Make Ahead

Oreo Ice Cream Dessert

by:
July  4, 2021
4.6
60 Ratings
Photo by Ty Mecham
  • Prep time 2 hours
  • Cook time 6 minutes
  • Serves a crowd
Author Notes

This dessert is true frozen bliss. The recipe has been in my family for years. We compare all other desserts against it, and nothing, ever, has measured up. I make this all-year long, but it's especially great in the summer because it's quick and easy to assemble (no baking required) and feeds a crowd. —EmilyC

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: The No-Bake Oreo Dessert That's Legendary in My Family. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Oreo Ice Cream Dessert
Ingredients
  • 24 Oreo cookies (272 grams) (the classic kind, not double-stuff)
  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons, 170 grams) salted butter, divided, plus more for pan (use salted; it makes a big difference!)
  • 1/2 gallon (2 quarts) of your favorite vanilla ice cream
  • 4 ounces (113 grams) German’s sweet chocolate (such as Baker's brand)
  • 2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 small can evaporated milk (5 fluid ounces, 147 mL)
Directions
  1. For crust: Butter the bottom of a 9x13x2 pan (such as Pyrex). Melt 1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons) in a bowl. Crush the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs with a little texture. (For ease, place the cookies in a zipper-lock bag, seal, and then crush with a rolling pin. Turn the bag inside-out to scrape out all of the crumbs.) Mix the Oreo crumbs with the melted butter in the pan, and press them evenly into the bottom. Cover the pan and freeze until the crust is set, about 30 minutes.
  2. For filling: Let the ice cream soften a bit on the counter until it's spreadable. Evenly spread it over the Oreo crust with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula. Cover the pan and return to the freezer for at least an hour to set the ice cream.
  3. For fudge topping: Combine the remaining stick of butter (8 tablespoons), chocolate, sugar, and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature. (If in a hurry, set the saucepan in a ice bath to speed up the cooling process, stirring several times and scraping down the sides of the bowl. It should be ready in 5 to 10 minutes.) Working quickly, pour the fudge evenly over the ice cream, covering as much as possible, then spread with a knife to distribute the fudge in a smooth, even layer. Cover the pan and return to the freezer for another hour or two, or until fully frozen and set.
  4. When ready to serve, let the Oreo dessert sit on the counter for about 5 minutes to take the chill off (and make cutting easier), then cut into squares and serve. Tightly covered, it'll keep well in the freezer for several weeks.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Susan Anuskiewicz
    Susan Anuskiewicz
  • Sammy
    Sammy
  • Melissa S
    Melissa S
  • ezachos
    ezachos
  • Karen Lusby Lewis
    Karen Lusby Lewis
EmilyC

Recipe by: EmilyC

I'm a home cook. I love salads. Two things you'll always find in my refrigerator are lemons and butter, and in my pantry good quality chocolate and the makings for chocolate chip cookies.

97 Reviews

Dina July 6, 2024
So excited to make since reviews are so great. Made the fudge sauce twice and it separated both times had to throw it out. Will have to buy a jar of premade.
 
dwjones February 15, 2022
This is a great dessert. I'm making it for the 4th or 5th time today. My family loves it! Changes I have made: I scrape the filling out of the oreo cookies. I make it in a 9x9 pan. I use 1.5x the ice cream and make 1.5x the fudge topping. I leave the sugar out of the fudge sauce. I think it will last a long time in the freezer, but it has yet to last more than a week in mine :)
 
Susan A. February 8, 2022
This is a really great dessert for crowd, especially lovers of ice cream and chocolate. We are a family of cooks and bakers, and love to try new recipes. This one is a keeper, and by request I am making it for our super bowl gathering! It is simple, and most are familiar with the textures and flavors, which makes it perfect.
 
EmilyC February 10, 2022
Superb choice for a Super Bowl gathering. : ) Thanks, Susan, for your note!
 
Joy B. August 3, 2021
video says 2 pints of ice cream; recipe calls for 2 quarts? Can I halve this recipe for a smaller crowd?
 
Marcie(Marcia M. June 15, 2021
Hello Emily! Thinking of making this to take to a potluck in my neighborhood, but was thinking of changing the ice cream flavor to chocolate or mint chip—just to change things up. Your thoughts, please?
Thanks, in advance, for any ideas.
 
EmilyC June 16, 2021
Honestly, I'd stick with vanilla! Every time I've switched up the flavor, I've regretted it. There's just something so good about the balance between the Oreos, vanilla ice cream, and hot fudge. That said, no one will turn down a second piece if you make it with another flavor. : )
 
cathy M. March 8, 2021
The size of your ice cream containers look more like a pint each, not a quart. Do you really use2 quarts?
 
EmilyC March 9, 2021
Hi cathy -- yes, I use 2 quarts (a half gallon) when I make this! Some of my relatives use 1 1/2 quarts, which is the size of Breyer's, Edy's, and other popular brands. If you watched Amanda's video on Instagram, it looked like she used 2 pints of premium ice cream (which will have a thicker, denser texture), but I'm not sure.
 
