Christmas Ice Cream Cake
This Christmas Ice Cream Cake is the perfect Christmas dessert! Complete with Oreo crust, peppermint ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate fudge and peppermint candy pieces, this peppermint dessert will be a holiday favorite!
Ice cream desserts are so much fun! You can add peppermint ice cream to my homemade cookie ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cake roll for more delicious peppermint dessert ideas this holiday season.
Why This Recipe Works
- Perfect layer ratios. I love the ratios in each of these layers! The Oreo crust is a little bit thicker which really complements the amount of peppermint ice cream.
- No bake crust. This Oreo crust is a no-bake Oreo crust. Simply combine the crust ingredients and press the crust in the pan and freeze. Instead of baking the crust to set it, we are freezing it!
- Only requires 6 ingredients. This recipe is amazing because you only need 6 ingredients to make it! Plus, in just 20 minutes you can have it assembled and ready to freeze.
- Take the hassle out of Christmas dessert! This is the perfect Christmas dessert recipe because you can make it days or even weeks ahead of time! Christmas is busy enough — give yourself a break and make this easy Christmas dessert!
Ingredient Notes
- Peppermint Ice Cream: Any brand of peppermint ice cream will do. Just be sure it’s a half a gallon in order to fill the entire dish.
- Oreos: For the Oreo crust, leave the cream filling inside the Oreos when you crush them.
- Cool Whip: I used Cool Whip for the convenience and simplicity. Cool Whip is also nice because it holds its whip a lot longer than homemade whipped cream.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Mix the Oreo crumbs and melted butter together. Transfer mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Press the Oreo crust into the bottom of the pan (not up the sides). Freeze for 10 minutes or until the crust is firm. (We want the crust frozen and firm so that when we spread the softened ice cream overtop of the crust, it’s not lifting it from the pan).
- Spread the softened ice cream in an even layer on top of the Oreo. Freeze for 3-4 hours or until the ice cream is firm.
- Add the Cool Whip. Remove from the freezer and spread the cool whip over the ice cream in an even layer. Place in freezer for 1 hour or until the whipped cream is chilled again.
- Drizzle hot fudge overtop the peppermint ice cream cake and top with crushed candy canes. Slice and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
I used homemade hot fudge but it’s not necessary. Store bought is great, especially if you’re in a time crunch! I also used Cool Whip, but homemade whipped cream is a great option, too!
Leave the peppermint ice cream out at room temperature for up to 30 minutes to let it come to a spreadable temperature. You don’t want it to be liquidy or melted, just soft enough to spread.
This Christmas ice cream cake recipe can also be adapted to fit your flavor likings. Try mint chocolate chip ice cream! Or, if you’re more of a cookies ‘n cream lover, try my Oreo ice cream cake.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
This is a great Christmas dessert to make ahead of time! Make it a few days or even a few weeks before and store in the fridge covered. This peppermint Christmas ice cream cake will stay good in the freezer up to 3 months. I would simply freeze it with the Oreo crust and peppermint ice cream layers. Add the whipped cream layer the day you’ll be serving it and continue following the step-by-step instructions beginning with the whipped cream layer. Be sure to freeze the cake well covered if freezing for more than 1 week.
Store this cake always in the freezer — covered to prevent freezer burn.
FAQs
Some of the most common and popular Christmas desserts are peppermint desserts, gingerbread desserts, cheesecake and cinnamon rolls! Fruitcake is also known for being a holiday dessert, but I’m not sure how common or popular it is.
Leave it at room temperature until it is soft enough to spread. You may also microwave it for 30-second intervals until it is soft enough to spread. You don’t want the ice cream to be too soft that it is melted or liquidy. It’s a definite sweet spot!
The trick is to freeze every layer/element before adding the next one. This will keep each of the layers set.
If the Christmas ice cream cake has been in the freezer for a few hours, it may need to sit out at room temperature for a little bit in order to be easier to cut and serve. Up to 30 minutes may be needed.
More Christmas Desserts
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Christmas Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cup Oreo cookie crumbs - crushed into a fine crumb, about 32 regular Oreos
- 7 tablespoons butter - melted (salted or unsalted butter is fine)
- 1/2 gallon peppermint ice cream - softened
- 8 oz Cool Whip - softened
- hot fudge - for drizzling
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes - about 8 mini ones (can use more or less depending on how much you want on top)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix the Oreo crumbs and melted butter. Transfer this mixture to a 9×13” baking dish. Press into the bottom of the pan (not up the sides). Freeze for 10 minutes or until crust is firm. (We want the crust frozen and firm so that when we spread the softened ice cream overtop of the crust, it's not lifting it from the pan).
- Spoon the softened ice cream over the Oreo crust and spread it in an even layer. Freeze for 3-4 hours or until the ice cream is firm.
- Remove from the freezer and spoon the cool whip overtop of the ice cream. Spread in an even layer. Place in freezer for 1 hour or until the whip cream is chilled again.
- Drizzle hot fudge overtop and top with crushed candy canes. Slice and serve immediately.
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2 Comments on “Christmas Ice Cream Cake”
This was so great and easy. It was my first time making ice cream cake. How do you get the crust to get out of the pan? It was really stuck and that is the best part!!
Perhaps you pressed it into the pan too hard? Another thing you could try is lining the pan with aluminum foil and then pressing the crust in. That way the whole ice cream cake can be removed from the pan and cut, allowing for easier crust removal!