There’s nothing quite like a chocolate chip cookie, except for two chocolate chip cookies sandwiched together with ice cream. These cookie ice cream sandwiches use a quick no-chill cookie dough recipe that produces soft cookies perfect for freezing. I strongly recommend using mini chocolate chips, and be sure to freeze the assembled sandwiches for at least 3 hours prior to serving.
Have you ever heard of a Chipwich before? Growing up, they were my ice cream treat of choice: two soft chocolate chip cookies sandwiched with creamy vanilla ice cream and rolled in mini chocolate chips. I can’t find them as easily these days, plus I enjoy making my own frozen treats (3-ingredient strawberry banana popsicles anyone?!). So, on occasion, I’ll whip up a homemade version.
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- The cookies DO NOT REQUIRE DOUGH CHILLING. (Yes, I find the need to shout that!)
- Cookies are soft and won’t break your teeth after freezing.
- Use any ice cream flavor you enjoy.
- Rolling sides in mini chocolate chips or sprinkles adds texture, plus it helps seal in the ice cream.
- Like ice cream cake, they’re a great make-ahead treat for a hot summer day.
And if you love brownies, you’ll flip for these brownie ice cream sandwiches!
This Recipe WORKS.
Cookie ice cream sandwiches are a favorite summertime treat and I’ve made several variations over the years. One of my top choices as the sandwich “bread” is this cake batter chocolate chip cookies recipe. They’re always a hit, but the cookie dough requires chilling. It’s a lot of waiting and they’re certainly worth the effort, but a quicker cookie recipe is obviously more convenient.
Today’s recipe is the essential cookie for a homemade ice cream sandwich. It’s my giant chocolate chip cookies recipe made with mini chocolate chips and portioned smaller. (And, if you’re comparing, it’s basically my popular chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe only with softened butter!) They’re soft, which means they won’t be rock hard after freezing. The cookies are also nice and flat, which makes sandwiching (and eating as a sandwich) very easy.
Chilling cookie dough prevents spreading and it also helps the dough develop better flavor. However, you do not have to chill this cookie dough because there’s enough flour to soak up the liquid, so the cookies will not overspread. And a slightly more developed flavor isn’t quite as important because we’re turning the baked cookies into something else!
- FAQ: Do you have any no-chill gluten-free cookie options? Yes, use these flourless almond butter chocolate chip cookies or these flourless peanut butter chocolate cookies as the “bread.”
Grab These Cookie Dough Ingredients:
You also need 3 cups (about 540g) of your favorite ice cream.
Notice two slightly special ingredients: cornstarch & an extra egg yolk. Cornstarch helps produce a super soft cookie, which is the ideal “bread” for a frozen cookie sandwich. And an extra egg yolk keeps the cookies flavorful and tender. 1 egg is not enough for this dough and 2 eggs is too many.
Success Tip: Use Mini Chocolate Chips
Mini chocolate chips are perfect for frozen cookie ice cream sandwiches. When frozen, the smaller chips aren’t as rock hard as the regular-size chocolate chips. They’re simply easier (and more pleasant) to eat, plus you can enjoy more chocolate in every single bite when you use smaller chips.
Expect a creamy cookie dough:
A medium cookie scoop is the perfect size for portioning your cookies. This recipe yields 24 cookies, which means you’ll have 12 ice cream sandwiches.
Soft cookies with a nice spread:
Assembling & Freezing Your Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
After all of the cookies cool completely, you can assemble your ice cream sandwiches. There’s no need to soften your ice cream prior to starting this step, though if your ice cream is particularly hard to scoop, give it a couple minutes to slightly soften.
Flip a cooled cookie over and place 1 generous ice cream scoop, about 1/4 cup or 45g, on top. Use your scoop to gently spread the ice cream to the edges. Sandwich a cookie on top, then pick up the assembled sandwich and gently press it all together in the very center to make a compact sandwich.
And I mean a VERY gentle press because if you press too hard, the cookies could break.
Roll the edges in mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or even finely chopped nuts. This little extra is not only tasty, it’s actually functional because it holds the ice cream in place.
You can enjoy the cookie sandwiches immediately, but I recommend freezing to set their shape.
3 Success Tips for Freezing
- Tightly wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper to hold the assembled sandwich together.
- Make one sandwich at a time and place in the freezer as soon as it’s assembled. Don’t assemble the entire batch and then freeze because the first few will be melting by the time you’re done.
- Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours and up to 3 months. After 3 hours, the ice cream is still a bit soft but the sandwiches are frozen enough to easily pick up and enjoy. If you have time, 6 hours is more ideal for a sturdy, compact cookie ice cream sandwich.
I have never felt more rushed than during this photo shoot. These treats melt quickly!!!
