Growing up, I used to have a thing for Dairy Queen Blizzards. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzards, in particular, were my go-to indulgence during the summer when I needed something cold and creamy, especially after hours of running around at softball practice. It also helped that my sister used to work there and she would give me extra scoops of cookie dough when I came in. ;)
Love that.
Yesterday, I found myself with an insatiable craving for a cookie dough blizzard. It must have been the tropical weather we were experiencing (11 Celsius and sunny- I’ll take it!) and the fact that I had just come back from a 6 mile run. The only thing on my mind was COLD!
Let’s first take a look at the ingredients in the Dairy Queen Cookie Dough Blizzard.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Unenriched Wheat Flour, Sugar, Margarine (Palm Oil, Water, Soybean Oil, Mono- and Diglycerides, Artificial Flavor[Milk], Colored with Annatto, Calcium Disodium EDTA added as a preservative, Vitamin A Palmitate added), Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin [Emulsifier], Vanilla), Powdered Sugar (Sugar, Corn Starch), Butter (Cream, Salt), Pasteurized Eggs, Brown Sugar, Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt.
Dairy Queen Vanilla Soft Serve: Milkfat and nonfat milk, sugar, corn syrup, whey, mono and diglycerides, artificial flavor, guar gum, polysorbate 80, carrageenan, and vitamin A palmitate.
Fudge: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sweetened Condensed Skim Milk (Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup), Partially Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Water, Fructose, Cocoa processed with Alkali, Cocoa, Sodium Alginate (Algin, Dextrin, Sodium Phosphate), Salt, Mono & Diglycerides (Vegetable), Potassium Sorbate (a preservative), Soy Lecithin, Disodium Phosphate, Artificial & Natural Flavors..
Admittedly, I wasn’t really craving one after reading that crazy list, but I figured that I could make a homemade version using natural ingredients from my kitchen.
This recipe was inspired by the banana soft serve with cookie dough pieces that I made a lot last summer.
The first thing I did was make a batch of cookie dough. This is my third cookie dough recipe, adapted from Chocolate Dipped Cookie Dough Balls and my Raw Cookie Dough Balls.
Cookie Dough Balls III
Yield: 1 cup packed cookie dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted cashews
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup oat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1.5 tbsp natural cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup (or a bit more if dough is too dry)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions: In a food processor, add the cashews and oats and process until it forms a fine crumble. Now add in the salt, sugar, and flour and process for a few seconds more. Add in the maple syrup and vanilla and process until combined. It will be sticky, but this is normal! Add in your chocolate chips and stir by hand or process. Form into balls. Store in freezer.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ‘Blizzard’
Yield: 2 servings
- 3 peeled and frozen bananas, cut into 1 inch chunks for easier processing
- Splash of non-dairy milk (if needed)
- 2 tbsp cookie dough (from above)
Directions: In a large food processor, add in your 3 frozen bananas. I like to cut my bananas into 1 inch chunks before freezing. Process bananas, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Finally, add in your cookie dough and process until combined. You should have a soft serve type consistency when done. To make the blizzard simply stir in your desired amount of mini cookie dough balls, pour into a glass, and serve with a spoon. Makes 2 servings.
This was pretty awesome, not going to lie. :) We will be making this a lot this summer, I can tell.
In case you missed it yesterday, the 3 winner’s of the giveaway are now posted! Thank you everyone for your generous donations.
Happy Friday! 
I was a huge fan of blizzards growing up. My sister and I used to ride our bikes to DQ every Saturday afternoon. She would have the Reese’s pieces blizzard and I would have strawberry oreo. I loved that strawberry oreo combination.
This looks so great! I can’t wait for summer. All the snow is melting in Airdrie and the birds are out… eeee!
I just made these cookie dough balls and they taste JUST like the real thing! And I was skeptical… I’d say they’re better than the real thing. YUM! :D thank you
This looks absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! that looks better than a blizzard lol
OMG those look amazing, conveniently I have almond butter cookie dough balls im thinking they might be really good in some soft serve!
Oh my. I just made the cookie dough balls for my kids which they love and feel like it is soo cool that their mom lets them eat cookie dough. Little did I know that I am going to get to have the above blizzard as well. Thank you, thank you.
The blizzard looks amazing! You’ve got me craving cookie dough. Unfortunately I have an allergy to cashews, so this recipe is a no-go. Do you have a suggestion for an alternative that I could use for the cookie dough recipe? Do you think another nut would work as well? Thanks!
I think a commenter above mentioned using almonds :)
Ohhhh maiii gawwwd…you are killing me!! It has been a balmy 64 degrees F and sunny. I have been craving frozen deliciousness and this will hit the spot. Thank you girl!!
I was craving a blizzard on Wednesday. I must say that this looks 150% better than DQ. Cannot wait to give it a whirl! No pun intended.. >_>
What a crazy list of ingredients! I don’t know who in their right mind would actually want to eat a ‘real’ blizzard if they knew what was in it!
There is always a better way to remake a “return to childhood” favorite treat! ;)
I could never have DQ because of my allergies, but I loved McFlurries! This looks like the perfect replacement for them this summer! :D
Love this!
I always used to get Dairy Queen blizzards after my rugby games/pratices
in high school. My go-to flavor was always mint oreo.
Yep, this looks freaking amazing! I can’t wait to play around with some other flavors!
oh boy, how scary are the ingredients in the dq blizzard. wow
Wow. I think the cookie dough pieces look the best, yum.
