I may be a little late to the party, but I finally discovered the glory of ice cream cakes over the last few years! And I decided to try making my own for my BFF's birthday this year and WOW! Making your own homemade ice cream cake is just so much better than buying one! And this Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake (Dairy Queen Copycat) not only tastes amazing (like a blizzard cookie dough ice cream cake), it's easy to make with store-bought ice cream and store-bought edible cookie dough!
Ice Cream Cakes are great for summer get-togethers, but they really are ideal for any special occasion, any time of the year and are the ultimate birthday cake! I started buying Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cakes for my kids when I no longer felt like making them a 'real' birthday cake (on their actual birthday) AND a birthday party cake. Now I request an ice cream cake for my own birthday and that's in the middle of January! This ice cream cake with cookie dough was inspired by my Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake on this site!
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LOVE ice cream cakes? Be sure to try my Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake! This cake has layers of pillowy, fluffy, and light Red velvet cake cushioning an easy no-churn homemade ice cream recipe filling, all smothered in dreamy creamy white chocolate cream cheese icing!
This is the easiest Copycat Dairy Queen ice cream cake you will find and tastes just like a Dairy Queen cookie dough blizzard ice cream cake! Using 2 kinds of store-bought ice cream, store-bought chocolate chip edible cookie dough, an easy 2 ingredient Oreo cookie crust in the middle and topped with store-bought whipped frosting or homemade frosting.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
This Dairy Queen ice cream cake recipe is an ice cream cake without cake. Some ice cream cakes, like my Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake, have layers of cake and ice cream. This one has a layer of Oreo cookie crust and cookie dough bits for texture, but it's like eating ice cream, in the form of a cake.
- Vanilla ice cream and chocolate ice cream. I use Chapman's ice cream because I think it is THE BEST ice cream!
- Edible cookie dough. I make it easy and use store-bought chocolate chip edible cookie dough.
- Oreo baking crumbs. Oreo baking crumbs are hard to find these days (they may be discontinued), but you can use any chocolate baking crumbs or use an Oreo crust, as I did in my Black Forest Cheesecake crust.
- Unsalted butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter in my recipes so I can control the salt.
- Frosting. A vanilla frosting is best suited to this recipe.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Frosting - you can use your favorite frosting, chocolate, vanilla, or another flavor (store-bought or homemade), but I do NOT recommend whipped cream frosting. *I use Betty Crocker Vanilla Whipped Frosting when I use store-bought.
- Ice cream- you can use any brand of ice cream (I like Chapman's the best). I use a combination of vanilla and chocolate ice cream in this recipe, but you can mix it up with other flavors if you prefer.
- Edible Cookie Dough - you can buy safe-to-eat raw cookie dough from just about any grocery store now or you can easily make your own Edible Cookie Dough (just replace the raisins in this recipe with chocolate chips)
- Lactose-free/Dairy-free - You can replace the regular ice cream with lactose-free or dairy-free ice cream, use a dairy-free margarine (Becel vegan margarine) instead of butter for the base and a dairy-free frosting.
🔪How to make Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake:
Step 1: In a 10-inch springform pan, take ½ the vanilla ice cream and arrange it in an outer circle around the edge of the pan.
Step 2: Smooth it with a spatula.
Step 3: Add ½ the chocolate ice cream in the middle. Put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Meanwhile, chop up ½ the cookie dough (about 12 pieces) into small pieces and put the remainder back in the fridge (this will be used for decorations).
Step 5: Mix the remaining vanilla ice cream with the chopped cookie dough in a large bowl and put in the freezer.
Step 6: Mix ½ cup butter (melted) with the Oreo cookies crumbs and mix until it clings together. Remove the cake from the freezer and add the cookie crumb mixture to the middle area (on top of the chocolate ice cream).
Step 7: Then add the vanilla ice cream/cookie dough mixture into the middle, on top of the Oreo baking crumb mixture.
Step 8: Then add the remaining chocolate ice cream, over the entire cake center, smoothing it to cover everything. Return to freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Step 9: Remove sides from spring form pan and smooth with a hot knife, if needed. then move to a cake board or plate.
