Homemade ice cream sandwiches

Treat yourself to a tasty and refreshing treat this summer by learning how to make your very own homemade ice cream sandwiches from scratch. Made with vanilla ice cream and soft chocolate cookies, this ice cream sandwich recipe is absolutely delicious.

What is an Ice Cream Sandwich?

An ice cream sandwich is a frozen dessert that consists of creamy ice cream sandwiched between two cookies. It's a fantastic combination of cold and creamy ice cream and the chewiness of cookies. The contrast of temperature and texture makes every bite a sensational experience. Ice cream sandwiches come in various flavors and forms, but today, we'll be focusing on the classic vanilla ice cream nestled between soft and chocolatey cookies.

Why This Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe is the Best

• Made with Homemade Ice Cream - Our ice cream sandwich recipe features this creamy Vanilla Bean ice cream, but you can take a shortcut and use this Condensed milk ice cream recipe instead.
• So Versatile! If you don't like the vanilla flavor, I've got you covered. Replace the vanilla ice cream with Chocolate ice cream, Matcha green tea ice cream, or any other store-bought ice cream that you like.
• No Ice Cream Maker Needed - These homemade ice cream sandwiches are made with vanilla ice cream that doesn't need to be churned to be creamy. However, if you own an ice cream machine, go ahead and churn the ice cream mixture before freezing it for an exceptionally creamy texture.

Ingredients You Will Need

For the Chocolate Cookies

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Cocoa powder – Make sure to use Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Salt
• White granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• One large egg – Whisk it before mixing it with the honey mixture.
• Honey – Wildflower honey or clover honey works great in this ice cream sandwich recipe, but you can use whatever honey you like.

For Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

• Egg yolks – Don't know where to use egg whites leftover? Try my Mini Pavlova or my favorite Meringue cookies.
• White granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract – You can also use Vanilla bean or Vanilla paste instead.
• Whole milk
• Heavy whipping cream

Cooking Tips for Perfect Ice Cream Sandwiches

• Don't overbake the cookies. These chocolate cookies are meant to be soft and chewy. Overbaking will dry them out and they will become very hard. The baking time will vary in your oven, but in general, it should take 8-10 minutes until soft cookie layers are done.
• Make the ice cream ahead of time. The ice cream needs some time to freeze until it is firm enough to handle. To save time, you can make the ice cream block in the evening and let it sit in the freezer overnight. The next day, you can bake the cookies and assemble your frozen dessert.
• Don't freeze the ice cream excessively before spreading it on top of the cookies. We want the ice cream to stick to the cookie slabs, so don't freeze the ice cream too much before assembling. If you left the ice cream in the freezer overnight and it became solid, let it soften a bit at room temperature before assembling your easy ice cream sandwiches.

Easy-to-Follow Instructions

Preparing the Ice Cream Filling

1. Combine the egg yolks, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract.
2. Add the milk and heat over medium to medium-low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens and leaves a thick film on the back of the spoon.
3. Remove from the heat and pour it into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool down to room temperature.
4. Whip up the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and pour in the egg yolk custard. Whisk until the mixture is homogeneous in consistency.
5. Pour the mixture into a 9" by 9" brownie pan lined with parchment paper. Cover it with plastic wrap so it touches the surface of the ice cream and place it in the freezer until firm enough to assemble the vanilla ice cream sandwiches.

Making the Cookie Dough

1. Combine the flour and cocoa powder and set aside.
2. Heat the honey, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until well combined and the first small bubbles are visible on the surface.
3. Add the baking soda and whisk well. Cook for 1 minute, whisking continuously.
4. Remove from the heat and let it cool down for 5 minutes. Then, slowly pour the mixture into the bowl with the egg while whisking vigorously.
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough forms.
6. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.

Baking the Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 170C (340F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roll out the dough on a floured surface so you can cut out two 9" by 9" (23cm by 23cm) squares. Cut out the squares using a small sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
3. Place them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving at least 1” of space between them, and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until puffed up and the dough is no longer shiny.
4. Remove from the oven and let them cool down completely, and assemble your homemade ice cream sandwiches.

Assembling the Sandwiches

1. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and peel off the plastic wrap. Place a cookie layer on top.
2. Prepare a board that can fit in your freezer, lined with plastic wrap big enough to cover the 9" by 9" slab of ice cream sandwiches.
3. Flip the pan onto the board with the plastic wrap and lift it to release the ice cream. Peel off the parchment paper and place the second cookie layer on top of the ice cream block. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and transfer it to the freezer until it is solid enough to cut into portions.

