Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for Ice Cream

While I don’t typically eat cookie dough straight from my mixing bowl, I do have a soft spot for chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. The chewy chunks of cookie dough are always a welcome addition to a good vanilla ice cream in my book, adding not only texture, but flavors of vanilla, brown sugar and chocolate. You can make your own cookie dough ice cream at home as long as the dough you are using doesn’t include any raw eggs (which, for the sake of food safety, it is a good idea to leave out even though you can probably indulge in a bit of cookie dough now and again without any problems). This batch of ice cream-friendly chocolate chip cookie dough happens to be gluten free, though, made for a friend of mine who needs to keep gluten out of her ice cream but who loves cookie dough.

Like most cookie doughs, this one starts with butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. I added gluten free flour to the buttery base, opting for an all purpose flour mixture made by King Arthur that uses potato starch and rice flour as its two main ingredients. You can use any all purpose gluten free flour blend that does not use bean flours, like chickpea flour. The reason for this is that raw bean flours can have a bitterness to them (one that dissipates when the flour is cooked) that you don’t want to find in your ice cream. After the cookie dough is made, it should be shaped into balls and chilled until you’re ready to use it. The dough should be soft, but firm enough to easily roll into balls between the palms of your hands. Different gluten free flour blends may absorb moisture from the other ingredients at different rates, so don’t hesitate to blend in an additional tablespoon of flour if necessary.

Once you’ve got a pile of chocolate chip cookie dough balls, you can stir them into your favorite ice cream (storebought or homemade) or simply eat them as a little treat on their own!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for Ice Cream
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light or golden brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey
2/3 cup all purpose gluten free flour
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, at least 1-2 minutes. Blend in salt, vanilla extract and honey, followed by the flour. When all of the flour has been combined, stir in mini chocolate chips.
Using a teaspoon, portion dough into small, almond-sized balls. Roll the dough gently between the palms of your hands to smooth the balls. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before using.
When ready to use, fold into vanilla ice cream.

Makes about 1 1/2-2 cups chocolate chip cookie dough balls (enough for  6-8 servings)