Step 10: Frost with your favorite store-bought or homemade frosting and smooth. Comb cake to get ridges on the sides and pipe simple shell decorations with a 21 star tip (see videos below)
Step 11: Using either store-bought or homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, shape cookie dough into small cookies.
Step 12: Place on cake as shown. Break up remaining pieces of cookie dough and sprinkle chocolate chip cookie dough pieces onto the top of the cake. Sprinkle grated chocolate.
🎂Frosting for Ice Cream Cakes
I can't believe how many people use whipped cream frosting for ice cream cakes. Homemade whipped cream and whipped cream frosting is not meant to be frozen, nor does it freeze well. It also runs when you defrost it.
I would recommend using a shortening based, non-dairy frosting for this dairy queen cookie dough cake, as it freezes well (this is the frosting I used in the photo) or a store-bought whipped frosting (affiliate link)
Butter cream isn't ideal either, as it stiffens with cold, so it's hard to apply to an ice cream cake. If you need to use it, warm your knife under hot water, dry it then spread the buttercream with the warm knife.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Soften Ice Cream Properly: Allow ice cream to soften at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes before spreading. Over-softened ice cream can become too melty and refreeze with an icy texture.
- Layer Freezing is Key: Freeze each layer for at least 15 minutes before adding the next to maintain clean, distinct layers.
- Use a Flat Bottom Glass: To ensure an even, firm crust, press down the Oreo crumb mixture with the bottom of a flat glass, measuring cup or spatula.
- Pre-Chill for a Stronger Base: After pressing the crust into the pan, freeze for 15–20 minutes before adding the ice cream layers to prevent crumbling.
- Chill the Cake Before Frosting: Before frosting, freeze the cake solid (overnight is ideal). This prevents melting while applying the frosting.
- Use a Sturdy Frosting: A shortening based frosting works best for ice cream cakes. Avoid whipped cream, as it doesn’t hold up well when frozen and runs when it defrosts.
- Work Quickly & Freeze in Intervals: Ice cream melts fast, so frost the cake in small sections, then return it to the freezer for a few minutes as needed.
- Use a Hot Knife: Dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe dry, and slice. Repeat for clean cuts.
- Serve Immediately: This cake melts quickly, so slice and serve as soon as it’s out of the freezer.
👪 Serving Size
This Cookie Dough ice cream cake recipe makes a fairly large cake, which is 12 large servings (the size you see below in the photo). You could get 24 pieces of this cake, by cutting them in half and it would still be a substantial sized piece. Or make the a little smaller and get 16 servings.
🥗 What to serve with Ice Cream Cake
If you're looking for a great easy meal to serve with this homemade ice cream cake, then try my Slow Cooker Beef on a Bun (shown below)!
And if you want to make something a little fancier for a special occasion meal, try my Greek Menu: Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Greek Style Potatoes and Easy Healthy Tzatziki Sauce!
🌡️Storage
Store this dq cookie dough ice cream cake in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
If you are only storing it overnight, you can simply cover it in plastic wrap.
❔ Recipe FAQ's
The best frosting for ice cream cake is definitely NOT whipped cream frosting. Whipped cream does not freeze well, nor is it meant to be frozen. A shortening-based frosting is a much better choice. You could also use buttercream frostings.
Ice cream cake can have a cake layer or layers with ice cream sandwiched between it or simply be a no-bake 'cake' with layers of ice cream.
Yes, ice cream cake will eventually melt if it's not stored in the freezer. You have limited time before ice cream cake starts to melt, so it should be served and eaten immediately after it's removed from the freezer. Homemade ice cream cake also melts faster than store-bought. If it starts to melt, simply put it back in the freezer.
So if you are looking for easy ice cream cake recipes, it doesn't get easier than this Dairy Queen Copycat Blizzard Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake, using store-bought ice cream, store-bought cookie dough, and store-bought frosting! It's the PERFECT indulgent birthday cake for any time of the year!
And if you're looking for more easy DQ ice cream cakes, check out my Buster Bar Ice Cream Cake!
