Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe

This Ice Cream Sandwiches recipe combines rich homemade chocolate cookies with creamy ice cream for a classic frozen dessert that’s fun to make and share. Featured on Cook the Books Season 3: Celebrity Edition from American Girl Sweet & Savory Treats Cookbook, host Shahir Massoud, these treats can be filled with vanilla, chocolate, coffee, strawberry, mint chip, or another favorite ice cream flavor.

The Inspiration

This recipe comes from the American Girl Sweet & Savory Treats Cookbook and is connected to Molly and the World War II era. During World War II, ice cream was often given to soldiers as a special treat to help boost morale, and it was also a favorite of Molly and her friends.

The recipe transforms that nostalgic treat into homemade ice cream sandwiches using dark chocolate cookies made with brown sugar, chopped unsweetened chocolate, and semisweet chocolate chips. The cookies are baked until their edges are set while their centers remain slightly soft, creating a texture that works especially well once frozen.

The ice cream filling also makes the recipe easy to personalize. Vanilla and chocolate are classic choices, but coffee, strawberry, mint chip, or another favorite flavor can be used instead. Featured on Cook the Books Season 3: Celebrity Edition from American Girl Sweet & Savory Treats Cookbook, host Shahir Massoud, these ice cream sandwiches combine historical storytelling with a fun frozen dessert that’s perfect for sharing.

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus butter for greasing
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1½ pints ice cream, such as vanilla or chocolate, slightly softened

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly butter 2 cookie sheets.
• In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, and chopped chocolate. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate and butter melts. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool to lukewarm. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Drop the dough by generous tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing the cookies at least 3 inches apart. You should have 12 cookies. With dampened fingers, smooth the cookies into slightly flattened rounds about 3 inches in diameter. Bake the cookies until the edges darken and the centers are still slightly soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to move the cookies directly to the rack. Let cool completely.
• Lay half of the cookies, flat side up, on a work surface. Spread about ½ cup of the ice cream on each cookie, then top the ice cream with 1 of the remaining cookies, flat side down. Smooth out the sides using a small icing spatula and wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. Lay on a clean, dry cookie sheet and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Serving Suggestions

These Ice Cream Sandwiches are perfect for summer gatherings, birthday parties, family celebrations, cookouts, or an after-dinner dessert. Serve them directly from the freezer so the ice cream stays firm while the chocolate cookies begin to soften slightly with every bite. Since the recipe makes six individual sandwiches, they’re also easy to portion and serve without extra plates or utensils.

The sandwiches can be filled with whichever ice cream flavor suits the occasion. Vanilla creates a classic chocolate-and-cream combination, while strawberry adds a fruity contrast, coffee brings deeper roasted notes, and mint chip pairs especially well with the rich chocolate cookies.

As suggested in the cookbook, the edges of the assembled sandwiches can also be rolled in chopped toasted peanuts or mini chocolate chips before freezing for extra texture and a festive finish.

Final Thoughts

This Ice Cream Sandwiches recipe turns two favorite desserts—chocolate cookies and ice cream—into one fun frozen treat. Dark brown sugar, unsweetened chocolate, and semisweet chocolate chips create rich cookies with plenty of chocolate flavor, while the slightly softened ice cream makes the sandwiches creamy and easy to assemble.

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