Flavor Variations and Decoration Options

• Mint Chocolate Chip: Swap out the vanilla ice cream for mint chocolate chip ice cream.
• Salted Caramel: Drizzle some Salted caramel on top of the ice cream block before placing the second cookie layer on top.
• Crushed Nuts: Roll the sides of your ice cream sandwiches in crushed nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, or walnuts.
• Mini Chocolate Chips: Press mini chocolate chips onto the exposed ice cream sides of your sandwiches. Not only will they add a delightful crunch, but they will also enhance the chocolate flavor.
• Chocolate Ganache: Drizzle it over the top of your ice cream sandwiches or dip sandwiches to cover them entirely with chocolate.

Best Way to Serve Ice Cream Sandwiches

To serve these homemade ice cream sandwiches, remove them from the freezer, cut them into individual portions, and enjoy them immediately or let them soften a bit first. The cookies will be soft and chewy, and the ice cream will be perfectly creamy. They make a delightful summer treat for kids and adults alike.

FAQ

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Recipe card

Homemade ice cream sandwiches

Treat yourself to a tasty and refreshing treat this summer by learning how to make your very own homemade ice cream sandwiches from scratch. Made with vanilla ice cream and soft chocolate cookies, this ice cream sandwich recipe is absolutely delicious.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Chilling and freezing: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 5 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 536kcal

Author: Anna

Equipment

• Digital kitchen scale
• 9" by 9" (23cm by 23cm) pan
• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Hand mixer
• Rolling Pin

Ingredients

For the ice cream

• 4 egg yolks
• 150 g white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 ml whole milk
• 500 ml heavy cream

For the cookies

• 125 g honey
• 125 g unsalted butter
• 70 g white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg whisked in a large bowl
• 300 g all-purpose flour
• 20 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder

MetricUS Customary

Instructions

For the ice cream

• In a saucepan, add the egg yolks, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until a homogeneous paste-like mixture has formed.
• Add the milk, and heat over medium to medium-low heat stirring continuously until the mixture thickens and leaves a thick film on the back of the spoon. Do not let the mixture boil by controlling the heat.
• Remove from the heat and pour it into a bowl. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, ensuring that it touches the surface, and let it cool down to room temperature. Speed up the process by placing the mixture in the fridge or freezer.
• Whip up the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and pour in the egg yolk custard. Whisk until homogeneous in consistency.
• Pour mixture into a 9” by 9” (23cm by 23cm) brownie pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom and the sides of the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap so it touches the surface of the ice cream and place it in the freezer until firm enough to assemble the vanilla ice cream sandwiches.

For the cookies

• In a bowl, combine the flour and cocoa powder and set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine the honey, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium heat until well combined and the first small bubbles are visible on the surface.
• Lower the heat to low and add the baking soda and whisk well. Remove from the heat if the mixture bubbles too much. After a few seconds, the reaction will subside. Cook for 1-minute whisking continuously.
• Remove from the heat and leave to cool down for 2-5 minutes. Then, slowly pour the mixture into the bowl with the egg while whisking vigorously.
• Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until the dough has formed. It should be sticky, like a very thick paste. If the dough is runny, add 1-2 tablespoon of flour and mix again.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 170C (340F) and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface so you can cut out two 9” by 9” (23cm by 23cm) squares. Cut out the squares using a small sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
• Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper so there’s at least 1” apart. You can also bake one layer at a time if there’s not enough space on your baking sheet.
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until puffed up and the dough is no longer shiny.
• Remove from the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to cool down completely.

Assembling

• Remove the ice cream from the freezer and peel off the plastic wrap. Place the cookie layer on top.
• Prepare a board that can fit in your freezer, lined with plastic wrap big enough to cover the 9” by 9” slab of ice cream sandwiches.
• Flip the pan onto the board with plastic wrap and lift it to release the ice cream. Peel the parchment paper and place the second cookie layer on top of the ice cream block. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer until solid enough to cut into portions.
• Remove from the freezer and cut into 10 pieces.

Video

Notes

Freezer for up to 2 weeks.

 

Store the cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 days.

 

Store the baked cookie layers wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Homemade ice cream sandwiches

Serving Size

 

1 serving

Amount per Serving

Calories

536

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

32

g

49

%

Saturated Fat

 

19

g

119

%

Trans Fat

 

0.4

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

8

g

Cholesterol

 

179

mg

60

%

Sodium

 

716

mg

31

%

Potassium

 

151

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

59

g

20

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

35

g

39

%

Protein

 

7

g

14

%

Vitamin A

 

1196

IU

24

%

Vitamin C

 

0.4

mg

0

%

Calcium

 

69

mg

7

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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