Sammy March 6, 2021
This reminds me of a Chart House Mud Pie from the seventies. Glad to see something similar again. Thank you.
 
Jennifer J. May 24, 2020
Our family is crazy about this recipe- it is pure alchemy, so much more than a sum of its parts. Thanks so much!
 
Melissa S. May 12, 2020
This recipe *swoon* It got me through a very long summer. I was out of chocolate (oops!), so I used 4 T of cocoa powder, and I liked the fudge topping just fine that way. I make this every summer now!
 
EmilyC May 18, 2020
So glad it's a repeat hit for you, Melissa! And nice to know that cocoa powder will work -- especially right now when substitutions are so necessary. Thanks for you note!
 
CanadianCook April 26, 2020
This recipe is a definite keeper! My little guy’s birthday was this week in the middle of COVID19 quarantine. His one big request for his birthday had been Dairy Queen ice cream cake but given the circumstances it seemed like the only option would be to try to replicate that at home. I made this recipe exactly as written except with gluten free type Oreos and I layered everything in a 10 inch springform pan with rainbow sprinkles on top of the fudge to make it look more like a birthday cake. We were not disappointed! It was so much better than a purchased ice cream cake and I was really happy to have been able to give my little guy the cake he wanted 💙
 
EmilyC April 27, 2020
Oh your comment put a huge smile on my face! I'm so touched that you made this for your son's birthday and that everyone enjoyed it so much. Thanks so much for the sweet note.
 
Renée R. January 30, 2020
I second the opinion that your chocolate seems to have seized and agree with the recommendation to Google it for a fix. So sorry this happened to you. I’ve made this recipe numerous times and it’s always been successful and so delicious. Good luck!
 
melissa A. January 30, 2020
I am in the process of making this recipe, but the sugar in the fudge did not melt and I was left with a sand consistency.. any recommendations? I followed the instructions..
 
EmilyC January 30, 2020
Hi melissa: it sounds like your chocolate may have seized up, which can happen when a small amount of water makes its way into the pan. To try to fix it, you can try whisking in a little water, a little at a time, until it reaches a smooth consistency. (Google “fix seize chocolate” and you’ll get lots of tips!!) Hope this works. Worst case, start over....don’t give up!! : )
 
Renée R. September 16, 2019
I've previously reviewed this recipe - I love it - but thought I'd add what I did this weekend. Was in the mood for coffee ice cream and looked at a recipe for coffee ice cream frozen dessert. Read it through and thought, "Nope. It won't compare to the Oreo Dessert." So, I swapped out the vanilla ice cream for coffee ice cream in this recipe and naturally, it was delicious. I'm an experienced cook and baker, but this super simple recipe rings all my bells. Thanks again for sharing.
 
Emily June 9, 2019
Yum! This is like a Dairy Queen ice cream cake, but better. Very easy to put together (although you need to give yourself enough time to have the layers freeze). I mixed a bit of bittersweet and milk chocolate to get closer to German's sweet chocolate as I had a hard time tracking that down. The first piece was a bit hard to get out (I lost all the cookies on the bottom), but it was better after that. I used a gluten-free cookie (Glutino) as well. I made it in a 9x9 pan as well and about half the ice cream. Thanks for this delicious recipe that's perfect for summer (or anytime really) :)
 
scotrotsios April 13, 2019
Can you make this a day ahead of time? Thinking about our chocolate-loving kids for Easter dessert.
 
Renée R. April 13, 2019
Yes, you can definitely make this ahead of time. It keeps very well in the freezer. You could even make it a couple of days ahead. I love this dessert!
 
EmilyC April 14, 2019
Thanks so much Renee, and yes, this keeps so well in the freezer! If you cover it tightly with foil (or a tight-fitting lid), it'll keep well for at least a week, if not longer!
 
ezachos March 27, 2019
Forgot to say that in the 9 x 9 pan, I used the recipe's amount of Oreos and fudge, but halved the ice cream. Came out looking just like the photo. And of course, taste...whoa. THAT was never an issue.
 
ezachos March 27, 2019
First time I made it in a 9 x 13 pan as described, but that made the oreo and fudge layers very thin, much thinner than shown in the pic. This time, I used a 9 x 9, looks like it should, and MUCH tastier chocolate proportions.
 
Karen L. December 27, 2018
This was superb. The chocolate sauce is divine. Made exactly as written. Super yum!
 
EmilyC December 28, 2018
Yay, so glad you made and liked this, Karen! You clearly feel the same way about the chocolate sauce as I do! : )
 
Yvonica October 11, 2018
I made this last weekend for a gathering and it was gone within the hour. Could. Not. Stop. Devouring. It. Some back and forth between the counter and freezer but nothing that can't be accomplished while tidying up my apartment on a Saturday morning, even had time to run to a 50-minute circuit class
 
EmilyC November 14, 2018
Sorry I missed your comment, Yvonica! I'm so happy you tried and liked this! Thanks so much for circling back!
 
linda September 21, 2018
I finally made this last night! It was a hit! The kids are going to request this for every family dinner! Thank you!!
 
EmilyC September 21, 2018
So glad to hear this, Linda! Thanks so much for trying it!