Y’all. I am obsessed with my newest ice cream creation. I love cookie butter, and turning it into ice cream has really made my life better. Making it into cookie butter ice cream with cookies in it, took it to the next level.
If you aren’t familiar, cookie butter is essentially a spread made from ground up Biscoff (or Speculoos) cookies: the crispy spiced ones you get on airline flights. I buy the stuff from Trader Joe’s, which is called Speculoos Cookie Butter, and it is… so yummy. The TJ brand cookies are also just called Speculoos. They’re crunchy, cinnamon spiced, and really just a gorgeous non-pumpkin way to welcome in the Fall.
I’ve never made homemade speculoos cookies, though the change of the seasons along with a current re-binge of all the old seasons of the Great British Baking Show may inspire me. While it’s still warm enough for ice cream to appeal, though, I am very content with the store-bought options and this deeply indulgent ice cream.
More and more, I’m a fan of inventing the ice cream flavors I wish existed in the world, and this one is my new crowning favorite. Maybe in some distant future I’ll do an ice cream pop up with my favorite flavors, but for the time being, the least I can do is share the recipe with y’all.
Ingredients are listed in the order they appear in the recipe and anything that requires prep is in bold. Ingredients are bolded in the directions when you first encounter them and the quantity required is included. I also include notes about any special equipment you’ll need.
Cookie Butter Ice Cream (i.e. Biscoff or Speculoos Ice Cream)
Required equipment:Â ice cream maker, saucepan, candy or instant read thermometer, freezer-appropriate container for finished ice cream.
- Âľ cup (150g) sugar
- ½ cup (60g) skim milk powder
- 1 ⅔ cups whole milk
- 1 ⅔ cups heavy cream
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup (150g) cookie butter
- 1 7oz package Speculoos cookies (or the like), broken into small-ish pieces
Prep work: Prepare an ice bath in your sink or a large heatproof bowl. Separate out your three egg yolks and set aside in a small bowl. Later, once you’re ready to churn the ice cream, break up about 2/3 of the package of cookies into small-ish pieces. I do this by putting them in a Ziplock bag and smushing them by hand.
In a medium saucepan, combine the 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup skim milk powder, and 1 2/3 cup milk. Whisk until smooth (making sure the skim milk powder is wholly dissolved into the mixture and that no lumps remain – sugar will dissolve with heat). Stir in the 1 2/3 cups cream.
Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and set it over medium heat. Cook, stirring often with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent sticking and burning, until the mixture reaches 110° (45° C). (This will take about 5 to 10 minutes). Take the pan off the heat.
If you haven’t already done so, whisk the egg yolks together in a small bowl. You’ll need to temper them before adding them to the cream base. To do this, slowly pour 1/2 cup or so (you don’t actually have to measure) of the hot milk mixture into the bowl of yolks while whisking continually. Whisk until the mixture is an even color and consistency, then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture and whisk together.
Return the pan to the heat and continue cooking, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until it reaches 165° (75° C) (another 5-10 mins). Once it reaches this temperature, take it off the heat. Add the 1/2 cup (150g) cookie butter to the saucepan and whisk to thoroughly combine.
Transfer the pan (or pour the custard into a heatproof bowl) to the ice bath and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. [Honestly, I often skip this and just leave it on the counter for a while to cool. But if I’m teaching you right, you should do an ice bath. I just don’t have an ice maker and can’t be bothered.]
Pour the ice cream base through a wire mesh strainer into a storage container and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, or until completely cooled. (Can be stored for up to three days before churning).
To make the ice cream: Transfer the cooled base to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
While it’s churning, break about two-thirds of the package of Speculoos cookies into pieces. You can do this by tossing them in a Ziplock bag and smushing them or just break them up by hand. The actual quantity is up to you/a bit arbitrary. Just depends on how many cookies you want in your ice cream. Once you’ve got them prepped to mix in, set aside until the ice cream has reached a consistency just a bit more firm than soft serve. When it reaches that consistency, stop the ice cream maker. Scatter/sprinkle/mix in the crushed cookies by hand as you transfer the ice cream to a freezable container. I usually do this in the container itself rather than the ice cream maker canister.
Freeze for a couple of hours before serving.
Baker on the Run 