I'll walk you through making homemade Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Perfect for hot summer days! Enjoy vanilla ice cream with brown butter cookie dough pieces between soft chocolate chip cookies.
Love chocolate chip recipes? Try our coconut chocolate chip cookies, m&m's cookies and chocolate banana bread next.
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🛒Ingredients
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
- Unsalted butter - we are going to brown the butter in a saucepan and cool it completely before adding to the cookie dough batter.
- Baking soda - contributes to the chewiness of the cookie, creating a perfect texture when paired with rich, creamy ice cream. Unlike baking powder, which tends to result in a cakey texture, baking soda gives a denser, chewier cookie, ideal for this recipe.
- Salt - enhances the flavors of the brown butter cookie by balancing the caramelized sugars.
- Dark brown + white sugars - provide the best flavor, color, and texture balance for the cookies. Granulated sugar adds color and crispness, while brown sugar provides moisture and chewiness.
- Eggs - add chewiness and soft texture and help to bind the batter.
- Vanilla extract - provides a sweet and smooth flavor, always go for pure and not the artificial kind. Flavor is different!
- Choose mini chocolate chips over standard ones; their smaller size ensures a better bite without overwhelming the cookie. Plus, they're just too cute to resist!
Rita's Tip
The variety of ice cream that you can fill these cookies with is endless. Cookie dough and vanilla is always a favorite, but chocolate, mint chocolate chip, strawberry are all delicious options!
📋Tips
- Individually wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper to keep them together.
- Make and freeze one sandwich at a time to prevent melting. Assemble and freeze immediately rather than preparing the entire batch at once.
- Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours, up to 3 months. After 3 hours, the sandwiches are firm enough to handle, but for a sturdier texture, aim for 6 hours of freezing time.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before assembling sandwiches. For easier handling, chill cookies in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.
- Fun variation - roll the edges of your ice cream sandwiches in your preferred toppings - think sprinkles, nuts, shredded coconut, or mini chocolate chips.
- Sift the flour to ensure accurate measurement, especially considering humidity and packaging variations.
- Avoid overbaking the cookies to maintain a soft and chewy center; remove them from the oven while the centers still appear slightly soft.
Can I use homemade ice cream?
It’s just another step, but if you have the time and ingredients make my birthday cake ice cream with sprinkles!
Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. I prefer wrapping each individual cookie in plastic wrap before storing them in an airtight container or baggie in the freezer. It helps keep them fresh and prevents them from sticking together.
- 🥶Freezing. Up to 3 months.
📖Recipe
Ice Cream Sandwiches
I'll walk you through making homemade Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Perfect for hot summer days! Enjoy vanilla ice cream with brown butter cookie dough pieces between soft chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled to room temperature
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
- ½ cup cookie dough pieces from homemade cookie dough
Instructions
- Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften.1 quart vanilla ice cream
- In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter until it turns brown and develops a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and let it cool until it solidifies at room temperature. Once the butter solidifies, transfer it to a large bowl along with the sugars and salt. Whisk until well combined.1 cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup white granulated sugar, 1 ½ cups brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture, whisking until smooth.2 eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sift in the flour and baking soda, folding until just combined.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough.1 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
- Set aside a portion of the cookie dough for later use with the ice cream. Refrigerate the remaining dough, covered with plastic wrap or in a tightly sealed container, for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- While the cookie dough chills, spread the softened ice cream evenly in a baking dish lined with parchment paper to create a layer about 1 ½ -2 inches thick. Scatter small dough balls from the reserved cookie dough throughout the ice cream layer, mixing and folding if necessary to distribute evenly. Place the dish in the freezer for 1 hour.½ cup cookie dough pieces from homemade cookie dough
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to form dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.
- Immediately after removing from the oven, shape each warm cookie using a 3-inch cookie cutter placed around it, sliding the cutter to mold the cookie into shape. This ensures uniform cookies that match the size of the ice cream circles to be cut later.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely. Meanwhile, use the same cookie cutter to cut out circles of ice cream from the frozen layer. Sandwich each ice cream circle between two cookies.
- Repeat the process for all ice cream and cookies, then return the assembled ice cream sandwiches to the freezer for another 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 6-8 ice cream sandwiches.
- To Store. I prefer wrapping each individual cookie in plastic wrap before storing them in an airtight container or baggie in the freezer. It helps keep them fresh and prevents them from sticking together.
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Nutrition
Calories: 981kcalCarbohydrates: 127gProtein: 11gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 847mgPotassium: 515mgFiber: 4gSugar: 95gVitamin A: 1281IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 222mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
🥣How To Make Ice Cream Sandwiches Step By Step
- Prep. Remove the ice cream from the freezer to soften.
- Cookie dough. In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter until browned and nutty smelling. Once browned, remove from the heat and set aside until it has reached room temperature, becoming solid again. Once it is solid, add the butter to a large bowl along with the sugars and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Then add the eggs and extract, whisking again until smooth. Sift in the flour and baking soda. Folding together until just combined.
- Fold the chips. Then add the mini chocolate chips and fold into the cookie dough.
- Set aside a portion of the cookie dough to add to the ice cream, then refrigerate the rest, covering in plastic wrap or tightly sealed container, for 30 minutes at least before baking.
- Freeze the ice cream. While the cookie dough chills, take the softened ice cream and place into a baking dish coated with parchment paper. Create a 1 ½ -2 inch thick layer of ice cream, evenly flattened out into this dish. Then, make small balls of dough from the cookie dough you set aside and spread throughout the ice cream. Mix and fold into the ice cream if needed to spread evenly. Place this in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Bake the cookies. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a 1 inch cookie scoop to create balls of dough and place them on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Make sandwiches. As soon as they come out of the oven, shape each cookie with the 3 inch cookie cutter, by placing around each warm cookie and sliding the cookie to take the shape of the cutter. This will create even cookies that fit the perfect size of the ice cream that will but cut out later.
- Let the cookies cool completely. Then remove the ice cream from the freezer and use the same cookie cutter to cut out circles of ice cream. Place two cookies around each cream layer.
- Repeat for all the ice cream and cookies, then place in the freezer for another 30 minutes before serving!
❤️Did you make this recipe? Please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below. Thank you!❤️
Rita
I hope you enjoy making these homemade Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches—ideal for those scorching summer days!
Heather
My favorite ice cream cookie sandwiches!
Rita
this is amazing, thank you!