Homemade Oreo Blizzard Copycat Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• True Blizzard-style thickness that holds a spoon upright.
• Creamy, clean vanilla flavor with loads of chocolate cookie crunch.
• No cooking or ice-cream maker required—just smart chilling and quick mixing.
• Easy to customize with your favorite cookies or add-ins.

Grocery List

• Produce: Fresh mint (optional garnish)
• Dairy: Vanilla ice cream, heavy cream
• Pantry: Light corn syrup or glucose, nonfat dry milk powder, pure vanilla extract, fine salt, chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)

Full Ingredients

Vanilla Soft-Serve–Style Base

• 3 cups very firm vanilla ice cream (keep in the coldest part of the freezer)
• 1/4 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup (or glucose syrup)
• 2 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder (about 12 g; optional but improves body)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Cookie Mix-Ins & Topping

• 14 chocolate sandwich cookies (about 160 g) total
• Optional: extra cookie crumbs for the rim or plate garnish
• Optional: fresh mint for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Chill the gear and set your freezer cold

Place a large metal mixing bowl and your mixer paddle/beaters (or a sturdy silicone spatula) in the freezer for 15 minutes. Chill 4 serving cups as well. Set the freezer to its coldest setting (aim for 0°F / -18°C) so the mix stays ultra-thick during assembly.

Step 2: Prep two textures of cookie crumbs

Reserve 4 cookies for topping. For the mix-in, crush 10 cookies: aim for roughly 70% fine crumbs (like coarse sand) and 30% small chunks about pea-sized. This blend gives a classic Blizzard speckle with distinct bites. Keep crumbs chilled if your kitchen is warm.

Step 3: Make the soft-serve base starter

In the chilled bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, corn syrup, nonfat dry milk powder, vanilla extract, and salt until just smooth—do not whip. This mixture boosts body, elasticity, and scoop stability.

Step 4: Beat the ice cream to soft-serve

Add the very firm vanilla ice cream to the bowl. Using a stand mixer with the paddle on low (or a hand mixer on low, or a sturdy spatula), beat just until the mixture becomes smooth, thick, and soft-serve–like, 30–60 seconds. Work quickly to avoid melting; the goal is dense and scoopable, not runny. If it softens too much, return the bowl to the freezer for 5 minutes and continue.

Step 5: Fold in the cookie mix-ins

Sprinkle the crushed cookies over the base and fold with a broad spatula until evenly distributed. Keep folds gentle to preserve thickness and avoid warming the mixture with prolonged stirring.

Step 6: Portion and quick-set

Spoon into the frozen serving cups, mounding slightly above the rim. Crumble the 4 reserved cookies over the tops. Place the filled cups in the freezer for 10–15 minutes, just until the mixture is spoon-stand thick and the surface looks matte and frosty at the edges.

Step 7: Serve Blizzard-thick

Serve immediately with a long spoon. For the true Blizzard moment, the spoon should stand upright. If you prefer even firmer texture, give it another 5 minutes in the freezer, checking every few minutes to prevent over-hardening.

Pro Tips

• Cold is everything: freeze the bowl, tools, and cups so you keep that dense, thick texture.
• Corn syrup and milk powder help mimic soft-serve body; you can omit them, but the mix will be looser and melt faster.
• Two crumb sizes are key: fines for speckles, small chunks for crunch.
• Work fast: 60–90 seconds of total mixing is plenty. Overmixing warms and thins the base.
• If you overshoot and the mix gets soft, a 5–10 minute chill can bring it right back.

Variations

• Double-Stuf Oreo: Use 16–18 cookies and reduce corn syrup to 1 tbsp for a thicker, cookie-forward treat.
• Mint Cookies & Cream: Add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract to the base and use mint chocolate sandwich cookies.
• Gluten-Free: Swap in certified gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies and ensure your vanilla ice cream is GF.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Best texture is within 30 minutes of assembly. To make ahead, portion into cups, cover, and freeze up to 1 week. For serving, thaw on the counter 8–12 minutes until spoon-stand thick again, then stir briefly to re-fluff. Leftovers can be reblended with a splash of cream to restore softness.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values for 1 of 4 servings: 480 calories; 26 g fat; 58 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 250 mg sodium. Values vary by ice cream brand and cookie type.