Author: Crystal

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Cookie Butter Cheesecake No Churn Ice Cream with Espresso

Pan of cookie butter ice cream

No-churn ice cream will be a staple in every household this summer! And my No Churn Cookie Butter Cheesecake Ice Cream with Espresso and Kahlua is one you’ll want to keep in rotation!

Cookie butter ice cream in a pan with waffle cones

So, you’re looking for a way to make homemade ice cream, but do not have an ice cream machine handy. Don’t worry, my friend. That ice cream can still easily be made without one! No churn ice cream is the new kid on the block, and for a good reason…save time, along with money and space on equipment

I may or may not be addicted to cookie butter, so I absolutely had to incorporate it into ice cream! Initially, I wanted to keep it simple by adding the cookie butter and crushed Biscoff cookies, but nope! I had to take it up a notch by soaking those cookies in Kahlua and espresso, and adding some cream cheese to my ice cream base. BOOM! No Churn Cookie Butter Cheesecake Ice Cream with Espresso was born!

What is “no-churn” ice cream?
No churn ice cream simply means that the ice cream is not made with an ice cream maker.

Churned ice cream will usually contain eggs and sugar cooked ahead of time into a custard base. The churning will help to keep the ice cream base nice and smooth, while simultaneously freezing it.

With no churn ice cream, the sugar is replaced with sweetened condensed milk. Additionally, since there is no egg, churning is not necessary! As long as you have a hand or stand mixer, that’ll count as the “churning” needed to make a nice smooth ice cream base.

Pan of homemade cookie butter no churn ice cream

How do I make no-churn ice cream?


It’s soooo simple to make no-churn ice cream at home. So easy that you’ll question why you haven’t been doing this before!

To make no churn ice cream, you’ll do the following:

  1. Make a batch of whipped cream
  2. Mix in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract
  3. Gently fold in your ice cream topping(s) of choice
  4. Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer safe container, cover with plastic wrap and lid, and freeze

How long does no churn ice cream take to make?

As you can see from the steps above, no churn ice cream is really easy to make. The ice cream base takes up to 10 minutes to whip together. Freezing then serving the ice cream will depend on the consistency you’re looking for:

For a softer no churn ice cream, similar to soft serve, freeze for 2 hours.
For a firmer texture, freeze for at least 4 hours.

Scoop of no churn cookie butter ice cream on a cone

How to store homemade ice cream

The great thing about this recipe is the way the ice cream is made is how it’s stored!

It’s best to store homemade ice cream in a freezer safe container with a tight fitting lid. Using an airtight container will help to prevent freezer burn. Take it an extra step by pressing a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the ice cream.

As far as age, I would recommend eating the ice cream within a month (if it lasts that long because ohemgee it’s good!). Most store-bought ice cream has preservatives extending the shelf life several weeks. That of course is not the case with ice cream made at home.

What type of toppings can I use for no churn ice cream?

The great thing about making ice cream in the comfort of your home is literally customizing it to your liking!

Add whatever toppings you’d like to the ice cream base. Be mindful to gently fold those toppings in so that they aren’t breaking up too much in the ice cream.

If you’re using nuts, chunks of candy, cookies, I highly suggest you chop them into as small of a piece as you can. While it sounds fun to bite into a spoonful of ice cream with huge chunks of your favorite topping, that topping will also be very hard to chew when frozen. It will hurt to bite into and we don’t want to lose any teeth. The larger chunks will also make the ice cream harder to scoop. So crush the toppings to the size of a chocolate chip, and you’re good to go!

I’m hoping you get to try (and fall in love with) my No Churn Cookie Butter Cheesecake Ice Cream with Espresso! If so, I’d love it if you left a review and star rating, along with tagging me on Instagram!

