My childhood, captured in a cup — and here it is.
Blizzards felt like a rare treat when I was a kid — except every June. Each June my family spent a week in Wildwood, NJ. We rode our bikes to the boardwalk first thing every morning, pedaling out and back, then stopping for our post-ride ritual.
We always stopped at Dairy Queen. Yep. Every.single.day.
I have no idea how that tradition began, but it stuck. When my brothers and cousins and I were young, we wanted something “big” after the bike ride — a Blizzard — every day. That didn’t sit well with our parents, especially when most mornings ended with three bites gone and a full cup of blended ice cream and candy tossed in the trash.
We learned to compromise: a huge sprinkle cone or a lime Mr. Misty. Do those even exist anymore?
Now that we’re sort-of grown-ups, ice cream at 11 a.m. doesn’t always feel like the smartest choice. That’s depressing because I wish I always wanted ice cream at 11 a.m. — it just sounds fun. But I don’t. The cold, hard truth. (Pun intended.)
Enter the mini Blizzard — the most brilliant creation. Now we treat ourselves sometimes: a Blizzard one day after bike riding, a small vanilla cone another, maybe a Dilly Bar. And some days? Just ice water. I’m admitting it.
Also — do you get your Blizzard with vanilla ice cream (normal) or chocolate (weird)? I’d never met anyone who wanted chocolate ice cream in a Blizzard until Eddie. He orders every Blizzard with chocolate ice cream. Where did he come from?
Since I can make my own Blizzard at home, though… maybe I do want one at 11 a.m.?
For the no-churn ice cream I used both vanilla beans and vanilla bean paste — vanilla overload in the best way. I partnered with Rodelle for this recipe and used their vanilla products: paste and fresh Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans. The scraped beans add a beautiful, natural speckled look and deep flavor, and the paste gives a concentrated hit of vanilla that plays so nicely with the sweetened condensed milk base.
I use vanilla bean paste in practically everything these days. Scraping a pod for its seeds feels indulgent; since beans can be pricey, turning them into ice cream that gets shared is a great way to make them count.
I can’t get over how lovely this no-churn ice cream is. I made this vanilla bean version shortly before making a blackberry version, and the simplicity sold me. Plain vanilla can be stunning when it’s real vanilla — creamy, rich and perfect as a base to mix things into.
Full disclosure: I love “trash” in my ice cream — candy bars, brownies, fudge swirls, caramel, sprinkles, jam, you name it. I wasn’t usually a plain-vanilla person, but this version changed my mind.
So where did the no-egg cookie dough come from? From an old-school recipe I made ages ago — the chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter cups that everyone loved. That cookie dough is easy to make, addictive, and perfect stirred into this creamy vanilla ice cream.
Look at that perfect, round scoop. I’m not going back to any other plain vanilla recipe — this no-churn method is my new go-to.
Now for the Blizzard part: you can mix in whatever you want. As a kid I was a strict cookies-and-cream person. Eddie still prefers cookies and cream — with chocolate ice cream, of course. These days I’ve started combining multiple mix-ins: Snickers, Reese’s cups, cookies and cream, sprinkles — the works. It’s delightfully excessive and wildly satisfying.
This ice cream is ideal for homemade Blizzards because it becomes very creamy and easy to blend after sitting out for a few minutes. Scoop a few dollops, alternate with spoonfuls of cookie dough, gently mix so the dough disperses, then serve immediately. It’s great for breakfast, lunch, or any time you need a nostalgic treat.
If you want to make this at home, the recipe yields about one quart of ice cream and a batch of cookie dough that makes two to three Blizzards. The ice cream base is sweetened condensed milk, vanilla beans, vanilla bean paste, a splash of bourbon for depth, and whipped heavy cream folded in for light, airy texture. The peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough is quick: melted butter and brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, a touch of flour and salt, then chocolate chips folded in and chilled briefly.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard with No Churn Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
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Ingredients
no churn vanilla bean ice cream
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped out
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 2 1/4 cups cold heavy cream
peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour I used coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
no churn vanilla bean ice cream
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In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, scraped vanilla bean seeds, vanilla bean paste and bourbon until combined.
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Place the cold cream in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the vanilla mixture, folding repeatedly until fully combined. Pour the mixture into a parchment-lined loaf pan or freezer-safe container and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight for best results.
peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough
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In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved, then let it bubble 1–2 minutes. Whisk in the peanut butter, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Stir in the powdered sugar, salt and flour, then fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to firm.
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To assemble the Blizzard, scoop several portions of the vanilla ice cream, alternating scoops of ice cream with spoonfuls of cookie dough. Gently mix so the dough distributes through the ice cream, top with extra cookie dough and serve immediately.
Notes
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It truly is the ultimate treat.
This post was sponsored by Rodelle; they provided vanilla beans and vanilla paste and supported this recipe. Thank you for supporting the blog.