Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
This homemade ice cream sandwich recipe is easy to make, endlessly customizable, and makes the best summer dessert. Made with a simple cake-like chocolate cookie and filled with whatever ice cream flavor your heart desires, they're super nostalgic and so much fun!
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 581kcal
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 gallon vanilla ice cream or any flavor of your choice (mint chocolate chip is especially good)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, then line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, salt and milk, then mix on low speed until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda, then add it to the mixuture and beat on low speed until combined. Don't overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the parchment lined pan, then use an offset spatula to spread the batter all over to every edge, making it as even and as smooth as you can because this batter doesn't spread.
- Bake the giant sheet cookie for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cookie to cool. Optionally, use a fork to prick the top in neat rows, just like the top of an old school ice cream sandwich.
- Cut the cookie slab crosswise into 2 even halves - make sure they're as close to the same size as possible! Then trim the edges if desired to make more uniform sandwiches.
- Wrap each half (with the parchment still attached) tightly with plastic wrap, then freeze until solid - preferably on a sheet pan, if your freezer has the room. Having a cold work surface will help with assembly.
- Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften about 15 minutes before you're ready to assemble.
- Unwrap the cookie halves, then carefully peel the parchment from the backs. Place one half, bottom up, on the frozen sheet pan or other cold surface. Spread with ice cream, making the layer as even as you can. Place the second half over the ice cream, top-side-up. Press down gently to push the ice cream evenly between the cookie halves. Wrap with plastic wrap, then freeze until firm.
- Use a very sharp knife to trim the edges, if desired, then cut the slab into 10 individual sandwiches. First, cut down the middle lengthwise, then then cut each half into 5 even bars.
- Serve immediately, or wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in a zip-top bag, in the freezer, for up to a month.
Notes
- Be sure to the batter smoothly and evenly onto the sheet of parchment paper, as it doesn’t spread while baking.
- Let your ice cream soften before spreading. A cold scoop of ice cream is hard to spread and can tear the cookie.
- For best results, keep the cookie slabs cold before assembly to keep the ice cream from melting.
- Work quickly as you spread the ice cream. If things get melty, pause and freeze again before continuing.
- Use multiple ice cream flavors to create a variety of individual sandwiches in one batch!
Nutrition
Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 187mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 97g | Vitamin A: 1830IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 519mg | Iron: 2mg
