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These Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches bring back all the memories with their soft chocolate gluten-free wafer cookies sandwiched together with your favorite ice cream!
Summer isn't quite over yet, and seeing as it's National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, I thought you could use a fun little treat to help cool off with all the heat. I mean, who doesn't remember those classic ice cream sandwiches from our childhoods? They were always my go-to treat with the ice cream trucks rolled into the neighborhoods. Of course, those kinds aren't gluten-free. Don't worry, though, because I've got you covered with these easy, delicious, and totally gluten-free ice cream sandwiches so you can still get in on the treats too!
What makes these the best ice cream sandwiches?
I am picky when it comes to treats, and for me, an ice cream sandwich needs to be an ice cream sandwich. Not just stick some ice cream between some cookies sort of thing. I mean, it's probably still going to taste good, but it's not really an ice cream sandwich.
These ice cream sandwiches have a cookie that is firm enough to hold it all together while still staying soft enough to eat, right out of the freezer. No one wants their ice cream sandwich to melt all over them.
Did I mention they are totally grain-free? Oh, yea, cause they are!
Ingredients
- Cassava Flour
- Arrowroot Starch
- Potato Starch - If you can't find potato starch (not potato flour), you can sub in corn starch or add additional arrowroot. The cookie will be slightly softer, but it still tastes delicious.
- Sugar
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Butter - You can also use a dairy-free alternative. I've found shortening works well in this recipe.
- Vanilla
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Milk of Choice - Dairy or dairy-free both work in this recipe.
- Ice Cream - You can't have an ice cream sandwich without ice cream. I prefer to make my own vanilla ice cream to go with these or even my dairy-free ice cream when I want to keep them dairy-free but feel free to use what you prefer.
Tips and Tricks
Substitute the butter for shortening or a dairy-free alternative and use dairy-free ice cream.
This recipe is not hard, but it does take some time.
*You want to make sure to chill the dough before rolling it out between pieces of parchment paper. If your dough sticks to the parchment, let it chill for 30 minutes or so, and it should release one side so you can bake it.
*Once the cookies are baked, chill them again until they are completely frozen (2-3 hours) before cutting and shaping; making it easier to assemble.
Let's make some Ice-Cream Sandwiches!
- Cream the butter and sugars - You want to make sure theses are completely combined, and the mixture is fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients - To the sugar mixture, add the dry ingredients and mix until it is dry and crumbly looking.
- Wet ingredients - Add the vanilla and milk and mix until combined.
- Chill the dough - Place the dough into the shape of a disc and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Let it chill for at least an hour.
- Roll the dough - Cut the dough in half and roll out until it's about 1/16-⅛ of an inch thick. Place the dough back into the freezer as needed to help make it easier to roll as needed.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake the cookies.
- Prep the ice cream - While the cookies are baking spread the softened ice cream into a flat layer in a baking dish or on a baking sheet.
- Chill and Freeze the cookies - This makes it easier to assemble them.
- Assemble the ice cream sandwiches - Place the layer of ice cream onto one sheet of cookies and then place the remaining sheet of cookie on top.
- Cut and chill - Cut your desired shapes into the ice cream sandwhiches, wrap in plastic wrap and chill again for about 4-6 hours. This helps the cookies to soften and the ice cream sandwhices to come together.
Assembling Ice Cream Sandwiches
You can assemble these ice cream sandwiches in a few different ways.
The easiest way:
- Place one of the sheets of baked and chilled cookies upside down.
- Layer the sheet of ice cream on top.
- Add another layer of cookie on the ice cream.
- Cut into squares or rectangles.
- Wrap the individual cookies with plastic wrap and keep in the freezer until you are ready to eat.
Cut them into shapes:
Once the ice cream is frozen into a layer and the cookies are frozen, you can easily use your favorite cutters to cut them into desired shapes. Just cut the cookies and ice cream and then sandwich them together.
Storing Ice Cream Sandwiches
Once the ice cream sandwiches are assembled, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer until they are ready to be eaten.
Make them your own!
Cut these into any shape you want. You can even mix it up with a fun ice cream flavor. I've even dipped them in chocolate and sprinkles before freezing for an extra special treat. The possibilities are endless, so have fun with them!
Gluten-free Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
- ¾ C Cassava Flour
- ⅔ C Arrowroot Starch
- ½ C Potato Starch or sub corn starch or additional arrowroot starch.
- ½ C Cocoa Powder
- 6 TBS Butter or shortening or dairy-free alternative
- ½ C Sugar
- ¼ C Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ TSP Sallt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ⅔ C Milk
Instructions
Make the dough
- Cream the butter and sugars. You want to make sure these are completely combined and the mixture is fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients To the sugar mixture add the dry ingredients. The mixture will be dry and crumbly.
- Add the vanilla and the milk and mix till combined. The dough will look like a soft cookie dough.
- Place the dough into the shape of a disc on plastic wrap and wrap it tight. Place it in the fridge for about an hour.
- Cut the dough in half and place the half between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll the dough until it's about 1/16-⅛ in thick. At this point if the dough has become soft and the parchment is sticking, place it on a baking sheet and back into the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. Once frozen the parchment should release.
- Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- In a preheated 350 degree oven bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. The cookies should look dull when they are done.
- While the cookies bake, spread your desired ice cream into a flat layer. I like to line a baking sheet with plastic wrap, cover it and place it back into the freezer to set up.
- Once the cookies are baked, let them chill and then place them into the freezer for at least 2 hours or longer until solid. This will help make it easier to assemble the ice cream sandwiches.
- Cut and sandwich the ice cream sandwiches into desired shapes.
- Chill again. Trust me these are best once the assembled ice cream sandwiches have been chilling for at least 4-6 hours.
Notes
*You want to make sure to chill the dough before rolling it out between pieces of parchment paper. If your dough sticks to the parchment let it chill for 30 minutes or so and it should release one side so you can bake it.
*Once the cookies are baked, chill them again until they are completely frozen (2-3 hours) before cutting and shaping, it will make it easier to assemble.
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.