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When the weather heats up it is time to cool down with cold treats, and who doesn’t love an ice cream cookie sandwich? This gluten free and dairy free ice cream cookie sandwich recipe is the ultimate summer dessert! All you need is a pint of ice cream and your favorite package of cookies. You can customize this recipe by using your favorite cookies and any ice cream flavor you would like.
Growing up my favorite summer treat was a nestle ice cream cookie sandwich. I loved the combination of the soft and delicious Nestle Tollhouse Cookie sandwiched with creamy vanilla ice cream. After years of living in the city of Chicago I finally moved back to the suburbs. The summertime in the suburbs brings the nostalgic sound of the ice cream truck cruising the streets of my neighborhood. Unfortunately those of us who eat gluten free and dairy free have virtually no options on the ole’ ice cream truck, which is why I decided to create my own gluten free and dairy free ice cream sandwich.
INGREDIENTS
This recipe requires only TWO ingredients. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
- Cookies: I used a package of Cybele’s Free To Eat Chocolate Chip cookies, found at Mariano’s (Chicagoland’s Kroger chain). These cookies are a gluten free replica of Chips Ahoy Soft Baked cookies. All of Cybele’s cookies are delicious and allergen friendly and I cannot wait to try the other flavors! Cybele’s are on the smaller side, about 1.5 inches in diameter. I prefer the smaller sized cookies because they are the perfect portion size for an ice cream cookie sandwich. You can use any cookies you like for this recipe. However, I would choose a cookie that leans more soft-baked vs crunchy.
- Ice Cream: I used a pint of SO Delicious brand vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream for this recipe. While this ice cream tastes great, it was not as creamy and easy to work with as I would have liked. I recommend using a dairy free ice cream that is more creamy. A good swap is oat milk ice cream or any other brand you have experience with. You can choose any ice cream flavor that would go with your cookie, such as chocolate, peanut butter, or even cookie dough!
Ice Cream Sandwich Flavor Combination Suggestions: Confetti Cookie & Cake Batter Ice Cream. Peanut Butter Cookie and Chocolate Ice Cream. Chocolate Cookie and Rocky Road Ice Cream. Sugar Cookie and Strawberry Ice Cream. Girl Scout Samoas and Butter Pecan Ice Cream. Snickerdoodle Cookies and Vanilla Ice Cream.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by allowing your ice cream to thaw at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, or until it is creamy and easy to work with. You will spread the ice cream in an even layer on the parchment paper, so you want the ice cream to be soft enough to work with but cold enough that it doesn’t melt while you are in production. Some ice creams are creamy enough from the start and you will not need to allow it to thaw before using.
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the ice cream is thawed and easy to work with, dump the contents of the pint on the parchment and spread into one even layer. I spread my ice cream about 1/2 inch thick. You can make thicker if you would like more ice cream between your cookie sandwich.
- Place one cookie on the ice cream and cut an outline with a sharp knife, similar to how you would make a custom cut for a cookie. Using a small spatula, lift the ice cream off the parchment and sandwich between two cookies. The key is to move quickly so the ice cream does not melt!
- Place the finished ice cream sandwiches on a plate or in a Tupperware container then moving to the freezer as soon as all sandwiches are done. This will allow the ice cream to freeze again so they do not become a runny mess when serving. Allow to freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.
These ice cream sandwiches are a delicious dessert for a summer time party, or a snack for the kids any time of year. You can make a whole batch and store in your freezer for up to 3 months. However, they did not even last a week in my house!
Serve ice cream cookie sandwiches on a chilled tray. Eat within 5 minutes of serving or return leftovers to the freezer. Looking for a gluten free and dairy free dessert recipe that is on the healthier side? Try my Brownie Batter Dip!
Ice Cream Sandwich (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 package soft baked gluten free cookies
- 1 pint dairy free ice cream
Instructions
- Allow ice cream to thaw at room temperature until creamy and easy to spread on baking sheet. Some ice creams do not need to thaw as they are creamy enough when frozen.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once ice cream is soft enough to work with, dump contents of the pint of ice cream to a baking sheet and spread into an even layer (1/3 inch – 1/2 inch).
- Place one cookie on ice cream. Using a sharp knife, cut an outline around the cookie.
- Using a spatula, lift the ice cream off of the baking sheet and sandwich between two cookies.
- Place finished ice cream cookie sandwiches on a plate or in a Tupperware container. Move sandwiches to the freezer as soon as you are finished. Allow cookies to freeze for at least one hour prior to serving.
