How to Make Lychee Oreo Ice Cream Dessert in Under 15 Minutes

As summer is in full swing, and litchis are flooding the market, it's a good occasion to pick the ripest and sweetest ones and make litchi ice cream! So we have this lychee Oreo ice cream dessert, which is a quick, no-bake treat that combines the fragrant and sweet flavor of fresh lychees with the vanilla-chocolate richness of Oreo and coconut cream. It’s a smooth, sweet, and slightly tangy dessert from the cream cheese, which comes together in 15 minutes – perfect for when you want something cold, creamy, a little familiar, and also a little different.

Lychee Oreo ice cream dessert

Ingredients

For the Oreo Crust:

• 1 cup Oreo cookies (about 10–12 cookies, crushed with filling)
• 3 tbsp melted butter

Lychee Base

• 20 fresh lychees (enough to yield 1 ½ cups flesh after peeling and pitting)
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk (scoop out the cream)
• ½ cup cream cheese, softened

Instructions

1. Add the Oreos (with filling) to a food processor and crush them until almost reduced to fine crumbs. Or seal them in a plastic bag and crush the cookies with a rolling pin.
2. Transfer the Oreo crumbs into a bowl and add the melted butter. Be quick and mix the butter with the Oreo crumbs until it has the feel of wet sand. Set aside.
3. Scoop up around 2 tablespoons of the mixture and add it to the bottoms of a few small dessert cups or jars. Press down firmly to make a compact disc.
4. Refrigerate until the litchi ice cream is ready.
5. Peel the lychees and remove the seeds, and keep the flesh in a big bowl. Roughly chop the flesh to have about 1 ½ cups of fruit.
6. To this bowl, add condensed milk and cream cheese.
7. Take the canned coconut milk and carefully scoop up all of the cream from the top and add it into the bowl. If the mixture feels too pasty, you can add a tablespoon or so of the milk.
8. Either transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to transform into a fine paste.
9. Give the Oreo crust a poke to see if it has set. Then, into the dessert cups, pour the lychee liquid on top.
10. Freeze the Lychee Oreo ice cream dessert in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Serve with whipped cream and extra Oreo crumbs.

Tips and Tricks

Now that the recipe is out of the way, here are some tips and tricks, and substitutes, if any, for this Litchi Oreo ice cream dessert:

• Use ripe lychees: Fresh lychees are naturally sweet and fragrant, but the flavor can vary a lot depending on ripeness. When choosing lychees, look for ones that are plump with a reddish-pink skin and are slightly soft to the touch – these are usually at peak ripeness. Avoid any that feel hard or have a dry, brittle shell, as they’ll be under-ripe and lacking in sweetness. Overripe lychees can become too soft and watery, which can throw off the consistency of the dessert.
• Chill your coconut milk overnight: Refrigerating the can of coconut milk overnight helps separate the cream from the liquid naturally. This makes it easier to scoop out just the thick, creamy part from the top, which gives the dessert a richer and smoother feel. If you skip this step, the coconut cream and liquid will be mixed, and the base might turn out thinner or less creamy than needed.
• Crust can be made ahead: If you're trying to save time on the day of serving, go ahead and prep the Oreo crust in advance. You can crush the cookies, mix in the butter, and press them into the cups or containers the night before. Just cover them with plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge. When you're ready to assemble the dessert, all you’ll need to do is pour the filling on top and freeze.
• To make it softer like ice cream: Right out of the freezer, this dessert will be firm, more like a semifreddo or frozen cheesecake. If you prefer a softer, more scoopable texture like traditional ice cream, let the dessert sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. You can also store it in the fridge instead of the freezer if you want more of a creamy mousse consistency that doesn’t need defrosting time.