It’s the middle of July, so ice cream every day, right? Ahh, yes…of course. So here’s the story. These sandwiches are meant to take you back to your childhood summer days of chasing down the neighborhood ice cream truck or stopping in at your local ice cream shop on a hot summer day. My go-to ice cream truck order was the classic ice cream sandwich or the cookies n’ cream ice cream bar (or the strawberry shortcake one…oddly). Tried and true classics that never get old.
And my ice cream shop order…Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup all the way. Oh wait, or maybe cookie dough. IDK, it’s a toss-up. What about you guys? What were your favorites as a kid? Summer always makes me think of being a kid and all the foods I loved most when I was younger. And that’s where these sandwiches come into the picture. I took the idea of the classic ice cream sandwich and “sandwiched” it with another favorite, cookies n’ cream ice cream. Simple concept, but so delicious. Every bite is so good. The cookies are softer and more brownie-like, but the ice cream between the cookies is heavy on the vanilla, swirled with malted milk powder (for a nutty caramel-like flavor), and stuffed between crunchy chocolate cookies. These. Are. Good!
Ok, the details.
Since I wanted to keep the recipe fairly easy and straight forward I made a no-churn cookies n’ cream ice cream with heavy cream. To be honest, I kind of love no-churn ice cream. Maybe more than the “real” stuff. Not only is no-churn ice cream incredibly easy to make, but it’s also the creamiest, richest ice cream. This version is made extra special with two ingredients, malted milk powder, and chocolate wafer cookies. Oreo’s work too, if those are your favorite. For those of you unfamiliar with malted milk powder, it’s the best kept secret ingredient in the baking world. Malted milk is what’s typically used to make a malted milkshake, among other things. It’s made from barley wheat and gives off a nutty flavor with a natural sweetness. It reminds me of the flavors in a toasted caramel sauce with undertone notes of browned butter and vanilla. It’s very subtle but DELICIOUS. The milk powder isn’t a must-use ingredient, but it does add a layer of flavor that keeps everyone wanting more. For the cookies in the ice cream, I used classic chocolate wafer cookies. But of course, you can use crushed Oreos too. Both are equally great.
To make the no-churn ice cream.
Whip the cream with the malted milk until you have whipped cream. Add sweetened condensed milk for sweetness and plenty of vanilla for flavor. Then, stir in those chocolate cookies. And done, you now have no-churn cookies n” cream ice cream. Freeze the ice cream in a baking dish until solid. I like to use a nine by thirteen-inch rectangle baking pan.
Bake the cookies and finish these up.
While the ice cream freezes, bake the cookies! They’re simple. Beat some butter, add ingredients like cocoa powder, then roll the dough out just like you would sugar cookies. Cut the dough into small rectangles and bake! Once the cookies have cooled, and the ice cream is frozen, cut the slab of ice cream into twelve rectangles. They should sandwich nicely in-between each chocolate cookie. Now freeze the sandwiches, just to firm the ice cream back up again. And that’s it…simple, simple. These will take you a little time to prepare, but only because of the freezing. For the most part, I actually found these really easy and fun to make. If you have younger kids, these are definitely something they can help with!
And with that, I think that’s all I have to say today! If you take away one thing from all my rambles today, let it be this… These homemade ice cream sandwiches will take you back to being a kid. They’re soft and creamy, but with just the right amount of crunch. And the best part? The flavor is delicious…chocolatey, vanillay, and swirled with notes nutty caramel and sweet cream. Perfect summer weekend ice cream sandwich…make them and enjoy!
Looking for other ice cream recipes? Here are a few ideas: Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars No Churn Minted White Chocolate Swirled Ice Cream Easiest Raspberry Shortcake Ricotta Ice Cream Lastly, if you make these malted milk cookies n’ cream ice cream sandwiches, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
