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Making homemade ice cream sandwiches is….well, it’s stupidly easy. You can make them with homemade cookies or use store-bought. If you’re feeling super ambitious, you can also make your own ice cream (try this no-ice-cream maker ice cream!), but most of the time, I stick with homemade cookies and store-bought ice cream. Homemade ice cream sandwiches are indulgent and delicious, and the combinations are endless. It’s the most fun summer dessert of all time.

Of course, you can buy ice cream sandwiches at the grocery store, and perhaps you’re lucky enough to live in an area where the jingle-jangle of the ice cream truck is a neighborhood possibility. But making ice cream sandwiches at home is so easy, so much fun, and allows you to customize your ICS (ice cream sandwich, of course) any which way. And I speak from experience when I say that pulling out a tray of ice cream sandwiches at the end of a cookout will cement your legacy as the host of the summer.

If you have allergies or aversions in your world, make sure to alert people to allergens. You can seek out lactose-free ice cream, gluten-free cookies, and nut-free toppings and make sure everyone can dig in.

Table of Contents

Assorted ice cream sandwiches on a red plate.

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe:  Possibly the most fun and crowd-pleasing dessert ever, and ridiculously easy to make.

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The Best Cookies for Ice Cream Sandwiches

You can absolutely use store-bought cookies, but you might think about making your own. Pretty much any kind of sturdy cookie can be turned into an ice cream sandwich. Try chocolate chunk, sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin, Mexican Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies, peanut butter cookies, or gingersnaps (a favorite in my house). And you can, of course, make the cookies several days ahead of time, so that’s an easy do-ahead step. Make sure the cookies have some crispness, as the ice cream will soften them a bit, and you don’t want the sandwiches to fall apart.

The Best Ice Cream for Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ditto on the wide range of possibilities. Yes, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate mint chip. But also: salted caramel, cake batter, peanut butter fudge swirl, chocolate banana split, rocky road, peach, cherry pistachio — have you walked down the ice cream freezer aisle latterly? It seems to get longer every year, and the flavor combos are so exciting!

Thinking about making your own ice cream? Good for you! Those are some serious bragging rights. And if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can also consider making no-churn ice cream, which just requires a food processor and a freezer.

Ice Cream Sandwich Add-Ins

You can also think about mixing some add-ins into purchased vanilla or chocolate ice cream. To do that, just soften some pints of ice cream slightly, then turn it into a bowl and add in some chopped sweet things. You might consider chopped peanut butter cups, candy bars, fresh cherries, berries, or other fruit, toffee, nuts, or pretzels.

You could also swirl in some hot fudge or caramel sauce. Then pack it into a container and let it firm up again in the freezer. Let them sit out for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to soften up slightly (unless it’s super hot out!).

Woman holding ice cream sandwich with crushed candy canes on the outside.

Ice Cream Sandwich Combinations

Now the fun part — mix and match the ice cream flavors to different types of cookies. The only rule is to combine what you think goes well together! Here are some combinations to consider:

How to Make Ice Cream Sandwiches

I like to use cookies about 3 inches in diameter, and 1 pint of ice cream will fill 4 sandwiches (thus, 8 cookies) perfectly.

  1. Soften the ice cream: Allow the ice cream to soften slightly at room temperature, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how warm the room is.
  2. Scoop the ice cream: Place a generous scoop of slightly softened ice cream between two cookies, flat side facing inwards.
  3. Build the ice cream sandwich: Gently press them together until the ice cream pushes out to reach the edges of the cookies.
  4. Pretty it up: Use a knife to smooth the sides of the ice cream filling.
Two ice cream sandwiches on a plate.

FAQs

What is the sandwich part of an ice cream sandwich?

For the most part, it’s cookies! Or something firm and biscuit-like.

What can you put on the outside of ice cream sandwiches?

If you want to go one step further and make the ice cream sandwiches extra festive, you can roll them in things like crushed candy, mini chocolate chips (any flavor), sprinkles, or any crushable other little sweet item you fancy. Or, if you want to go for the salty-sweet vibe, think about crushed nuts, pretzels, or potato chips.

This is also a nice project for the kids to help out with. Just put the crushed item on a plate, and roll the ice cream sandwiches sideways until the ice cream is coated. Place the ice cream sandwiches on a plate back in the freezer until they firm up. 

Two chocolate cookie ice cream sandwiches on a plate.

How to Cut Ice Cream for Ice Cream Sandwiches

If you are starting with a pint of ice cream, here’s a little shortcut for getting perfect round disks of ice cream to put in the middle of your ice cream sandwiches.

  1. Place the pint of ice cream on its side on a cutting board.
  2. Use a sharp knife to slice the ice cream into thick slices.
  3. Place the slice of ice cream on the flat bottom of a cookie.
  4. Peel the packaging from the outside of the ice cream circle.
  5. Top with another cookie, flat bottom side down.
Three sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches on a plate.

Make Ahead and Storage

You can make these up to a few days ahead of time; let them freeze on a plate and transfer them to an airtight container until ready to serve.

More Ice Cream Recipes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

Chocolate Peanut Cornflake Crunch

Thick Chocolate Oreo Milkshake

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How to Make Ice Cream Sandwiches

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Softening and Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Possibly the most fun and crowd-pleasing dessert ever, ice cream sandwiches are ridiculously easy to make.
A Gluten-Free Treat for the Holidays
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Ingredients 

  • 8 cookies of your choice (about 3-inches in diameter)
  • 1 pint ice cream of your choice
  • Sprinkles (or jimmies, according to my husband, or crushed candies, optional)

Instructions 

  • Remove the ice cream from the freezer for about 15 minute to soften slightly.
  • Place 4 cookies on the counter, flat side up. Scoop ½ cup ice cream onto the center of each cookie. Place the remaining four cookies on top of the ice cream, flat side down. Press gently to squish the ice cream out so that it reaches the edges of the cookies, and use a knife to smooth the sides of the ice cream.
  • If desired, place the crushed candies or sprinkles on a plate, using one for each type of item or combining them if you like. roll the sides of the ice cream sandwich over the candies or sprinkles so that they adhere to the sides of the ice cream sandwiches. Place the ice cream sandwiches on a plate and put them in the freezer to firm up a bit, about 15 minutes. If you want to make them a few days ahead of time, cover the plate with plastic wrap, and remove them from the freezer about 10 to 15 minutes before you want to serve them. If it's hot, serve them pretty quickly!

Notes

  • This is also a nice project for the kids to help out with. Just put the crushed item on a plate, and roll the ice cream sandwiches sideways until the ice cream is coated. Place the ice cream sandwiches on a plate back in the freezer until they firm up. 
  • You can make these up to a few days ahead of time; let them freeze on a plate and transfer them to an airtight container until ready to serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 345.27kcal, Carbohydrates: 40.82g, Protein: 5.36g, Fat: 17.83g, Saturated Fat: 9.25g, Cholesterol: 56.05mg, Sodium: 199.44mg, Potassium: 255.41mg, Fiber: 1.19g, Sugar: 28.11g, Vitamin A: 515.22IU, Vitamin C: 0.71mg, Calcium: 158.42mg, Iron: 0.66mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Comments

  1. Dearest Mrs. Workman,

    I so love your recipes, even my kids follow them. I wish that if you have the time you could post a recipe for ice cream, any kind. I’ve made homemade ice cream before, but looking for something different. I guess I’m looking for some fresh ideas.

    Thanks a bunch!
    Lisa

    Reply

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