Packed with flavor, these classic chocolate ice cream sandwich cookies are a flash back to your childhood! Made with creamy vanilla ice cream, sandwiched between two chocolate fudge cookies. A perfect summer dessert idea!
If you’ve followed me for awhile, you may have discovered that I love making ice cream. I am always churning up a tub of homemade ice cream, experimenting with new flavors and trying to create ice cream recipes packed full of taste without being loaded down by high amounts of sugar or unhealthy ingredients.
I’ve always been fond of traditional things. Traditional meals. Traditional attire. And of course the traditional or shall I say, the classic ice cream sandwich.
There is just something comforting about a dollop of rich, creamy vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two chewy yet crunchy chocolate cookies. And you can’t forget that those cookies must have tiny holes on top. Why? I doubt they serve much purpose. I guess it is just because they are traditional.
When I set out to make a homemade ice cream sandwich with vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies, the only recipes I could find started with a boxed cake mix. Considering our household avoids processed food, a cake mix just wasn’t going to fly. I needed to create the cookies from scratch
Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies Recipe
To begin the process, I used a simple chocolate cake recipe, reducing the amount of butter and liquid in order to give the cookies a firm, chewy consistency. Plenty of cocoa was added to provide a deep chocolate flavor to the sandwich cookies.
I placed the batter between two sheets of parchment and rolled it into a 13” x 9” rectangle. The batter was then scored into 8 pieces and baked for about 10 minutes. Upon removal from the oven, I used a pizza cutter to divide the 8 pieces and then pricked the tops with a fork to give them the classic ice cream sandwich look.
The vanilla ice cream recipe is a Philadelphia style, which means it is practically all cream without any eggs. No eggs means the recipe is easier and quicker to make without the need to temper eggs or create a custard.
This chocolate ice cream sandwich cookie recipe is a perfect summer dessert. Or if you’re like my husband, a favorite treat year around.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Amazing Summer Treat – This is a terrific ice cream cookie sandwich recipe to make-ahead and serve to kiddos on a hot summer day.
Soft and Delicious – These sandwich cookies are chewy, creamy and do not freeze rock hard, so no fear of chipping a tooth.
Fun to Make – Reminiscent of the classic ice cream sandwich, this dessert calls for a little extra love and time in the kitchen but are so worth the effort!
What are the Best Cookies for Ice Cream Sandwiches?
The best cookies for ice cream sandwiches are soft, chewy and sturdy enough to hold plenty of ice cream. The chocolate cookies in my recipe are soft with a fudgy texture. They freeze well, giving the ice cream a sturdy base to sit on and will not freeze to firm so that you get a good texture in every bite.
What Kind of Ice Cream is Used in Ice Cream Sandwiches?
Traditionally ice cream sandwiches are made with vanilla ice cream. But that isn’t too say, you couldn’t use another flavor. If you love another type — strawberry, chocolate, coffee — go for it. My recipe for vanilla ice cream from scratch is quick to make and uses lots of rich heavy whipping cream, making is extra decadent.
Tips
- If your 13” x 9” rectangle isn’t perfect, don’t worry. Use a pizza cutter to trim the edges of the rectangle to create a nice straight edge.
- About two medium scoops of ice cream should fill the sandwich cookie.
- Make one sandwich at a time and then freeze immediately so that the vanilla ice cream sandwich recipe doesn’t melt while you are assembling the others.
- Tightly wrap each chocolate ice cream sandwich cookie with plastic wrap to help hold them together as well as prevent any freezer burn.
Tools You May Need
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Stock pot
Baking sheet
Ice cream scoop
Mixing bowl or stand mixer
Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe
Makes: 8 ice cream bars
Ingredients to Make Vanilla Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients To Make Ice Cream Sandwich
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1/3 cup hot water plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
In a saucepan add 1 cup of cream, sugar and salt. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove from heat. Pour liquid mixture into a heatproof container. Add remaining cream, whole milk and vanilla extract. Chill in the fridge for a few hours.
Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve after you have churned it, place it in your freezer to firm up a bit before scooping it on the chocolate sandwich cookies.
Now it is time to make the chocolate cookies. Being by preheating the oven to 350° F. In a bowl whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth.
In a separate mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix for 30 seconds to blend. Add cocoa mixture and butter. Mix on low until dry ingredients are moistened. Add egg and vanilla. Mix on medium-low for one minute to develop the sandwich cookie structure.
Grab two large pieces of parchment paper. Drop half of the batter onto a the first piece of parchment paper. Spray one side of the second piece of parchment paper. Place greased side down on top of batter. Using a rolling pin, roll batter into a thin 13” x 9” rectangle. Gently remove greased parchment and set aside. Place the dough onto a cookie sheet. Using a pizza cutter, score the dough into 8 pieces. Repeat with remaining sandwich cookie batter.
Bake for 9-10 minutes, until puffed. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, immediately cut along the score lines. Prick holes into the top of each piece with a fork. Pull the sheet of parchment paper off of the cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Place ice cream between two chocolate sandwich cookies. Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze for several hours or until firm.
How Far in Advance Can You Make Ice Cream Sandwiches?
These easy chocolate ice cream sandwich cookies can be made up to 3 months in advance. I like to wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and then store them in a gallon size freezer bag to help prevent freezer burn.
More Frozen Dessert Recipes
White Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream
Cinnamon Date Sweetened Ice Cream
Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie
Packed with flavor, these classic chocolate ice cream sandwich cookies are a flash back to your childhood! Made with creamy vanilla ice cream, sandwiched between two chocolate fudge cookies. A perfect summer dessert idea!
Ingredients
- Ingredients to Make Vanilla Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ingredients To Make Ice Cream Sandwich
- 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1/3 cup hot water plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Directions on How to Make Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
- In a saucepan add 1 cup of cream, sugar and salt. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from heat. Pour liquid mixture into a heatproof container. Add remaining cream, whole milk and vanilla extract. Chill in the fridge for a few hours.
- Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve after you have churned it, place it in your freezer to firm up a bit before scooping it on the chocolate sandwich cookies.
Directions on How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Now it is time to make the chocolate cookies. Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F. In a bowl whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth.
- In a separate mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix for 30 seconds to blend. Add cocoa mixture and butter. Mix on low until dry ingredients are moistened. Add egg and vanilla. Mix on medium-low for one minute to develop the sandwich cookie structure.
- Grab two large pieces of parchment paper. Drop half of the batter onto a the first piece of parchment paper. Spray one side of the second piece of parchment paper. Place greased side down on top of batter. Using a rolling pin, roll batter into a thin 13” x 9” rectangle. Gently remove greased parchment and set aside. Place the dough onto a cookie sheet. Using a pizza cutter, score the dough into 8 pieces. Repeat with remaining sandwich cookie batter.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, until puffed. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, immediately cut along the score lines. Prick holes into the top of each piece with a fork. Pull the sheet of parchment paper off of the cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.
- Place ice cream between two chocolate sandwich cookies. Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze for several hours or until firm.