Scoop of cookie butter ice cream on a cone
Print Recipe

No Churn Cookie Butter Cheesecake Ice Cream with Espresso

No-churn ice cream will be a staple in every household this summer! And my Cookie Butter Cheesecake Ice Cream with Espresso and Kahlua is one you’ll want to keep in rotation!
Prep Time10 minutes
Freeze Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: biscoff, cheesecake, cookie butter, cookies, espresso, ice cream, kahlua, no churn, no churn ice cream, speculoos
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Crystal

Equipment

  • Hand or stand mixer with whip attachment
  • Rubber spatula
  • Small mixing bowls
  • Freezer safe container with an airtight lid
  • Plastic wrap

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup cookie butter
  • 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 14 ounces sweetened condense milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces espresso room temperature
  • 1 ounce Kahlua
  • 20 Biscoff cookies

Instructions

  • Whip the heavy cream on high, in a large bowl with a hand mixer or on a stand mixer, for 2-3 minutes. The whip cream is the right consistency when stiff peaks are formed.
  • In a separate bowl, whip the cookie butter and cream cheese on high for 1 minute, or until smooth.
  • Add the cookie butter mixture to the whipped cream, along with the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Whip on low for 1 minute.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the espresso and Kahlua.
  • Individually soak both sides of the cookies in the espresso and set aside. The cookies will soak up the liquid quickly, and will only need to be in the espresso for 1 second per side.
  • Crush the cookies into chunks and add to the ice cream base. With a rubber spatula, gently mix in the cookies. (If there is leftover espresso, it can be added into the ice cream base)
  • Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer safe container. Press a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly onto the ice cream.
  • Cover the container with an airtight lid and freeze for 2 hours for a soft serve consistency, or at least 4 hours for a scoopable consistency.

Notes

Kahlua can be omitted from the recipe. Replace it with additional espresso.
 

I can tell you’re a huge fan of cookie butter! You should definitely try your hand at my Cookie Butter Tiramisu and Cookie Butter Chocolate Pudding Pie!!!

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How to Make Red Velvet Pancakes with Whipped Cream Cheese

Stack of red velvet pancakes with cream cheese topping

These red velvet pancakes are the perfect excuse to eat dessert for breakfast! Adding a dollop of whipped cream cheese topping to melt onto the warm pancakes takes this classic dessert to another level. 

I don’t know much about you, but what I do know is you love red velvet cake, which brought you to this recipe! My red velvet pancakes with whipped cream cheese is the fastest way to get your red velvet cake hankering taken care of! And the best part is that, unlike a slice of cake, this will be nice and warm, and in about 30 minutes! Mmmmmmmmm!

Read below on the tips and tricks to properly making and cooking pancake batter!

What is the best type of milk to use in pancake batter?

You’ll often find a lot of pancake recipes using buttermilk. That is because the acidity in the buttermilk helps to break down the gluten in the batter, which helps to make the pancake more tender and fluffy vs chewy.

Because of this, buttermilk is definitely the best milk to use for pancake batter! If you don’t have buttermilk available, no worries. Using regular milk is still an option.

Tricks to make the best pancake batter!!!

One of the easiest mistakes to make when making pancakes doesn’t even deal with the cooking process….it’s making the batter itself!

Don’t over mix your batter!

You want to be careful when making your pancake mix, which isn’t as hard to do as you may think. Mixing it too much creates too much gluten, which will result in a gummy, chewy pancake (ugh!). 

Easiest way to prevent this is by mixing your dry and wet ingredients separately, then gently combining them together. 

Lumps are okay in pancake batter!

This shows that the pancake mix was mixed together just long enough to combine all the ingredients. If there are a few chunks  in the batter, don’t stress! A super smooth batter isn’t needed. Also, trying to get the batter really smooth will cause overmixing.

Once your pancake batter is mixed, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

This technique works with ANY type of dough or batter. Once the batter (or dough) is mixed, wait a bit before cooking. You want the mix to settle a bit. I usually make my batter, then preheat my cast iron while the batter rests.

What’s the correct temperature setting to cook pancakes in a cast iron skillet?

I get that griddles are usually the go-to when it comes to cooking pancakes. But I’ve never owned one, thanks to my handy dandy cast iron skillet! Luckily, whatever way you cook things on griddles can be applied to a cast iron.

To cook your pancakes in a cast iron, heat the skillet a little to medium-low heat.

Let the pan heat for 10 minutes before cooking the pancakes. You want to ensure that the heat is evenly distributed. Hot spots are definitely not what you want when executing the perfect pancake, so give your cast iron some time to warm up. 

If you have a griddle, it should be warmed to medium heat. Cast irons warm and hold heat a little differently than griddles, so it’ll have to be preheated differently as well.

How do I know if my griddle is set to the proper temperature to cook pancakes. 