And Finally, a Sugar Cookie Variation
And if you love sugar cookies, follow my sugar cookie recipe and add 1/2 cup (about 75g) of sprinkles to the dough after it’s mixed together. (Or skip the sprinkles in the dough.) Cut chilled rolled-out dough into 2.5-inch circles. After the cookies bake and cool according to the sugar cookie instructions, assemble your ice cream sandwiches using the assembly instructions below.
Have fun!
Print
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches (Like a Chipwich!)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (includes freezing)
- Yield: 12 3-inch sandwiches
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe produces a soft chocolate chip cookie which is perfect for making cookie ice cream sandwiches. You do not have to chill this cookie dough! For best results, I recommend using mini chocolate chips and freezing the assembled sandwiches for at least 3 hours.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Sandwiching
- 3 cups (about 540g) vanilla ice cream (or your desired flavor)
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips (180g), sprinkles (150g), or finely chopped nuts (100g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (If you don’t have 3 baking sheets, bake the cookies in batches.)
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, then beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed, then beat in the chocolate chips until combined. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Since the dough is so sticky, I recommend using a cookie scoop and this medium size is perfect. Scoop cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12–13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. If desired, while the cookies are still warm, press extra mini chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies. This is optional and just for looks. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before assembling your ice cream sandwiches.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Flip a cooled cookie over and place 1 generous ice cream scoop, about 1/4 cup or 45g, on top. Use your scoop to gently spread the ice cream to the edges. Sandwich a cookie on top, then pick up the assembled sandwich and gently press it all together in the very center to make a compact sandwich. Roll sides into mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or nuts. If not enjoying right away (they’re messy if you don’t freeze them first), immediately wrap assembled sandwich in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in the freezer. Repeat with remaining cookies and ice cream.
- Freeze for at least 3 hours and up to 3 months.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can bake the cookies up to 3 days before assembling your ice cream sandwiches. Store covered at room temperature until ready to assemble. Assembled cookie sandwiches can freeze for up to 3 months.
- Why the cornstarch and extra egg yolk? Cornstarch helps produce a super soft cookie, which is the ideal bread for a frozen cookie sandwich. Feel free to skip the cornstarch if you don’t have any. An extra egg yolk keeps the cookies flavorful and tender. 1 egg is not enough for this dough and 2 eggs is too many, so just use the yolk of that 2nd egg.
- I recommend mini chocolate chips: When frozen, the smaller chips aren’t as rock hard as the regular size chocolate chips. They’re simply easier (and more pleasant) to eat, plus you can enjoy more chocolate in every single bite when you use a smaller chip.
- Ice Cream: Use your favorite flavor. There’s no need to soften your ice cream prior to assembling, though if your ice cream is particularly hard to scoop, give it a couple minutes and try again.
- Gluten Free Options: Use these flourless almond butter chocolate chip cookies or these flourless peanut butter chocolate cookies as the “bread.” As always, make sure the ice cream you are using is labeled gluten free.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Handheld Mixer or Stand Mixer, Baking Sheets, Medium Cookie Scoop, Ice Cream Scoop, Plastic Wrap or Parchment Paper for wrapping
Keywords: chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches
I’ve been looking for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe for ice cream sandwiches and, unfortunately, I’ll keep searching. I followed the recipe precisely and the cookies came out dry and froze up hard. I could tell even before I baked them that there would be issues because the dough was dry (not sticky in the least). I am a very experienced baker and I spooned and leveled the flour (though I normally prefer to weigh ingredients). I used a very accurate Thermoworks oven thermometer to insure the oven was the correct temperature. In addition to the cookies being dry, they did not spread enough in the oven (I used a Silat baking sheet) and I had to flatten them a bit when they came out. They tasted ok, but it’s pretty hard to go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie. Waste of time and ingredients. I made up a couple of sandwiches but I won’t waste my delicious homemade ice cream making up any more.
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One was very satisfying for me. These will be ready for the next time the grandkids visit. The cookies themselves worked well dunking in milk too. Thank you for the great recipe.
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I made these exactly as the recipe stated. My cookies were not soft. My oven temp was perfect. They tasted good but were crispy not soft or chewy. What went wrong?
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Hi J, is it possible the cookies were slightly over baked? That can cause cookies to be more crispy. For next time, you can try reducing the baking time by just a minute or two.
Great recipe but I really want to comment on the cookie. It might be one of the best tasting chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had.
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Great cookie, great ice cream sandwich.
My guests were both impressed and delighted.
Will definitely make it again.
