookie ice cream with wooden scoop

While I’ve been known to add all sorts of fun food items to ice cream, cookies are my go-to ice cream add-in. The satisfying crunch of Nutter Butter cookies in creamy homemade ice cream makes this Nutter Butter ice cream positively irresistible.

Sweet strawberries mingle with crunchy golden Oreos whispering of summer in this lusciously smooth strawberry shortcake ice cream. Rich and creamy vanilla ice cream exploding with pieces of homemade chocolate chip cookies is what chocolate chip cookie ice cream is, and what makes it so irresistible.

Creamy cookie monster ice cream filled with chunks of Oreo and chocolate chip cookies is a hit with all cookie-loving kids and adults! And this creamy oatmeal cream pie ice cream with hints of brown sugar and cinnamon is generously filled with pieces of oatmeal cream pie cookies.

circus animal cookies in ice cream with bag in the background

Servings: 8 ½ cup servings

Whisk together cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add red food coloring and whisk to mix throughout. Adjust the color, as desired. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the ice cream is churning, break the cookies into approximately ½-inch pieces
Scatter about ½ cup of cookie pieces in the bottom of a freezer-safe container. When the ice cream has finished churning, scoop half the ice cream over the cookies in the container, sprinkle the ice cream with 1 cup of cookie pieces. Spread the rest of the ice cream across the container and top with the remaining cookie pieces. Freeze until firm.

Calories: 396kcal · Carbohydrates: 43g · Protein: 4g · Fat: 24g · Saturated Fat: 13g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g · Monounsaturated Fat: 7g · Trans Fat: 0.02g · Cholesterol: 56mg · Sodium: 190mg · Potassium: 188mg · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 33g · Vitamin A: 731IU · Vitamin C: 0.3mg · Calcium: 93mg · Iron: 4mg