These Salted Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches are exactly what they sound like and exactly as good as you're imagining: my award-winning salted dark chocolate chip cookies with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream pressed in between. The cookies bake up with crackly, fleur-de-sel-flecked tops and chewy centers, and a few minutes in the freezer turns them into the ultimate make-ahead summer dessert. Make a big batch and keep them stashed for whenever a craving hits. If you love a frozen treat, my S'more Ice Cream Sandwiches are the campfire version, my 22 Best Homemade Ice Cream Desserts has every frozen idea you need, and the cookie itself earns a spot on my 26 Best Cookie Recipes.
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: About 1 hour plus freezing (20 min prep + 12 min bake + freeze to set)
- 👪 Servings: About 12 ice cream sandwiches
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: American / Dessert
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Chewy salted dark chocolate chip cookies with crackly fleur-de-sel tops, sandwiching cold, creamy vanilla bean ice cream
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian; contains gluten, dairy, and eggs
- 📦 Storage Notes: Wrap each sandwich individually and freeze up to 2 weeks; bake the cookies up to 3 days ahead or freeze up to 3 months; let sandwiches sit 2-3 minutes before eating
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: Bakery-level ice cream sandwiches you make at home and stash in the freezer. Chewy salted dark chocolate chip cookies and creamy vanilla bean ice cream in every bite. The ultimate make-ahead summer dessert for a crowd.
Summarize and save this content on
It's my award winning chocolate chip cookie recipe and some vanilla bean laced ice cream in between - what's not to love?
Ingredients
- 8 ½ ounces cake flour
- 8 ½ ounces bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 10 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 12 ounces dark brown sugar
- 6 ounces white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups 72% dark chocolate discs roughly chopped
- Fleur de sel salt for sprinkling
- 2-3 pints vanilla ice cream
Substitutions & Swaps
🍫 Chocolate
- 72% dark chocolate discs (called for) - Big melty puddles; chop roughly for shards throughout
- Semisweet chips - Sweeter and classic; they hold their shape
- Bittersweet bar, chopped - More intense with irregular pieces
- Milk chocolate - For a sweeter, more kid-friendly cookie
🍦 Ice Cream
- Vanilla bean (called for) - Classic; lets the salted cookie shine
- Coffee or espresso - Grown-up, plays off the dark chocolate
- Mint chip - Cool and refreshing
- Salted caramel - Doubles down on the sweet-salty thing
- Cookies and cream - Extra cookie, why not
🧂 Finishing Salt
- Fleur de sel (called for) - Delicate flaky finish that sticks to warm cookies
- Dalkin&Co Flake Salt - Bigger flakes and more crunch
- Flaky kosher salt - Works in a pinch
🌾 Flour
- Cake and bread flour blend (called for) - The combo gives chew and tender edges
- All-purpose only - Use the same total weight; slightly less chewy but still great
🍪🍦🧂 Tips & Tricks for the Best Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Chewy salted cookies and creamy vanilla ice cream, frozen to perfection
- Bake the cookies a little underdone. Pull them when the centers still look soft so they stay chewy after freezing; fully baked cookies turn rock-hard in the freezer.
- Scoop the cookies the same size. A measuring cookie scoop means every cookie has a partner that lines up.
- Cool the cookies completely. Warm cookies melt the ice cream on contact; cool them fully, or chill them, before assembling.
- Soften the ice cream just enough. Let it sit a few minutes so it's scoopable and spreadable but not soup.
- Sprinkle fleur de sel right after baking. The flakes stick to the warm tops and give you that sweet-salty hit.
- Work fast and freeze between steps. Assemble a few, firm them in the freezer before the ice cream melts, then repeat.
- Use a ring mold for clean edges. Press the sandwich into a wide cookie cutter to neaten the ice cream, then roll the edge in mini chips or sprinkles.
- Wrap them individually. Parchment then a freezer bag keeps them from getting icy and makes grab-and-go easy.
- Let them temper before serving. Two to three minutes on the counter softens the cookie so it doesn't crack when you bite.
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches FAQs
What is an ice cream sandwich?
An ice cream sandwich is a frozen dessert made by pressing a scoop of ice cream between two cookies, wafers, or cakes. This version uses two chewy salted dark chocolate chip cookies with vanilla bean ice cream in the middle. They are made ahead and kept in the freezer until you are ready to eat.
How do you keep ice cream sandwiches from melting while you assemble them?
Work in small batches and freeze between steps, assembling a few sandwiches and firming them in the freezer before the ice cream softens too much. Make sure the cookies are completely cool first. Cold cookies and quick work are the key.
Can you make cookie ice cream sandwiches ahead of time?
Yes, they are built for it. Assemble them, wrap each one individually in parchment and a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Pull them out 2 to 3 minutes before eating so the cookies soften slightly.
Why are my ice cream sandwich cookies too hard to bite?
Cookies baked all the way through turn rock-hard once frozen. Pull them from the oven when the centers still look soft and underdone, and let the finished sandwiches temper on the counter for a few minutes before serving. The bread-and-cake flour blend also keeps them chewy.
What ice cream flavor is best for ice cream sandwiches?
Vanilla bean is the classic because it lets the salted dark chocolate cookie shine, but coffee, mint chip, and salted caramel are all excellent. Pick a flavor that complements the dark chocolate. See the Substitutions section for more ideas.
Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 8 ½ ounces cake flour
- 8 ½ ounces bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 10 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 12 ounces dark brown sugar
- 6 ounces white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups 72% dark chocolate discs roughly chopped
- Fleur de sel salt for sprinkling
- 2-3 pints vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Combine the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder and coarse salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In a large mixer add the butter and sugars and mix for 5 minutes until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between. Add the vanilla and combine.
- Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate discs and fold them into the batter. Cover the dough and and refrigerate dough for up to 72 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop ¼ cup sized cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, 12 cookies per sheet and sprinkle the tops with fleur de sel. Bake the cookies for 16-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Once cooled, scoop some ice cream and sandwich it between two cookies. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information (estimated)
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe by What's Gaby Cooking
how many cookies do you get in each batcg?
about 3 dozen!