Make these easy ice cream sandwiches and roll them in red and blue sprinkles. Serve them at your next patriotic party! Or change up the color scheme!!
What to do and how to do it
All you need for these are some cookies. Make them, buy them or buy the dough to make them, like me. Then add a scoop or two, depending on how thick you want them, of ice cream. Freeze them again. Then take out and roll them in some sprinkles. Very easy dessert and a great for color themed parties.
What’s an Ice Cream Sandwich
Not sure that makes sense. But an ice cream sandwich is ice cream between two cookies, wafers, biscuits, etc.. You can use any flavor of ice cream you like. And, you can use any type/flavor of “outside” you want.
How to make ice cream sandwiches at home
See the recipe below for the recipe for my ice cream sandwich, or, get some inspiration and make your own. There are so many variables. You could use peanut butter cookies with chocolate ice cream, for example.
Fun little ice cream sandwich facts
Ice cream sandwiches have been around for a long time. Like, way longer than I thought. Different versions popped up in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and people have been putting ice cream between cookies, cakes, wafers, biscuits and anything else that would hold still ever since. So if you swap sugar cookies for chocolate chip cookies or use brownies instead, you are not breaking any rules. You are just joining a very happy dessert tradition.
Another fun thing? The outside matters almost as much as the ice cream. A softer cookie is easier to bite into once frozen. If the cookie is too crunchy, the ice cream may try to escape out the sides. Not that escaped ice cream is a tragedy, but it does make things a little messier. I like a cookie that is soft in the middle and sturdy enough to hang on to the ice cream.
Tips and tricks for making them easier
Have everything ready before you start. Cookies cooled? Sprinkles in a bowl? Baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper? Freezer space cleared out? Good. Once the ice cream comes out, the clock starts ticking. You do not need to panic, but this is not the time to go looking for the sprinkles you know you bought but somehow cannot find.
If your ice cream is too hard to scoop, let it sit out for just a few minutes. You want it scoopable, not soupy. If it gets too soft, put it back in the freezer for a bit. That little reset can save the whole batch. After you assemble the sandwiches, freeze them again so the cookie, ice cream and sprinkles can become one happy little dessert family.
For cleaner edges, use an ice cream scoop or even slice the ice cream if it comes in a carton that lets you do that. Place the ice cream in the middle of one cookie, add the second cookie, then press down slowly and evenly. If it squishes out a little, just smooth it with a butter knife or roll it right into the sprinkles and call it decorative. We are not entering these in a science fair.
Flavor ideas
The patriotic red, white and blue version is fun for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day or any backyard cookout where you want dessert to look festive without working too hard. But you can change the colors for almost anything. Use orange and black sprinkles for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, pastel sprinkles for Easter, or school colors for graduation parties and game days.
Here are some combinations that sound pretty good to me: peanut butter cookies with chocolate ice cream, sugar cookies with strawberry ice cream, chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream, snickerdoodles with cinnamon or caramel ice cream, brownie cookies with mint chocolate chip, or oatmeal cookies with butter pecan. You could even make a tray with different flavors and let everyone pick their own. This is also a great way to use up cookies from a party or bake sale.
Rolling ideas besides sprinkles
Sprinkles are the easy choice, and they make everything happier. But you can also roll the edges in mini chocolate chips, crushed cookies, chopped nuts, toasted coconut, crushed pretzels, graham cracker crumbs or little candies. If you are making these for a crowd, put out a few bowls of toppings and let people choose. It turns dessert into an activity, which counts as party planning in my book.
Make-ahead and storage tips
These are great make-ahead treats. Once assembled, place them on a lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. After that, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, wax paper or parchment paper and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Try to keep them toward the back of the freezer where the temperature stays more steady. The freezer door gets opened and closed a lot, and that can make ice crystals show up faster.
If you are serving them at a party, put out only a few at a time and keep the rest in the freezer until needed. They soften quickly, especially in warm weather. You can also make mini sandwiches with smaller cookies if you want a bite-size dessert. Minis are cute, easier for kids to hold, and less likely to drip down someone’s arm. Not impossible, just less likely.
Troubleshooting the melty mess
If your sandwiches are sliding apart, the ice cream is probably too soft. Pop everything back in the freezer and try again in a bit. If the cookies are cracking, they may be too hard or too frozen. Let them sit for a minute before sandwiching or choose a softer cookie next time. If the sprinkles are not sticking, gently press the edges of the sandwich into them while the ice cream is still a little soft.
And remember, even the messy ones taste good. That is the nice thing about ice cream, cookies and sprinkles. They do not have to be perfect to disappear fast.
More Patriotic Recipes
ITEMS/INGREDIENTS USED IN RECIPE – If you are interested in any of the items I may have used (or are similar to the items I used) in making this recipe, I have listed some of them below. NOTE: These links are affiliate links of which I receive a small commission from the sale of certain item. This does not affect your price, it remains the same.
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Rock on!
~Bobbi
Patriotic Ice Cream Sandwiches
Equipment
- 9 x 13 Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 4 Slices Sugar cookie dough, refrigerated
- 4 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream
- Blue and Red Sprinkles
Instructions
- Cut 4 slices off your cookie dough. Cut each slice in half. Roll each half into a ball. Bake as instructed on package. Let cool about 30 minutes.
- Place one scoop of ice cream on the bottom side of your cookie.
- Place another cookie on top, bottom side down. Squeeze together to make sure the ice cream goes to the edge of the cookies. If needed, use a knife to add ice cream to any spot that the ice cream doesn’t cover all the way to the edge. Repeat for the other 6 cookies. Making a total of 4 sandwiches.
- Place in the freezer for at least an hour to let any melted ice cream set again. Pour as little or as much of the sprinkles you want, on a plate. A flat surface works best.
- Roll the outside of the sandwich in the sprinkles covering all of the ice cream, if desired.
- If not serving immediately, place back in the freezer until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