🎂More Birthday Cake Recipes
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📋 Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake Recipe (Dairy Queen Copycat)
Equipment
- 10 inch springform pan
- cake comb
- #21 star frosting tip
Ingredients
- 2 litre -container vanilla ice cream
- 2 litre -container chocolate ice cream
- 454 g -package edible cookie dough
- 2 cups Oreo baking crumbs
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 6 340 g - containers of store-bought whipped frosting or homemade frosting (6 cups) https://foodmeanderings.com/whipped-cream-buttercream-frosting/
Garnish
- 4 oz semi- sweet chocolate baking bar grated
Instructions
- In a 10 inch springform pan, take ½ the vanilla ice cream and arrange it in an outer circle around the edge of the pan. Smooth it with a spatula.
- Add ½ the chocolate ice cream in the middle. Put it in the freezer.
- Chop up ½ the cookie dough (about 12 pieces) into small pieces and put the remainder back in the fridge.
- Mix the remaining vanilla ice cream with the chopped cookie dough and put in the freezer.
- Mix ½ cup butter (melted) with the Oreo cookies crumbs and mix until it clings together. Remove the cake from the freezer and add the cookie crumb mixture to the middle area (on top of the chocolate ice cream).
- Then add the vanilla ice cream/cookie dough mixture into the middle, on top of the Oreo baking crumb mixture.
- Then add the remaining chocolate ice cream, over the entire cake, smoothing it to cover everything. Return to freezer for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove from pan.
Decorating
- Frost with your favorite store-bought or homemade frosting (see my recommendations in post.)
- Using either store-bought or homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, shape cookie dough into small cookies and chop the rest.
- Break up remaining pieces of cookie dough and sprinkle chunks of cookie dough into the middle of the cake. Place on cake as shown.
Garnish
- Sprinkle on grated chocolate baking bar.
Notes
-
- Soften Ice Cream Properly: Allow ice cream to soften at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes before spreading. Over-softened ice cream can become too melty and refreeze with an icy texture.
-
- Layer Freezing is Key: Freeze each layer for at least 15 minutes before adding the next to maintain clean, distinct layers.
-
- Use a Flat Bottom Glass: To ensure an even, firm crust, press down the Oreo crumb mixture with the bottom of a flat glass, measuring cup or spatula.
-
- Pre-Chill for a Stronger Base: After pressing the crust into the pan, freeze for 15–20 minutes before adding the ice cream layers to prevent crumbling.
-
- Chill the Cake Before Frosting: Before frosting, freeze the cake solid (overnight is ideal). This prevents melting while applying the frosting.
-
- Use a Sturdy Frosting: A shortening based frosting works best for ice cream cakes. Avoid whipped cream, as it doesn’t hold up well when frozen and runs when it defrosts.
-
- Work Quickly & Freeze in Intervals: Ice cream melts fast, so frost the cake in small sections, then return it to the freezer for a few minutes as needed.
-
- Use a Hot Knife: Dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe dry, and slice. Repeat for clean cuts.
-
- Serve Immediately: This cake melts quickly, so slice and serve as soon as it’s out of the freezer.
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
I absolutely LOVE DQ cake and I'm so excited to have a blog post/recipe on how to make it.
Marie
This is fabulous! I love those DQ cakes, and never even considered making them at home.
Thank you for the clear, easy instructions and photos!
nancy
WOW such a lovely dessert cake. would recommend
Vanessa
This is so much better than DQ! Thanks for the easy instructions! My kids prefer ice cream cake to regular cake so I see many more of these in my future!
Elaine
Beautiful, Terri! I'll bet your friend appreciated it. My family loves DQ ice cream cakes and your homemade version is a much less expensive option! Your instructions are easy to follow, too.
Bernice
I'm generally not into ice cream cakes but I sure love Oreos and cookie dough. I bet this dessert is the perfect cool treat for summer birthdays.
Asha (Coriander & Lace)
My nephews are obsessed with Dairy Queen ice cream cake. I'm obsessed with edible cookie dough. With this recipe we are all winners. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Chiara
Hello,
I don't see on the steps what the chocolate baking bar is for
Terri Gilson
Sorry I didn't explain that well! I say to sprinkle the grated chocolate, but didn't say to grate the baking bar.
I'll update that. Thanks for bringing it to my attention 🙂
Terri