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Hi Sally,
I am a long time follower and first time commenter. I have a second birthday party coming up, and I want to make the munchkins a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich cake- I’m wondering can I use this recipe to make two big 9 inch round cookies to use as my sandwich? I noticed you said that you had to be very gentle when assembling the sandwich, which made me a little nervous assembling two giant 9 inch cookies into one sandwich. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Francesca, the cookie ice cream sandwiches are delicious, but are best enjoyed as hand-held treats (I always keep the wrapper partly on while I eat them, too, to prevent stickiness all over my hands!). I don’t think this recipe would work as a larger “cake” version. However, you could try following the instructions for these brownie ice cream sandwiches, but use cookie dough instead. Let us know if you try that, and how it turns out!
As someone who needs to eat lactose free ice cream, I was thrilled to be able to make my own chip wiches! THESE ARE FANTASTIC!!!!! Another winner, so good, I felt compelled to write a review. Will be trying the sugar cookie as well, and using homemade ice cream in the future. JUST AMAZING. Thank you so much for doing this.
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Hi Sally- what is the best way to freeze these ?
Hi Debbie, wrap assembled sandwiches in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in the freezer. If storing in the freezer, we recommend also placing them in an air tight container or large resealable plastic bag.
Planning on making these for a kids’ party! How do you get your cookies so so perfectly round? Should I be rolling the dough (after scooping with a medium scoop) into a nice ball before placing on the baking sheet? Can’t wait to try the recipe.
Hi Joy! Correct, after scooping the cookie dough, you can roll them into balls before placing on the sheet. You can also use a spoon to help reshape the edges part way through baking (see the video in our chocolate chip cookies post — about the 1:18 mark) or right after they come out of the oven. Hope the ice cream sandwiches are a hit at the party!
Hi there! I’m looking to make these but don’t have a paddle attachment for my mixer. Is this going to be a problem? Thanks!
Hi Courtney, beaters work great as well but a whisk attachment wouldn’t be the best option.
Hello Sally! Thanks so much for the recipe. I wanted to ask a question. So I did a small change, I browned my butter and let it solidify. After mixing all the ingredients the dough wasn’t sticky so my cookies didn’t spread. Do you think that it was probably the altered butter (browned butter)? Thanks!
Hi Char! Browning butter does release some moisture, so it’s best to start with slightly more butter than you’ll need – you can read more about it in this post! Also make sure to spoon and level your flour when measuring instead of scooping.
These look amazing! Can I make them using a dairy free butter like earth balance?
Hi Dana, we haven’t tested these cookies with a dairy-free butter so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do give it a try!
These came out amazing! Nice and flat cookies to put the ice cream on and taste great! Thanks for the recipe, Sally!
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Made these yesterday and loved them!
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These are fantastic. Big hit with my guests! Easy to make, definitely a keeper recipe. I used black cherry ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. I took a picture of one AFTER I had frozen it, should have taken one as soon as I made it, as it was prettier then, LOL. The cookies were a bit crunchy, but not hard to bite into and did not crumble. Thanks, Sally, for this great recipe!
★★★★★
I intend to take these to a Fourth of July party tomorrow… but between taste testing the cookies and trying one of the ice cream sandwiches, we may not have any left to share! I have a feeling these will be a freezer staple in the summer from now on.
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I cannot have chocolate. Was looking for a sugar cookie or maybe oatmeal cookie recommendation WITHOUT chocolate??
Hi Jessica! We recommend using the sugar cookie variation detailed in the blog post above – enjoy!
Help! My cookies didn’t flatten.
Hi Christine! How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Hi Sally, my cookies spread allot! followed the directions. I will try to push them into a round shape, like a cookie should be and put ice cream in between. Fingers crossed!
I would like to make the gluten free cookies dairy free as well, have you made these with dairy free ice cream?
Hi Alex, we haven’t made these with dairy-free ice cream but imagine it should work just fine. Let us know how it goes!
Already made these to bring to a BBQ this weekend. I had one and they’re great! The cookies are yummy. Thanks for sharing.
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Hi, Sally, I would ,love to make these with a chocolate cookie Do you have a good recipe for that?
Hi Karen, you can make these with these brownie cookies or with these chocolate cookies (replace white chocolate chips with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips).
I was windering if cake flour can be used instead of all pourpose flour and cornstarch.
Hi Teresa, using cake flour isn’t ideal because it’s too light and fine. There is so little cornstarch for the amount of flour needed, so subbing in cake flour isn’t really an equal swap.
Thanks, Sally, I will let you know how they turned out and what my guests thought of them next week!
Do you have an oatmeal cookie recipe that would work for ice cream sandwiches? These look good but my husband’s favorite are oatmeal cookies!
What a great idea! These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies would work. Use mini chocolate chips.
I am going to make these ahead for July 4th picnic. If I assemble on Friday, and freeze, do they need to be at room temperature for a few minutes prior to serving, or serve right from the freezer? These look so good, and so easy!
Thanks Janet! You can serve right out of the freezer. Obviously they will be slightly hard since they’re frozen, but they soften up very quickly.