Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The butterscotch flavor of the cookies and toffee bits play wonderfully with the vanilla flavored ice cream and chips of chocolate. Texture: The cookies are soft and chewy (depending on if you freeze before serving) while the ice cream is thick and creamy. The toffee bits add a lovely crunch and stickiness. Ease: I almost always have homemade cookie dough in my freezer which makes this recipe much easier. Each part can also be made ahead of time and assembled right before serving. Appearance: How could you not want to take a bite? Pros: 10 times better than store-bought ice cream sandwiches. Perfect for serving at a party or bbq. Cons: None! Would I make this again? Yes.This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches are soft and chewy from the cookies, and thick, creamy, and refreshing inside.
A Homemade Kitchen series includes recipes that feature homemade versions of your favorite store-bought meals, snacks, treats, condiments and more. Homemade is better for your budget, body, and taste buds.
I’ve met a lot of people who claim not to like ice cream sandwiches. That’s probably because they’ve never had a homemade one. Store-bought ice cream sandwiches have a bizarre texture – mushy and unsubstantial – kind of like it’s been frozen since the last ice age. Ick. Homemade ice cream sandwiches, however, are another story. The texture, for one thing, is a million times better. But the taste is what really makes these sandwiches spectacular. Serve them at your next barbeque or make them with your kids.
Chocolate Chip Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Ice Cream
- 1 cup whole milk, chilled
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
- 1 tablespoon high-quality pure vanilla extract
Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon hot water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, toffee bits, peanut butter chips, nuts, shredded coconut, etc, to roll the edges in (optional)
Instructions
For the ice cream (make ahead of time):
- In a medium bowl using a hand mixer on low speed, whisk the milk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Pour mixture into ice cream machine and let thicken, following manufacturer’s directions. Freeze at least 2 hours. Can be made 2 months ahead of time.
For the chocolate chip cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand-held electric mixer, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water then add to batter along with salt. Mix in flour until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Using a spring-loaded ice-cream scoop, drop even and large spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned. Cool completely before assembling sandwiches. Cookies can be made 3 days ahead of time.
For assembly:
- Take ice cream out of freezer and let soften slightly at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Using a spring-loaded ice cream scoop, place evenly sized scoops of ice cream on the flat side of 12 cookies. Top the ice cream scoops with the remaining 12 cookies and press down slightly. Roll edges in your choice of candy or nuts (I used toffee bits). Serve immediately or wrap individual sandwiches in plastic and freeze.
I have a question: I want to make these for a party and I want the cookies to be soft and chewy…Do you recommend freezing the cookies and letting them thaw before serving or just baking them and letting them cool down before serving? Cant wait to make them! Thanks!
Cassandra – for the softest cookies I would bake them and let them cool before assembling with the ice cream and serving. You could even make the cookies a few days ahead of time and just store them in an airtight container at room temperature before serving. These cookies stay soft for a few days 🙂
Yum! These look incredible… You can't beat cookies and ice cream!
Hi,
I'm requesting your permission to use this picture on my blog under a post titled “July Favorites”. All credit will be linked back to your blog. Best, Jackie Hale
Jackie – That's fine! Thank you for asking 🙂
Devestatingly, my poor sensitive teeth won't let me take a bite out of an ice cream sandwich, and attacking with a spoon doesn't seem quite right.
Ah well, a bowl of ice cream and a separate bowl of cookies it'll have to be!
These ice cream sandwiches look amazing! I'm impressed that you got such a good photo without it melting all over the place:-)
I read a tip somewhere to freeze the individual scoops of ice cream before taking photos and that seemed to work. Granted I only had about 3 minutes of photo time to work with 😉
cause I love bubble tea too!
Hi! I love how the cookie looks, I don't like any ice cream so I think I'll just make the cookies! lol
You seem like the sort of person that would like bubble tea. Are you? Just wondrin'
Love love love! me
I've never had bubble tea actually!
I completely agree with you, because I hate store-bought ice cream sandwiches, yet I have never had a homemade one? I would love to have this recipe be the first one that I try!
The cookie part of that ice cream sandwich looks amazing in itself!
I never ever ate ice cream sandwiched before. I didn't even know they excited. But I have to say they look absolutely delicious. Great idea!
Ahh, there we go! It was going to ruin my day if I couldn't comment about homemade ice cream sandwiches. And who are these crazy people who claim not to like them?? That's insane. Best thing on earth. I love the toffee bits around the edges, they look divine!
Who in their right mind wouldn't like ice cream sandwiches? I love super-soft cookies, so these sound like heaven to me. And I love that you threw in some toffee bits, too. Good choice 🙂