Food and Recipes Desserts Ice Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches Be the first to rate & review! Ice cream sandwiches are a little taste of childhood magic. By Amanda Holstein Amanda Holstein Amanda Holstein fell in love with baking at the age of 6, and continued growing her passion through culinary school and working in bakeries for over 10 years. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 7, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Active Time: 40 mins Chill Time: 4 hrs Total Time: 4 hrs 40 mins Servings: 12 Ice cream sandwiches are a classic childhood favorite, ideal for a warm-weather treat at any age. In this recipe, the cookies have a deep, rich cocoa flavor with just the right amount of softness and crunch to the bite. Use store-bought vanilla ice cream for an iconic pairing and easier construction. Or make your own ice cream in any flavor for a bespoke dessert sure to wow the crowd. Learn how to make ice cream sandwiches, and relive a bit of childhood for dessert tonight. Ice Cream Sandwiches Ingredients To make ice cream sandwiches, you’ll need: A quart of vanilla ice cream (or any other flavor you choose): Focus your efforts on the incredible homemade cookies for these ice cream sandwiches, and use your favorite vanilla ice cream—or any flavor for that matter.All-purpose flour: Lends the cookie a great texture and chew.Dutch-process cocoa: For the best cocoa flavor.Malted milk powder: This surprise ingredient is the key to that "nostalgic" flavor you can't quite put your finger on. Find it in the baking aisle.Table salt: To balance the sweetness of the other ingredients.Instant espresso granules: A baker's secret, espresso is a great way to enhance, even boost, the flavor of chocolate. It won't overwhelm it. In fact, you might not even know it's there.Unsalted butter: Adds richness and flavor to the cookies.Granulated sugar: For sweetness.Egg yolk: Helps bring the cookie dough together.Vanilla extract: Adds depth of flavor.Whole milk: Make the cookie dough wet and more pliable. This is a very thick dough, but it does need some movement so you can roll it out. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Cakes How To Make Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches The cookies require a little time—both hands on and resting—but it's a treat worth every minute. The full recipe for ice cream sandwiches is below, but here's a brief outline: Step 1. Prepare the ice cream layer: Line a baking pan with parchment paper with two inches of excess overhanging the edges, and press softened ice cream evenly into it. Freeze, uncovered, for at least four hours.Step 2. Make the cookie dough: Whisk together dry ingredients. Set this mixture aside while you beat together butter and sugar with a stand mixer. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating to combine, and then add the milk, and beat until a dough forms.Step 3. Roll out cookie dough: Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, and divide it in half. Pat and shape each half into a square, wrap each tightly, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.Step 4. Cut out cookies: Roll one dough portion into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface, then cut it into 12 smaller rectangular pieces. Transfer them to a prepared baking sheet. Pierce each piece four times down using fork tines. Repeat the process with the remaining dough half. You'll have a total of 24 rectangles.Step 5. Bake cookies: Bake cookies in a preheated oven, rotating halfway through. Let cool on baking sheets and then refrigerate uncovered until the cookies are cold.Step 6. Cut ice cream: Using the overhanging parchment as handles, remove the ice cream from the baking pan, and place it onto a cutting board. Trim it into 12 matching rectangles and place each piece between two cookies.Step 7. Assemble sandwiches: Put the ice cream sandwiches on a parchment-lined baking sheet and serve immediately or freeze. Do You Have to Chill the Dough for Ice Cream Sandwiches? Chilling the cookie dough can be a delicate dance: You want to let it chill slightly in the fridge just so it didn't get too warm while rolling out. But leaving it to chill until the dough is firm can make it harder to roll out. Simplify the whole process by rolling out the dough to the desired thickness and then using a cookie cutter to make circles instead. (You can even use an ice cream pint and cut the slices from the container!) What's the Best Ice Cream for Ice Cream Sandwiches? You can use store-bought ice cream to make the sandwiches or make your own. This recipe calls for classic vanilla ice cream as a default, but you can use any ice cream flavor you choose. 22 Homemade Ice Cream Recipes Made For Hot Summer Days How To Store Ice Cream Sandwiches Serve ice cream sandwiches immediately after making them, or freeze them uncovered until firm (about four hours). For longer storage, after the initial four-hour freezing time, wrap the ice cream sandwiches individually in plastic wrap and freeze them for as long as three to four weeks. More Ice Cream Dessert Recipes If you have a craving for another ice cream dessert, consider these classic options: Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake Ice Cream Cake Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Ingredients 1 1/2 qt. vanilla ice cream, softened 1 1/4 cups (about 5 3/8 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 1/2 cup (about 1 5/8 oz.) Dutch-process cocoa 1 1/2 tsp. malted milk powder 1/4 tsp. table salt 1/4 tsp. instant espresso granules 10 Tbsp. (5 oz.) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg yolk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 Tbsp. whole milk Directions Spread ice cream into an even layer: Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Press softened ice cream evenly into prepared baking pan using a small offset spatula to smooth into an even layer. Freeze, uncovered, until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Combine dry ingredients: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper third and lower third positions. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, milk powder, salt, and instant espresso in a medium bowl until no clumps remain; set aside. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Cream butter and sugar: Beat together butter and sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Add eggs yolk and vanilla: Add egg yolk and vanilla, beating until fully combined, about 30 seconds. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Finish cookie dough: With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour mixture, beating until just combined, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Add milk, and beat on low speed until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Chill cookie dough: Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, and divide in half. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Pat and shape each half into a 6-inch square; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until slightly chilled, about 20 minutes. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Roll and cut cookie dough: Remove and discard plastic wrap. Roll 1 dough portion into a 12 1/4- x 8 1/4-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Trim edges into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Cut dough into 12 (4- x 2-inch) rectangles. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Pierce each cookie 4 times: Brush off any excess flour; transfer rectangles to 1 prepared baking sheet, using a long metal spatula, placing about 3/4-inch apart. Pierce center of dough 4 times down center of each rectangle using fork tines. Repeat process with remaining dough half, placing on remaining prepared baking sheet (24 rectangles total). Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Bake the cookies: Bake in preheated oven until cookies are set and dry around edges, about 6 minutes, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking time. Let cool slightly on baking sheets, about 15 minutes. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cookies are cold, about 30 minutes. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Cut ice cream into 12 pieces: Using excess parchment as handles, remove ice cream from baking pan, and place on a cutting board; discard parchment. Quickly trim edges to make a 12- x 8-inch rectangle, and cut into 12 (4- x 2-inch) slices. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Assemble Ice Cream Sandwiches: Place each ice cream slice between 2 cooled cookie rectangles, pressing gently to seal cookies to ice cream. Place Ice Cream Sandwiches in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Serve immediately, or freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 4 hours. Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Storage Tip For longer storage, after initial 4-hour freezing time, wrap Ice Cream Sandwiches individually in plastic wrap, and freeze for 3 to 4 weeks. Rate It Print Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin