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.
One reader, Anneliz, commented: “These cookies make the BEST ice cream sandwiches! They are delicious and soft enough to eat when frozen but don’t turn to mush when getting melty. My grandkids loved them—and so did their parents. I followed the recipe exactly, as usual for all of Sally’s recipes. ★★★★★“
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 of this nostalgic dessert.
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.
- They’re a great make-ahead treat for a hot summer day or a fun birthday dessert instead of cake.
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 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. Still, it’s less time than freezing a big ice cream cake.
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.
If you’re still craving cookie ice cream sandwiches when fall hits, try them with the cookies from my pumpkin oatmeal cream pies!
For more cookie inspiration, today’s cookies join 25+ others on my Summer Cookie Recipes collection page. 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 (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tablespoons; 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 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Ice Cream Scoop | Plastic Wrap or Parchment Paper (for wrapping)
- 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
How much flour? I love the recipe but my cookies come out very rounded so I measured the flour this time in grams and 2 1/4 cups was 375 grams vs 281, making me think I should have used 1 1/4 cups flour. This has become a go to recipe for chocolate chip cookies but for ice cream sandwiches I have to flatten them with the spatula.
I need to bake a parve (nondairy) version of these cookies. Do I need to adjust the recipe if I swap for margarine?
Hi Alison, we haven’t tested a non-dairy version of these cookies. We don’t typically recommend margarine for a swap, since it has very different baking properties than butter. You may have better luck with a plant-based butter instead. Let us know what you decide to try!
I’m sure you’ve already figured something out, but I made these with melt plant butter and oat ice cream for a shabbat barbecue!
I made these this weekend and they were sooo good! The cookies were delicious and baked perfectly – good thickness and consistency. Every cookie looked identical in size and shape. Sprinkles stick much better than mini chips and look so festive. I added coffee ice cream to some and that flavor combination was perfect! I will definitely make these often. It is nice to have them in the freezer ready to serve at any time.
Can one make a gluten free version of this recipe by just swapping out the flour for say: Bob’s RED Mill 1 to 1???
Hi Amy, we haven’t tested that exact swap so we’re unsure of the exact results, however many readers have reported success using that flour in our other recipes. Let us know if you do give it a try!
Me again! I think my cookie scoop was a small because I was able to get 18 sandwiche cookies!
This was a fun recipe to make with my kids. The cookies on their own were delicious and will be a new go to chocolate chip cookie recipe! Freezing the cookies and having a few sets of extra hands helped put these together and back in the freezer before they could melt. Will make again, for sure!
I am so anxious to try using ur reccipes. They all look so good. I know my great grand baby will love eating them also.
Hello, is it possible to double this recipe please?
Hi Jo, yes, you can double the cookie portion of this recipe and purchase more ice cream. Enjoy!
Just want to say I switched over from the Ghirardelli chocolate chip cookie recipe to this one and I LOVE IT! The cookies not only look good but taste good too.
Hi, these look so good!
I am wondering, can you changed the butter and use noisette butter instead? 😀
Hi Ardis, you can certainly use brown butter instead. Because some of the moisture evaporates during the browning process, I recommend adding a tablespoon of water to your dough to make up for that. Enjoy!
Hello on the last step of the instruction why does it say “up to 3 months”?
Hi Mary, Freeze for at least 3 hours and up to 3 months.
My cookies tend to get soggy as the ice cream melts while being eaten – any thoughts about how to prevent that
Hi Janet, that happens with homemade cookies and ice cream. But you can try baking the cookies for longer to get a crispier, crunchy cookie.
First off, this is my go to cookie recipe anyway bc you don’t have to chill the dough and I often want chocolate chip cookies on a whim lol! I just make them w regular chips and smaller size than the giant recipe. So this was an easy adjustment! I was skeptical about mini chips bc i wondered if you would be able to taste the chocolate but these were amazing!! (I should known not to doubt Sally!) Made them for my brothers birthday and we had 4 flavors. Mint choc chip, chocolate, vanilla and coffee ice creams (my personal fave) Easier to eat if you don’t overload w ice cream like my first few. We used the small haagan daz 14oz and just sliced them! Be prepared to assemble fast so they don’t melt m! Family gave, will def make again, thank you Sally!
These cookies make the BEST ice cream sandwiches! They are delicious and soft enough to eat when frozen, but don’t turn to mush when getting melt-y! My grandkids loved them- and so did their parents . I followed the recipe exactly, as usual for all of Sally’s recipes ✨
Hi this is a message for the giant reeses pieces cookie. I couldn’t post there :-(. My cookie was a a mountain and refused to spread. What did I do wrong???
Hi Alex, how did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over measured. If there is too much flour, it can soak up all of the wet ingredients and prevent your cookies from spreading properly. Here are our 5 best tips to improve your next batch of cookies that you might find helpful, too. Thank you for giving it a try!
Hi! I want to use this recipe to make mini chocolate chip cookie sandwiches, the same size as Sally’s mini m & m cookies (about 1 teaspoon of cookie dough in size) how long would I bake these for?
Hi Treva, you can use the bake time from mini M&M cookies as guide. Such a fun idea!
This cookie turned out great. Divided the recipe yield by weight and got 20 perfectly sized cookies (10 sandwiches). Recommend freezing the baked cookies before assembling the ice cream sandwiches. You can squish them together without worrying about breaking the cookie.
Hi! I am going to make this sugar cookie version of this recipe this weekend, and I wondered if I could do 2 giant cookies, then assemble, and cut into individual portions?
Hi Amy! It might be a bit difficult to cut through the giant cookie without the ice cream squishing out the sides. We’d recommend making the smaller cookies, if you can!
This recipe is delicious! Mt family loved them.
I’m going to make these today, but do you think if I were to add the cornstarch to any cookie recipe to make soft cookies for ice cream sandwiches, it would work out? Would I need to adjust anything? Like a peanut butter cookie
Hi Anne! That would take some testing. Peanut butter cookies can be a little tricky because their texture is already more dry and soft from the peanut butter.
Made these for my son and his friend- they were so good! I froze my cookies before assembling them. Cannot wait to make these with different ice creams and mini M&M’s. Thank you Sally!
Very good and stays soft unlike others I have tried that were too brittle when frozen. Can you recommend how to change this recipe or your sugar
Cookie recipe to a dark chocolate cookie to be used in the frozen sandwiches?
Hi Patty, have you tried our Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies? You could also add dark chocolate chips to our Drop Sugar Cookies recipe (and omit the sprinkles). We’d love to know what you try and hope you enjoy!
This recipe sounds great. I attempted to make my own prior to reading this and my frozen cookies are rock hard and not good for ice cream sandwiches unless you want to break a tooth. Wondering if you have a variation for Chocolate Chocolate chip cookies? I wanted to fill them with mint chip ice cream, (kind of like a thin mint ice cream cookie sandwich).
Hi kp, you can make these with these brownie cookies or with these chocolate cookies (replace chocolate chips with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips).
Hi! I made these as the cookies for ice cream sandwiches. These are hands-down, the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made! They were amazing fresh out of the oven, with a gooey middle and an ever-so-slight crunch on the bottom edges. They held up wonderfully with the ice cream. We will use this recipe from now on. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
I made these for a family vacation over the Fourth of July and they were a hit! The cookies were perfect with peanut butter swirl ice cream and I added red, white, and blue sprinkles to make them festive. I highly recommend making these for any summer occasion!
SALLY! Where is the recipe for the ones pictured below? I have been making them for years for my daughter’s birthday and they are a HUGE HIT! I cannot find the recipe – with the unicorn sprinkles. HELP
Hi Nikki! The assembly instructions are the same. See right above the recipe for my directions using the sugar cookie dough and adding sprinkles. You can also email my team and I and we can send you a printable version of the older recipe. sally(at)sallysbakingaddiction.com
Hi:-) I am planing to make these amazing cooking for sandwiches for next week. I read the entire post but didn’t see what I was looking for so I’ll ask the ? here. Could I make and bake the cookies and freeze them or the dough until I am ready to serve? I was thinking of letting people making they own sandwiches since I will have 6 kinds of homemade ice cream to chose from so I was also thinking of not preparing the sandwiches for that reason.
Hi Chantal! Yes, absolutely. You can freeze the dough or the baked cookies. It may be even a little easier to make the sandwiches neatly with frozen cookies. Let us know how it goes!
Thank you so much for the quick reply. For sure I will let you know how it went and I will post a picture on Pinterest as well 🙂
This was such a fun recipe to make and they turned out beautifully. This recipe is a keeper.
I made these multiple times last summer, and just came back to grab the recipe for this summer. I was really surprised to see anything less than a perfect 5 star rating. These ice cream cookie sandwiches are amazing. I really agree with the other commenter who said the cookie is the star of the show – such a good cookie just on its own. I had no issues with the cookies being rock hard after freezing as some commenters said. I also didn’t have issues with ice cream slipping out the sides when you take a bite, as can happen with many other ice cream sandwich recipes. This is a family favorite recipe in our household for summer!
Cookies came out rock solid after freezing, definitely a waste of ingredients.
Hi Julia, thanks so much for giving this recipe a try. Were the cookies over baked by chance? That could make them a bit harder to bite through, especially after freezing. Letting them sit for a few minutes once removing from the freezer should help, too.