There are 2 ways you can test your griddle or cast iron to test if it’s ready for cooking pancakes:

  • Add a small spoonful of your pancake batter into the pan. After a minute, the top of the pancake should look slightly dry. Flip your tiny pancake. If the cooked side is nice and golden, you’re good to go! If the pancake takes more than a minute to look dry on the uncooked side, turn the heat up a verrryyy tiny amount. Same deal if the pancake cooks faster than a minute – turn your heat down a tiny amount. 
  • Add a couple of drops of room temperature water into the pan. The water should sizzle for a couple of seconds before evaporating. If so, the pan is ready to use! Adjust the temperature if the water just sits in the pan, or if it immediately evaporates. 

How do I properly cook pancakes

Once your griddle or cast iron has preheated and batter has rested, it (finally) time to cook your pancakes! It’s a lot less scarier than it seems:

Melt and evenly spread your fat of choice onto the pan

I prefer to use butter to cook my pancakes for flavor, but I occasionally use olive oil. It honestly depends on my mood.

While butter is more flavorful, it can burn easier. If you choose to use butter, make sure you wipe your griddle clean between each set of cooked pancakes to clean of little burned butter bits. With olive oil, cleaning the pan each time is not necessary.

Since cast irons and griddles are already sort of nonstick, you do not need to use too much fat to cook. With a pastry brush, evenly spread a thin layer of fat onto the bottom. Then add your batter, making the pancakes the size of your liking, leaving at least a half an inch between each pancake.

Let the pancake completely cook on one side before flipping

While the pancake batter is cooking, bubbles will form. Wait for those bubbles to pop and turn into small holes. This will show that the pancake is properly being cooked throughout. 

Only flip your pancakes once!!!

Eventually, the uncooked side of the pancake will no longer look wet and slightly dry, after 3-5 minutes of cooking. After bubbles no longer form and pop, it’s time to flip your pancake. Once flipped, you’ll see the first side of your pancake is cooked through, and it’ll only take an additional minute to cook the flipped side.

You do not need to flip the pancake more than once! If you’ve cooked the first side correctly, there is no reason to cook it back on that side again. 

Now that we’ve discussed pancake batter and cooking techniques, let’s talk about the recipe at hand….Red Velvet Pancakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Topping!

Stack of red velvet pancakes

Why is there sour cream in red velvet cake?

I made my red velvet pancake recipe similar to what can be found in red velvet cake. One of those ingredients is sour cream.

Similar to the use of buttermilk, sour cream helps to break down the gluten in pancake batter, which will make for pancakes that will not be chewy. 

The sour cream also adds creaminess and a little more flavor to the pancakes. Fat means flavor baby! And the sour cream is what I used instead of butter. If you do not have sour cream available, melted butter is a good replacement.  

What type of chocolate chips should I use for the red velvet pancakes?

The type of chocolate chips used for the red velvet pancakes are entirely up to you! For this recipe, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. If you want to make something more visually appealing, white chocolate chips can be used!

I prefer to use semi-sweet chocolate chips. I love that it has some bitterness to it that isn’t as strong as dark chocolate, plus it still has some sweetness to it like milk chocolate. 

How do I make my whipped cream cheese topping without lumps

As you can see, I  really stuck to the theme of red velvet by making a whipped cream cheese topping. I’ve added butter to mine as well so it’ll melt easier on the warm pancakes. 

The key to making the whipped cream cheese topping is to make sure both the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature. It’ll not only make the whipped topping easier to make, it’ll ensure the topping doesn’t have chunks.

Taking both of these ingredients out of the fridge at least an hour before use. At minimum, sit them at room temperature when you begin making your pancake batter.

If your cream cheese and butter are not quite at room temp, don’t worry. The topping can still be made. Just be prepared for it to be on the chunkier side. The flavor will still be there, and the chunks will melt a little bit when it’s on the pancakes. 

Stack of red velvet pancakes with cream cheese topping

Additional toppings for red velvet pancakes

While the red velvet pancakes already taste amazing with the whipped cream cheese topping, you aren’t limited to just using that.

I drizzled mine with chocolate syrup to add more chocolate to my plate. I’m also a fan of texture, so I threw a few chocolate chips on top!

If you get to make my red velvet pancakes with whipped cream cheese topping, I’d love it if you left a review!!! Feel free to also share your creation by tagging me on Instagram!!!

