✔ Updated · spoon-stands-up thick, 3 ingredients, no blender needed
This copycat Dairy Queen Oreo Blizzard is thick, creamy and loaded with cookie chunks, and you only need 3 ingredients. No blender, no ice cream machine, just a bowl and a little elbow grease.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Soften the ice cream just until scoopable and add only a splash of milk. Too much milk turns it into a milkshake; a Blizzard should be thick enough to hold a spoon upright.
Why I Love This Homemade Blizzard
- Spoon-stands-up thick, just like the treat you flip upside down at the counter.
- Big cookie chunks plus fine crumbs in every bite.
- Endless mix-ins: swap in candy, cookie dough or brownie bits.
What Makes a Blizzard a Blizzard?
A Blizzard is thicker than a milkshake: soft serve with mix-ins blended in, so thick that Dairy Queen famously serves it upside down. The trick at home is very little liquid and dense, cold ice cream.
This is a copycat, so the texture comes from regular vanilla ice cream instead of DQ's soft serve. Premium vanilla or frozen custard gets you the closest.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Use good, dense ice cream. Premium vanilla or frozen custard gives the thickest, creamiest result. Airy budget ice cream melts faster.
- Chill everything. A frozen bowl and frozen cups buy you time, so the ice cream mixes smooth without turning soupy.
- Go easy on the milk. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more only if your mixer is struggling. You want soft-serve, not a shake.
- Crush, don't pulverize. Keep some pea-size chunks. All dust and the Blizzard turns gray.
- The upside-down test. Max does this every single time, very seriously, over the sink. Ten minutes in the freezer usually gets it there.
- Make ahead. Freeze the finished cups, covered, for up to 1 week. Let them sit for 5 minutes before eating, then give them a quick stir.
Copycat Dairy Queen Oreo Blizzard
2
servings10
minutes630
kcal10
minutesA copycat Dairy Queen-style Oreo Blizzard: vanilla ice cream softened just enough to mix, stirred with crushed Oreo cookies and a splash of milk, then chilled briefly so it’s thick enough for the spoon to stand up.
Ingredients
3 cups vanilla ice cream (or vanilla frozen custard)
8 Oreo cookies (or any chocolate sandwich cookies)
2 tablespoons whole milk, cold
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Directions
- Put 2 tall glasses or cups in the freezer. Take the ice cream out and let it sit on the counter for 5 to 8 minutes, until it’s just soft enough to scoop easily but not melting.
- Put the cookies in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin into a mix of fine crumbs and pea-size chunks. Set aside 2 tablespoons for the top.
- Scoop the ice cream into a chilled mixing bowl and add the milk and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on low, or mash and stir hard with a sturdy spoon, for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and thick like soft serve.
- Add the crushed cookies and fold or mix on low for 10 to 15 seconds, just until spread through. Don’t overmix or it turns gray and runny.
- Spoon into the frozen cups, top with the reserved crumbs and freeze for 10 minutes to firm up. Push a long spoon in the center, and if it stands up on its own, it’s ready.
Notes
- Total Calorie count is 1150Kcal
- Do not add milk to this recipe or you won’t get the same copycat result.
Like this recipe?
Follow us @recipefairy on Pinterest
Blizzard Flavor Ideas
- Oreo Cookie Dough: add 1/3 cup small edible cookie dough bites with the cookies.
- Peanut butter cup: swap the cookies for 3/4 cup chopped peanut butter cups.
- Brownie Oreo: fold in 1/2 cup brownie cubes with half the cookies.
- Mint Oreo: use mint cream cookies and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract.
More Copycat Treats
If you love a cookies-and-cream treat, try my copycat McDonald's Oreo McFlurry, a creamy no-bake Oreo cheesecake or one of my milkshake recipes for when you want something you can sip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Dairy Queen Oreo Blizzard?
DQ's Blizzard is its vanilla soft serve blended with crushed Oreo cookie pieces. At home, premium vanilla ice cream or frozen custard, crushed Oreos and a splash of milk make a very close, thick copycat.
How do you make a Blizzard without a blender?
Let the ice cream soften for 5 to 8 minutes, then beat it in a chilled bowl with a hand mixer or mash and stir it hard with a sturdy spoon until smooth. Fold in the crushed cookies and freeze for 10 minutes to thicken.
Is a cookies and cream Blizzard the same as an Oreo Blizzard?
Pretty much. A cookies and cream Blizzard is the same idea with any chocolate sandwich cookie. Store-brand cookies work beautifully in this recipe and taste almost the same.
Why is my homemade Blizzard runny?
Usually the ice cream got too soft, there was too much milk, or it was mixed too long. Use only a splash of milk, mix briefly, and freeze the cups for 10 to 15 minutes. It will firm up to that classic thick texture.
What other Blizzard flavors can I make?
Swap the cookies for chopped peanut butter cups, mini candy-coated chocolates, cookie dough bites, brownie pieces or crushed toffee. Use about 3/4 cup of mix-ins for 3 cups of ice cream.
