What´s better than one chocolate chip cookie? Two? Well, how about scooping soft vanilla ice cream between them? These Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches are the PERFECT way to beat the summer heat! The cookies are chunky and extra soft even after freezing.
Why these Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwhiches are the BEST
Soft cookies – The chocolate chip cookies are made extra soft by adding an additional egg yolk and using brown sugar in the recipe. This way you can enjoy your delicous treat without chipping a tooth!
Make ahead recipe – These can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. You could either prepare the sandwiches and freeze or to freeze individual cookie doughs that can be popped into the oven. The instructions can be found under the notes below the recipe.
Use any ice cream flavor – The vanilla ice cream is a classic combo, but some varitions could be to mix some of the raw cookie dough into the ice cream. Or how about some thinly chopped chocolate chunks for a stracciatella ice cream?
Tips for making cookie ice cream sandwiches
Ice Cream choice – You can use any flavor that you want, just make sure to avoid Gelato. This is due to the softness of the Gelato as they melt VERY quickly. Regular ice cream contains more fat than gelato, therefore it is more dense and firm which is perfect for ice cream sandwiches.
Make one sandwich at a time – Avoid working in batches for this recipe, specially during a hot summer day. It´s best to make one sandwich at a time and store immediately to avoid the ice cream from melting.
Spreading the ice cream – There are a few methods for the assembly. One is to use an ice cream in a paper container that you cut through with a kitchen knife. This results in perfect edges and you avoid having to spread it around.
Another option is to spread your ice cream onto a deep pan (like a brownie dish) before freezing, then using a round cookie cutter to cut out perfectly shaped ice cream slices.
If you don´t care about the perfect edges I recommend my chosen (and easiest) method which is to simply scoop ice cream onto the cookie, spread it evenly and use a hot knife to clean the edges.
How to make soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
The secret to perfect cookie ice cream sandwhiches is to make soft cookies that don´t hurt your teeth when biting. These cookies are extra chunky and thick, but will still remain chewy and soft even after freezing.
Extra yolk – The addition of the extra egg yolk will yield in more tender and soft cookies.
Cornstarch – The cornstarch will soften the gluten in the flour which will make the cookies more tender.
Chocolate chip – Typically I prefer using chocolate chunks for my cookies to create pools of chocolate. But for these I recommend using small chocolate chips as they work better for freezing ( = no hard bites that hurt your teeth).
No overmixing – Make sure to either use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients in the final steps of the cookie recipe or to mix on the lowest setting until JUST combined. It is important not to overmix as this will lead to gluten development in the cookies, which makes the cookies more tough and hard (not ideal for ice cream sandwiches).
Scoop instead of rolling – No need to roll perfectly round cookie dough balls, the rough edges from the scooping gives the cookies a nice texture on the outside.
This recipe will yield a total of 10 cookies, 5 sandwiches. I chose to bake 9, and freeze the remaining dough to use as raw cookie dough for a future recipe. And yes, there are only 8 remaning cookies on the finished tray above. A taste test is a must if you ask me!
How to store the Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
After the ice cream sandwiches have been prepared and chilled in the freezer until firm, either serve these as they are or store for up to 2 months in the freezer. If you are not eating these the same day, then tightly wrap each individual ice cream sandwich with plastic wrap and store in an airtight ziplock bag. Whenever you are ready to eat, simply take one out, unwrap and allow to thaw in room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3/4 cup (170 g) butter, room temperatured
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 2 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (54 % cocoa)
Filling
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/175℃.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the room temperatured butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy.
- Add the eggs and yolk one at the time along with the vanilla until the mixture is well incorporated. Scraping down the sides as needed.
- Sift in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
- Refridgerate for 10 minutes while preparing a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookie dough on to the baking sheet using a medium sized ice cream scooper.
- Top off with extra chocolate chips and bake for 8-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool completely before assembling the ice cream sandwiches.
Assembling the ice cream sandwiches
- Once cookies have cooled, pair them up and scoop a heaping size onto the bottom cookie.
- Spread the ice cream gently to cover the entire cookie before topping with the other cookie. Be careful not to press too hard, as this could break the cookies. Place each finished ice cream sandwich in the freezer before starting the next pair as it can melt quickly!
- Optional to roll the sides onto more chocolate chips. Allow the sandwiches to set in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then enjoy!