Stack of red velvet pancakes with cream cheese topping
Print Recipe

Red Velvet Pancakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Topping

These red velvet pancakes are the perfect excuse to eat dessert for breakfast!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast, cream cheese, cream cheese icing, dessert, pancakes, red velvet, red velvet pancakes
Servings: 8 pancakes
Author: Crystal

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet or griddle
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Ladle
  • Pancake spatula

Ingredients

Red Velvet Pancakes

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 3 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
  • t tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp red food coloring
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp melted butter plus extra, kept separate for cooking

Whipped Cream Cheese Topping

  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

How to make the red velvet pancakes

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, egg, vanilla extract, and food coloring.
  • Pour the milk mixture in with the flour mixture. Gently whisk for about a minute to combine.
  • Add the chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of melted butter to the mixture. Stir until just incorporated. Batter should be slightly lumpy and thick.
  • Let the batter sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking. While the batter is resting, preheat a griddle (medium heat) or cast iron pan on a stove (medium-low heat) . (The cream cheese topping can be made while the griddle is heating.)
  • Melt and spread a small amount of butter in the griddle, just enough to coat the surface.
  • Pour a quarter cup of the pancake mixture onto the griddle. Spread out the mixture to make pancakes a little thinner and rounder. If cooking multiple pancakes at a time, be sure to keep them at least an inch apart.
  • Cook pancakes for 3-4 minutes on it’s first side. The uncooked side will create little holes and look a little dry. Once it’s at that point, flip and cook for 1 more minute. Wipe the griddle clean before cooking another set of pancakes.
  • Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream cheese and chocolate syrup . Enjoy!

How to make the whipped cream cheese topping

  • In a small bowl, beat the heavy cream with a hand mixer on high for 4-5 minutes, to make a soft whipped cream.
  • Add in the vanilla extract, cream cheese, and butter. Beat to combine on high for 30 seconds, or until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar, and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Dollop on top of the warm pancakes.

Notes

The whipped cream cheese topping can be store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze cooked pancakes in a ziploc bag for up to 2 months.

If you’re looking for another pancake recipe, check out these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes!!!

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Easy No Bake Cookie Butter & Chocolate Pudding Pie

Close up of chocolate cookie butter pudding pie
Slices of pudding pie

In just an hour and a half, you can have this delicious cookie butter and chocolate pudding pie for dessert, and without turning on an oven! The combo of the cookie butter and chocolate is so good on its own. Topping it with cinnamon whipped cream makes it even better! Making a cookie crust with Biscoff cookies makes these even better-er!!! (Yeah, I’m aware that’s not a real word.)

How do I assemble the pudding pie?

This chocolate cookie butter pudding pie with cinnamon whipped cream topping is 3 recipes in one: the crust, the pudding, and the whipped cream. It may sound like a lot, but trust me when I say each individual recipe is very easy to do! The hard part of this recipe is waiting for the pudding to cool and set before eating, because you’ll definitely want to eat this right away.

Just as a quick summary, the pie is made by:

  • Cooking the pudding and letting it cool
  • Making the cookie crust while the pudding cools
  • Adding the pudding into the crust, covering, and chilling
  • Topping the pudding with whipped cream
Close up of chocolate cookie butter pudding pie

Luckily, Cookie butter can be found in a few places. 

I used Lotus Biscoff’s smooth cookie butter for this recipe, which I’ve found in Target, Giant, and Wegmans. 

There’s also the option to use Trader Joe’s Speculoos cookie butter if you can’t get your hands on Lotus Biscoff’s brand. Walmart also has their version of Speculoos available. 

I’ve found all of these in the peanut butter aisle.

Where can I find Biscoff cookies?

The Biscoff cookies can be found at the same stores listed above, in the packaged cookie aisle. It will most likely be in the smaller section with specialty cookies. They come in a sleeve of about 30 cookies. 

Biscoff cookie crust

What to use if you don’t have Biscoff cookies:

Now, if you’re a huge cookie butter fan, you’ll definitely want to get your hands on Biscoff cookies to make the cookie crust from scratch.

But if you can’t find any, a graham cracker or Oreo cookie crust will work! You can purchase a pre-made crust to save a step. Just make sure you get a 9 inch deep dish version of the crust to go along with the amount of filling being made. 

Tips for making the chocolate pudding:

The chocolate cookie butter pudding cooks pretty fast. The ingredients get mixed together then warmed on the stovetop.

You’ll need to keep an eye on the mixture once it begins to steam. About a minute after that, the mixture will slowly simmer. This mixture will go from a thin to thick liquid in one minute. At this point, you’ll need to continuously whisk the pudding so it doesn’t burn, and so it’ll stay smooth. 

