Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Are as Brilliant as They Sound

I don’t know about you, but I find it pretty impossible to pass up an ice cream sandwich. Whenever I eat ice cream, I’m always in need of some sort of crunch factor — and a cookie will always outweigh a cone for me.

Ice cream sandwiches take many different forms. We have the classic childhood favorite —  vanilla ice cream in between two soft chocolate cookies — but we also have brownie ice cream sandwiches, ice cream sandwiches with crispy, crunchy cookies, and even macaron ice sandwiches!

Clearly I’ve had my fair share of this summer treat, but I’d never tried making them myself — until now. I recently came across Ina Garten‘s Instagram post of her former assistant Lidey Heuck’s sheet pan chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, and they looked perfect: vanilla ice cream sandwiched between sturdy-but-soft cookies. Here’s what happened when I gave them a try.

Grease a half sheet pan and line it with enough parchment paper to have two inches hanging over two sides. In a stand mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Mix until combined. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Spread the dough onto the baking sheet and bake until golden-brown but still soft — the key is to not overbake them! Allow to cool completely (about one hour). Use a knife to loosen up any bits that may have stuck to the sides, then lift the parchment paper and transfer the cookie to a large cutting board. Cut the cookie in half crosswise and chill for at least 30 minutes.

To assemble the sandwiches, remove the ice cream from the fridge 15 minutes before you get started so it softens up and is the right consistency for spreading. Place large spoonfuls of ice cream on top of one half of the cookie (bottom side up) and spread into an even layer. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Gently place the other cookie half on top right-side up. Freeze for at least three hours until the sandwiches firm up, then cut into 12 sandwiches. If desired, you can cover the sides in sprinkles or chocolate chips.

Lidey’s ice cream sandwiches were incredible. The cookie portion is the epitome of everything cookies in an ice cream sandwich should be. I’m not a huge fan of really crunchy cookies — especially in ice cream sandwiches — and so I appreciated the soft texture of Lidey’s cookies. Her use of cornstarch in her Tollhouse-inspired recipe makes all the difference, helping them stay soft and chewy but sturdy enough to hold together.

Baking the cookie dough in a sheet pan was also brilliant. Instead of constructing each cookie sandwich one by one, you simply assemble one giant one and slice it into squares. Sure, it’s still an undertaking — but it’s far less tedious and way less messy than any other method. These ice cream sandwiches are going to be recurring visitors in my home!

1. Separate the cookie halves with parchment while chilling. I stacked my two cookie layers on top of each other when I put them in the fridge, and it was difficult to pry them apart. Next time, I’ll use a piece of parchment to divide them.
2. Work quickly with the ice cream. It’s summer, and ice cream melts fast! Spread the ice cream on as quickly as you can, and also don’t let it soften too much.  
3. Put your spin on it. There are so many ways to customize these sandwiches. They would taste amazing with another flavor of ice cream, or decorated with nuts.

What’s your favorite ice cream sandwich recipe? Let us know in the comments!