Homemade Oreo McFlurry Copycat Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• That signature McFlurry texture: ultra-thick, cold, and scoopable with a spoon that stands tall.
• Smooth, creamy base without eggs—easy to cook and impossible to curdle.
• Smart soft-serve technique using milk powder, corn syrup, and a touch of gelatin for body.
• Works with or without an ice cream maker, with precise, foolproof directions.

Grocery List

• Produce: None
• Dairy: Whole milk, heavy cream
• Pantry: Granulated sugar, light corn syrup, skim milk powder, powdered gelatin, fine sea salt, pure vanilla extract, chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)

Full Ingredients

Vanilla Soft-Serve–Style Base

• Whole milk: 1 3/4 cups (415 ml)
• Heavy cream: 1 cup (240 ml)
• Granulated sugar: 1/2 cup (100 g)
• Light corn syrup: 2 tbsp (30 g)
• Skim milk powder: 3 tbsp (24 g)
• Fine sea salt: 1/8 tsp
• Pure vanilla extract: 1 1/2 tsp
• Powdered gelatin: 1 tsp (3 g), bloomed in 1 tbsp (15 ml) cold water

Cookie Mix-In

• Chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos): 12 cookies (about 132 g), chilled

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Chill your gear and measure ingredients

Freeze your ice cream maker canister for at least 24 hours. Chill a large mixing bowl, a rubber spatula, and 4 serving cups for 30 minutes. Measure all ingredients accurately. Chilling the equipment keeps the base thick and helps you achieve that signature spoon-stand swirl.

Step 2: Bloom the gelatin

Sprinkle 1 tsp powdered gelatin over 1 tbsp cold water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to fully hydrate. This tiny amount gives the base body and stability without making it jiggly.

Step 3: Heat the vanilla base to 170°F (77°C)

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, skim milk powder, and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until the mixture reaches 170°F (77°C), 8–10 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat, whisk in the bloomed gelatin until dissolved (about 15–20 seconds), then stir in the vanilla.

Step 4: Rapid-chill to 39°F (4°C) and rest

Pour the base into a zip-top bag or a thin metal bowl and set it in an ice bath. Stir occasionally until the base cools to 39°F (4°C), about 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (up to 24) to fully hydrate the milk proteins and set the texture.

Step 5: Churn to soft-serve thickness

Pour the cold base into the pre-chilled ice cream maker and churn until it reaches soft-serve consistency with thick, lazy folds and visible dasher trails, 18–25 minutes. The ice cream should be around 21°F (−6°C) and just shy of fully set. No ice cream maker? Freeze the base in a shallow metal pan; every 30 minutes for 2–3 hours, whisk vigorously or beat with a hand mixer. When thick and smooth like soft-serve, proceed.

Step 6: Crush the cookies

While churning, pulse 12 chilled cookies in a food processor 6–8 short bursts, or place in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin. Aim for a mix of 1/2-inch chunks and some fine crumbs—the dust streaks the swirl and the chunks give you those classic cookie bites.

Step 7: Fold, swirl, and serve

Scrape the soft-serve into your chilled bowl. Sprinkle over the crushed cookies and fold 15–20 gentle turns with the cold spatula until marbled—avoid overmixing. Spoon into chilled cups in a spiral motion to create that tall, spoon-stand swirl. Serve immediately, or place in the freezer for 10–20 minutes to firm slightly without hardening.

Pro Tips

• Pre-chill everything: canister 24 hours, bowls and cups 30 minutes. Cold gear equals thicker, fluffier swirl.
• Do not skip the skim milk powder—it boosts milk solids for a creamy, soft-serve texture.
• Chill the cookies; warm cookies melt into the base and dull the swirl.
• Stop the churn early. You want soft-serve thickness, not fully frozen ice cream.
• For a firmer stand-up swirl, hold filled cups in the freezer 10–20 minutes before serving.

Variations

• Mint Cookies & Cream: Replace 1/2 tsp of the vanilla with 1/2 tsp peppermint extract; fold in 10–12 chopped chocolate-mint sandwich cookies.
• Double Chocolate: Sift 2 tbsp (10 g) Dutch-process cocoa into the saucepan with the dry ingredients in Step 3; finish with the standard cookies for a chocolate base.
• Dairy-Free: Use 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk + 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened oat creamer; omit gelatin and whisk in 1/4 tsp xanthan gum with the dry ingredients. Churn as directed.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Make the base up to 3 days ahead; keep refrigerated below 39°F (4°C). After folding in cookies, pack leftovers into an airtight container and press parchment onto the surface. Freeze up to 2 weeks. To serve, temper at room temperature for 8–12 minutes or microwave each portion 6–10 seconds until scoopable. For a firm spoon-stand swirl, chill serving cups, fill, then freeze 10–20 minutes before eating.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values: 560 calories; 30 g fat (18 g saturated); 65 g carbohydrates; 4 g fiber; 50 g sugars; 6 g protein; 200 mg sodium.