Oreo Ice Cream Dessert

Oreo ice cream dessert is always a hit.  I know I probably had you at Oreo, but throw in some ice cream and cool whip and you've got a super simple dessert that will be the hit of any party.  Caleb and I made it this weekend to take to a family gathering and we decided to take pictures to show you how it's done.

Here's what you'll need to start:  one package of oreos, a stick of butter, a half gallon of ice cream, one container of Magic Shell ice cream topping, and one tub of whipped topping.

Start by crushing the entire package of oreos in a food processor and melting a stick of butter in the microwave.  If you have a handsome little assistant, put him to work mixing butter and oreo crumbs.

Then spread the buttery crumb mixture evenly into a 9x13 cake pan, pressing down with the back of a spoon to form the "crust".

The next layer is ice cream.  If you planned ahead and set your ice cream out to soften, this step is much easier.  If you forgot that step, do as I did and open up the carton to expose your brick of icy creamy goodness.  Use a sharp knife to slice the ice cream into slices.  We used cookies n' cream ice cream, because you really can't have too many oreos in this dessert.  But feel free to substitute any other ice cream flavor that tickles your fancy.  I've had it with mint chocolate chip, regular chocolate chip, and plain old vanilla ice cream.  Chocolate or coffee flavored ice cream might also be considered as a substitute.

Arrange your slices of ice cream to cover the oreo crust layer.  Again, this is much easier if the ice cream is softened first, making it easily scoopable and spreadable.  But then again, cutting frozen ice cream slabs does burn a few more calories, so maybe it's a good thing I did it the hard way.

For the next layer, spread a layer of magic shell ice cream topping.  We used the whole container of topping. My kids happen to love the crunch of magic shell, but this layer can be substituted with hershey syrup, caramel ice cream topping,  fudge ice cream topping, or any topping of your choosing.

Then spread a tub of whipped topping over the whole thing.  You'll note I used the light version of cool whip, but at this point I don't really think that helped much.  It's just what I had on hand. 

We finished it off by adding some chocolate sprinkles and chocolate shavings.  Other ways to purdy it up include using rainbow sprinkles, oreo crumbs, or mini chocolate chips.  But if you're a boring party pooper, just leave it plain and skip this delightful step. 

This dessert can be made ahead and stored in the freezer.  Just make sure to set it out 10-15 minutes before trying to serve so it's easier to cut.  It's super simple and can be adjusted to suit your taste.  My mom has made this dessert using the golden oreos, strawberry ice cream, banana slices, and french vanilla cool whip.  If you're a mint lover, go with the mint oreos and mint chocolate chip ice cream.  Anything goes!  Excuse me while I head to the treadmill......