Rainbow Cookie Ice Cream Recipe

Warm dairy and infuse vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk, 2 cups heavy cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Split and scrape 1 vanilla bean and add seeds and pod (or add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract later). Heat over medium until steam rises and edges are simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 15 minutes to infuse (if using vanilla extract, wait to add it with the yolks).

Temper egg yolks

In a medium bowl, whisk 4 large egg yolks with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until slightly thickened and pale. Slowly pour about 1/3 cup of the warm cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Continue adding warm cream in a thin stream (about 1/2 cup at a time) while whisking until about half the hot mixture has been incorporated.

Cook custard

Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining warm cream. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (about 170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not boil.

Finish and chill

If you used a vanilla bean pod, remove and discard it now. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now (1 tablespoon). Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Place the bowl in an ice bath and stir occasionally until the custard cools to room temperature, then cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight until fully cold.

Churn the ice cream

Freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, pour it into the ice cream maker and churn until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (typically 20–30 minutes depending on machine).

Prepare cookie pieces and jam swirl

While the ice cream churns, finely chop 1.5 cups rainbow cookies into roughly 1/4-inch pieces. Warm 2 tablespoons apricot jam in a small saucepan or microwave for a few seconds and strain if needed to smooth; this will create a slightly glossy, easy-to-swatch swirl that helps cookie pieces adhere.

Fold in mix-ins carefully

When churned to soft-serve, transfer about half the ice cream to a loaf pan or freezer-safe container in an even layer. Sprinkle half of the chopped rainbow cookies (about 3/4 cup) and half of the 1/2 cup sprinkles evenly across the layer. Spoon small dollops (about 6–8) of warmed apricot jam over the cookies and gently swirl with a knife. Add the remaining ice cream on top, then sprinkle the remaining cookie pieces and sprinkles and add additional jam dollops, swirling slightly to create ribbons. Avoid overmixing so you retain visible cookie and jam swirls.

Freeze to set

Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap or an airtight lid and freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until firm.

Before scooping, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly for cleaner scoops. Scoop and place in bowls or cones; garnish each serving with a few extra cookie pieces and a light sprinkling of additional sprinkles (about 2 tablespoons total for multiple servings).

Note: For each scoop sold, SJ's donates $1.00 to BAGLY in support of local LGBTQ+ youth.