I loved blizzards growing up too, but eeeks! to that ingredient list. Your alternative is much better…bookmarking this for a summer treat for sure. Thank you, thank you! :)
So gobsmacked. So swooning with desire. So going to make cookie dough RIGHT NOW.
Sounds so yummy! This is an amazing idea.
I am definately making this. Katie from Chocolate Covered Katie has been making similar milkshakes too. So I am definately craving some blended goodness
I am considering making this right now for dessert. I just have to convince myself that it will be worth having to wash the food processor. Oh lazy days!
This is the best blog recipe I’ve seen all week! Amazing :)
I’m getting on a plane headed to your kitchen right now so get the ingredients out for my “blizzard”!
I cannot stop eating the cookie dough balls!!!!!!!!!!!! Aaahhhhhh!!!!! The blizzard part will have to wait until tomorrow because I am stuffed :)) Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe! Have a great weekend!
I have been craving Blizzards for weeks now, but I’ve stayed away because I always feel like junk after eating one. This will be my solution!
Do you know if the banana soft serve freezes well?
Im not sure about freezing it, but I think I read that Caitlin from HTP freezes it and reprocesses it sometimes. Goodluck!
Angela, you are so smart. But we all ready knew that ;) Love what you have done to the Blizzard. This is the only way I would like to enjoy that treat. So pretty too! The raw dough balls rock. xo
I actually made some chocolate chip cookies last night, I wish I had seen this beforehand because I would derailed from that in a heart beat! This blizzard looks downright fantastic!
Brilliance to the tenth degree! Oh, man, that looks amazing. I am also an “I-used-to-love-DQ-Blizzards” gal. And you just KNOW I am going to play with this so I have a version I’m allowed to eat–how could anyone look at these photos and NOT want to eat this??
when i made the switch to vegan, ice cream was one of the very few things i missed. namely oreo mint blizzards that said, this has inspired me to make my own version. thanks Angela. awesome work again!
im dying to make an oreo blizzard!
I was so excited to see this recipe, that I made it as soon as I got up this morning (5:30am) and let me tell you I am in heaven! This tastes just like cookie dough! I even saved some so I can lick the bowl like I was a kid! I am debating if I want to make bigger versions of this and then dip in chocolate so I can eat it as my mid afternoon snack! Thank you so much for sharing, your an inspiration!
glad you like it!!
This looks amazing! A great alternative to a scary dq blizzard treat.
This recipe looks dangerous!! I will be making this the next warm day we have.
I can’t believe you mentioned Dairy Queen. I want to go there right now and get a Girl Scout blizzard, I love that place and there is one nearby!
Your healthified version of a cookie dough blizzards makes me so hungry, yum!
Super Yum!
Looks deeelicious!
Mmmmm!! I worked at DQ for about 8 years, and I still LOVE blizzards!
Oh my gosh, a healthy dq blizzard – win!
cookie dough blizzards were my childhood! I probably had 1 every two weeks for about 10 years. Can’t wait to try the healthier version!!
This is genius! My husband loves chunky things in his ice cream and is going to totally dig this!
Oh boy, I think I might need to adapt this with homemade oreos for my husband this summer. I always feel so guilty after eating the real ones, so this is a great option!
I had a friend who worked at Dairy Queen and she used to give me extra cookie dough too! I can’t wait to try this recipe, it sounds so delicious!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it.
No way! Angela, you are my LIFE SAVER!!!! Thank you SO much for this!
xoxo
Kathleen
That sounds insanely good!
what kind of gluten free flour do you think would work well for the cookie dough??
This is amazing!!!!! I miss eating blizzards and am glad to have a lactose-free replacement :).
WOW. so incredibly delicious. i made this monday, and then again yesterday. i would have made it again today but i am out of bananas and cashews! i think i may have to actually stop buying these items, or i will be making this recipe daily. you are genius!!!!
I wanted to let you know I mentioned these in my blog (linked to your site). Let me know if you want me to take it down!! Thanks!
Woah! These were beyond good. I don’t have an awesome food processor, so my mixture wasn’t as fine, but they still came out super tasty! And I am without vegan ice cream (no bananas!) so I will just enjoy these with a glass of coconut milk :)
Thanks for the amazing and easy recipe!
Delicious! I only made the dough balls so far and it was *HARD* to stop at just one last night but I wanted to save them for the blizzard tonight. I made a couple of substitutions – used sucanat instead of natural cane sugar and two medjool dates soaked in warm water plus some of the soaking liquid for the maple syrup. I can see these being my go-to treat for months to come! Thanks for sharing! :-)
Hi Angela, just stumbled upon your blog- it’s awesome!
Do you or anyone know of a gluten free flour that would work for the cookie dough?
Thank you for posting these incredible recipes! :)
I’m not sure…probably bob’s all purpose GF flour?
OMG! I made the blizzard this morning after my run and it was TO DIE FOR. Yummmmm
Thank you for posting this.. your blog has now become my obsession and every single recipe I have tried out has been delicious.
You’re the best Angela!
Made this twice now: once with banana soft serve and once with vanilla flavored Coconut Bliss. I think I may prefer it more with the coconut bliss just because the banana flavor was a bit distracting… I think the banana soft serve would be perfect if the cookie dough were peanut butter flavored!