Additionally, while the pudding cools in the fridge, you’ll need to press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding itself. This helps to prevent a layer of film from forming on the pudding as it cools.

Chocolate pudding with cookie crust in a pie tin
Plastic wrap pressed on the pudding prevents the pudding from drying out!
Whipped topping spread onto pudding pie
Cinnamon whipped topping is spread over the chilled pudding

How to make the pudding pie into individual desserts:

When I initially tested this recipe, it was to make sure the flavors worked together well. I did NOT originally make a cookie crust, but just crumbled some cookies to top the pudding. 

With that being said, YES, this can be made into single servings!

The cooked chocolate cookie butter pudding has to be cooled completely. Once the pudding has cooled a bit in the heat-proof container, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour. Make your cinnamon whipped cream topping and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Once you’re ready to serve, scoop your desired amount of pudding into a cup or bowl, and top with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with crushed Biscoff cookies and dig in!

Additional toppings for the chocolate pudding pie:

The drizzle you see in the pics of the pie is melted cookie butter! 

Very easy to do. Microwave a couple of big spoonfuls of the cookie butter in a microwave safe dish for just 10-15 seconds. It doesn’t need any more time than this! If you cook it longer, the cookie butter will cook and get crunchy. (It’ll taste really damn good, but that’s not what we’re here for). Once melted, drizzle on top of the chilled pie!

You can also drizzle chocolate or caramel ice cream topping, and even crush some Biscoff cookies to sprinkle!

Close up of chocolate cookie butter pudding pie

I’m hoping that you’ll love my chocolate cookie butter pudding pie with cinnamon topping as much as I do! If you get a chance to make it, feel free to leave a comment!!!

Slices of pudding pie
Print Recipe
5 from 14 votes

Chocolate Cookie Butter Pudding Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream Topping

If you’re a fan of cookie butter and pudding pies, you’ll definitely fall in love with my Chocolate Cookie Butter Pudding Pie!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: biscoff, cookie butter, easy dessert, no bake, pie, pudding, pudding pie, speculoos
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Crystal

Equipment

  • Whisk
  • Sauce pot
  • spatula
  • Pie tin
  • Handheld or stand mixer

Ingredients

Pudding ingredients

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 6 ounces half and half
  • 10 ounces milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup smooth cookie butter
  • 2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Cookie Crust ingredients

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 24 each Biscoff cookies

Whipped Topping ingredients

  • 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pudding Instructions

  • In a small sauce pot, whisk together the cinnamon, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
  • Pour the half and half and milk into the pot while whisking to incorporate. Add the vanilla extract, cookie butter, and chocolate chips.
  • Warm the ingredients on medium heat, stirring with a whisk to help melt the cookie butter and chocolate chips, and bring to a simmer. Once it simmers, cook for 1 minute to thicken while continuously whisking. Remove from heat.
  • Pour mixture into a heat safe dish or bowl. Let sit at room temperature to slightly cool for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to release some of the steam.
  • While the pudding is cooling, make the cookie crust.

Cookie Crust instructions

  • In a food processor, ground up the Biscoff cookies to make crumbs fine crumbs
  • Pour in the melted butter and mix with a spoon.
  • Lightly spray your pie tin with a nonstick pan spray. Evenly press the crumb mixture into the pie tin, making sure to also press up against the sides.
  • Refrigerate the pie crust for 15 minutes before adding the pudding layer.

Whipped Topping instructions

  • In a small bowl, beat the heavy cream with a hand mixer on high for 4-5 minutes, to make a soft whipped cream.
  • Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Beat to combine on high for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Refrigerate until ready to assemble pie.

Pie Assembly

  • Pour the pudding into the chilled cookie crust. Spread evenly with a spatula or with the back of a spoon.
  • Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding, pressing it onto the mixture.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour to let the pudding set.
  • Remove the pie from the fridge, and remove the plastic wrap.
  • Spread the whipped cream topping to cover the pudding.
  • Cut and serve!

Notes

If you can not find Biscoff cookies, a chocolate or graham cracker crust will work for this recipe. 
Cool Whip can be replaced for the homemade whipped cream. You will need an 8 ounce container plus 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. 

I can tell you’re a fan of cookie butter! Sooooo, check out this recipe for Cookie Butter Tiramisu!

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