Name: Vegan Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 420 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries ((chopped)); 2 tbsp maple syrup; 16 medjool dates ((pits removed)); 1/4 cup cocoa/cacao powder; 1/4 cup raw nuts ((cashews or pecans)); 1/2 cup oats; 2 tbsp nut butter ((almond or cashew)); 1 tsp vanilla; 1-2 tbsp coconut oil ((room temperature)); pinch of sea salt; 2 500mL pints of vanilla ice cream ((So Delicious Brand- 1000mL total))

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We all scream for ice cream when the summer weather rolls in! But now you don’t have to chase after the ice cream truck because you can make your own strawberry ice cream cookie sandwiches! These vegan ice cream sandwiches are the perfect way to cap off a summer evening. They are gluten free, with a healthier raw cookie crust to hold in that delicious, creamy vegan vanilla ice cream. I added fresh, simmered strawberries to the vanilla ice cream and it takes these ice cream cookies to a whole other level. But if you aren’t a fan of strawberries, keep these sandwiches straight vanilla! Good luck not eating all of these on the next hot summer day!

Why You’ll Love these Strawberry Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

I feel like I shouldn’t have to give you reasons to love ice cream, but I will. These ice cream cookies are refreshing as heck and the perfect summer treat!
I’m all about easy recipes and shortcuts so you don’t have to make your own vegan vanilla ice cream in this recipe, simply buy your favourite vanilla ice cream and bob’s your uncle.
The fresh strawberries in these vegan ice cream sandwiches are such a summery touch. It is completely optional but boy does it take the ice cream to another level with a beautiful added sweetness that complements the ice cream and the cookie crust really nicely.
I wanted to make a raw cocoa cookie crust because there aren’t a lot of gluten free ice cream sandwiches out there that have that classic chocolatey cookie. There are some with a chocolate chip cookie you can buy in the freezer section but it’s harder to find a more classic ice cream cookie sandwich and this recipe came dang close but it has a healthier twist.

How to make these vegan ice cream cookies

Believe it or not, the hardest part when making these ice cream cookie sandwiches is the passive, waiting time. The time when you are waiting for them to solidify. The rest of the work isn’t hard at all!

Start by simmering the strawberries with a little maple syrup. Once those are soft, remove them from the heat and let them cool completely. You will be adding these to the vegan vanilla ice cream down the road (if you choose to make these sandwiches strawberry flavour).

Next, prepare the cookie. I kept the cookie for these ice cream cookies raw so you don’t have to turn on the oven in the hot summer months. The texture of the cookies is chewy and chocolatey- just how a classic ice cream cookie sandwich should be. You simply add all the cookie ingredients to a food processor and blend it until it’s sticky, and forms into a ball. Then you roll out the batter into two 8×8 squares that are roughly 1/2 cm in thickness. Freeze one of these 8×8 squares in an 8×8 pan for at least 15 minutes. Leave the other square on the counter until the end step.

the ice cream

While the batter is freezing, remove the ice cream from the freezer to thaw. I thought of making my own no-churn vegan ice cream, but that always adds a few more steps and a lot of time waiting for it to freeze. So if you like making a homemade version- go for it! But if you are all about the shortcuts and keeping it easy, buy your favourite store-bought ice cream. I used So Delicious and it did not disappoint.

Once the ice cream is a little soft, scoop it into a blender to make it easier to spread onto the cookie. It also makes folding in the strawberry mixture WAY easier. Fold in those strawberries and then remove the cookie crust from the freezer. Evenly spread the strawberry ice cream onto the base cookie and then add the top cookie 8×8 square on top of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 6 hours and then cut the ice cream cookie sandwiches.

gluten free ice cream sandwiches stacked

For more vegan ice cream recipes check these out

Vegan Oreo Blizzard
Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches
Homemade Dairy Free Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
Fudgesicles
Raspberry Coconut Sorbet

These vegan ice cream sandwiches are bound to please anyone in your home unless they don’t like happiness wrapped in a cookie. And then you just have to question if you even want to be associated with a person like that. Just kidding, but seriously, these ice cream cookies are the bees knees. They are refreshing, sweet, gluten free AND vegan. They are picky husband approved and will be a staple this summer in our home and I hope they will be in yours as well!

Print Recipe

Vegan Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

Prep Time30 mins

Passive Time6 hrs 30 mins

Total Time7 hrs

Ingredients

Strawberry Filling

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (chopped)
2 tbsp maple syrup

Raw Cookies

16 medjool dates (pits removed)
1/4 cup cocoa/cacao powder
1/4 cup raw nuts (cashews or pecans)
1/2 cup oats
2 tbsp nut butter (almond or cashew)
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp coconut oil (room temperature)
pinch of sea salt

Ice Cream

2 500mL pints of vanilla ice cream (So Delicious Brand- 1000mL total)

Instructions

Chop the strawberries and remove the green leaves. Add to a pot over medium heat. Add in the maple syrup. Bring to a slight boil and then simmer for ten minutes until the strawberries are very soft. Set aside to completely cool.

Cookie

Remove the pits from the dates. You want the dates to be soft and chewy in texture. If they are firm soak them in hot water for at least 30 minutes then drain the water. But chewy dates are going to yield the best results.
Add the dates along with all the other cookie ingredients to a food processor. Start with 1 tbsp of coconut oil, if after a few minutes the batter isn't sticking together add another tbsp. Blend until it is well combined, smooth and forms a sticky ball.
Divide the batter roughly in half and roll out one half between two pieces of parchment paper, roll until roughly 1/2 cm thick and in an 8×8 square. Do your best to roll it in a 8×8 square becasue you are going to transfer it to a 8×8 pan with the parchement paper on the bottom. Lay it flat in the pan. Freeze for at least 15 minutes in the 8×8 pan (30 is better). Roll out the other half of the batter to the same size (roughly 8×8) and set it aside on the counter. Option to take a fork and add small hole indents to the top layer (just for appearance). **see notes
When the rolled batter, in the freezer, has been setting for almost the full amount of time, take out the two pints of vanilla ice cream to let them thaw slightly. Once a little soft, add the ice cream to a blender. Blend it until it's smooth (this just makes it more manageable when adding the strawberries). ** If you are not adding strawberries to your ice cream you can skip this step. Blend the ice cream until smooth and then fold in the cooled strawberry mixture.
Remove the rolled batter from the freezer and spread the ice cream over top. The ice cream should still be SOLID but just easier to spead then if it was straight from the container. Try to evenly spread out the ice cream and then add the other 8×8 square of batter gently on top. Place in the freezer for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).
Once the sandwiches are frozen solid. Remove them from the freezer. Gently remove the sandwiches from the 8×8 pan (you may need a knife to loosen up the edges). Cut the sandwiches into 6-8 sandwiches. Place back in a sealed container in the freezer or let thaw slighly and enjoy!

Notes

I found rolling the batter into a perfect 8×8 square to be a little tricky. Initially just roll it to 1/2 cm in thickness, then take a knife and outline almost an 8×8 square with a slight indent (via the knife). Don’t just cut away the excess. Where the knife made the outline, fold the excess back into the batter and gently roll it out. I did this a few times and my square wasn’t perfect but it worked!