Celebrate the festivities of summer with these Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. This is a small batch frozen dessert that combines no-churn chocolate chip ice cream sandwiched between two flourless peanut butter cookies, and finished with a chocolate shell and festive sprinkles.
Prep Time4 minutesmins
Cook Time11 minutesmins
Chill8 hourshrs
Total Time8 hourshrs15 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 4th of July Dessert, Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Easy, Flourless, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Peanut Butter, Small Batch
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
In a small mixing bowl, add the sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and egg yolk. Stir (with a fork or wooden spoon) until fully incorporated.
Scoop the dough equally into 8 cookie balls (approximately 1/2 tablespoon). Place on the prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Gently press down on the cookies to flatten them slightly. Note - The cookies are small - about 2 inches in diameter - but keep in mind there are two of them in one serving.
Bake for 11 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn slightly golden brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire rack for 10 minutes. The transfer the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely. Once the cookies have cooled, place them in an airtight container and freeze until ready to assemble.
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Line an eighth size baking sheet, in both directions, with plastic wrap that is long enough to fold over and cover the baking sheet. Note - The baking sheet allows you to cut equal size circles of ice cream for the cookie sandwiches. You can also use a freezer-proof container to freeze the ice cream and just scoop ice cream for the cookie sandwiches.
In a medium mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer to whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the sweetened condensed, and stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Fold the sweetened condensed milk into the whipped cream until fully combined. Note - Taste the mix and add more sweetened condensed milk if you prefer a sweeter ice cream.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips into the ice cream mix and stir to combine.
Pour the ice cream onto the prepared baking sheet (or freezer proof container). Spread evenly into all corners and sides, then cover securely with the plastic wrap overhang. Freeze for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Chocolate Coating
Once the ice cream has frozen, assemble the ice cream sandwiches - In a small microwave safe bowl (that is wide enough to dunk the ice cream sandwiches), add the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Heat in 15 second increments – stirring after each increment – until the chocolate is mostly melted. If there are a few small chocolate bits, they will melt as you stir the chocolate. Note - Do not over-heat the chocolate. It can seize and turn into a big chocolate clump if over-heated.
Remove the ice cream and cookies from the freezer. Using a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter - that is the same size as the cookies - cut 4 discs of ice cream. Place the ice cream discs on 4 of the cookies to make the ice cream sandwiches. Note - You will have extra ice cream that you can transfer to a freezer proof container. Discard the plastic wrap, and use the baking sheet to freeze the assembled ice cream sandwiches.
Dunk the ice cream sandwiches in the melted chocolate - as much or as little as you prefer. Sprinkle with festive sprinkles (optional). Set the assembled sandwiches on a the baking sheet and freeze for 15 - 30 minutes, to allow the chocolate to set. Keep frozen until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Peanut Butter Cookies
The cookies are small - About 2-inches in diameter. But keep in mind, there will be two of them in one ice cream sandwich!
I recommend processed, creamy peanut butter for baking. Like Jif. Natural peanut butter may work, but you want to be sure it is mixed well since the oil tends to separate in the jar.
Room temperature peanut butter is key - I don't know many people that store their peanut butter in the fridge, but if you do, make sure it is at room temperature. It will make mixing 100x easier.
I recommend a sturdy mixing spoon, or wooden spoon to mix - Because this is a small batch, using your stand-mixer may not work (everything will get stuck on the bottom). And the batter will come together much faster if you mix it by hand.
Ice Cream
Sweeten to taste - Taste test the ice cream mix as you add the sweetened condensed milk. Add more if you prefer a sweeter ice cream.
Freezing the ice cream - I like to use an eighth size baking sheet for this recipe. It allows you to cut evenly sized ice cream discs to fit neatly on the cookies. You can also just freeze the ice cream in a freezer-proof container and scoop the ice cream onto the cookies.
Ice cream 'discs' - A round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter work great to cut the discs of ice cream.
Chocolate Coating
Don't over-heat the chocolate - Or it will seize up firm. It is o.k. if there are small bits of chocolate after it has mostly melted. The residual heat and stirring the chocolate will melt those.