You may remember the soft and thick funfetti cookies I shared a little while back. Those came from my first attempt at making a funfetti cookie specifically designed for ice cream sandwiches and they were so big and so thick that sandwiching them was completely out of the question. So I ate them as cookies and went back to the drawing board. The second attempt was closer but still not quite right. The third tweak was the one. Chewy, the perfect size, sturdy enough to hold a full scoop of ice cream without falling apart, and still completely packed with sprinkles in every single bite. It took three rounds of testing to get here and I would do it all again.
A cookie that works as an ice cream sandwich has a very specific set of requirements that a regular cookie does not have to meet. It needs to be chewy not cakey so it does not crumble when you press the ice cream in. It needs to be the right diameter so every bite has a good ratio of cookie to ice cream. And it needs to be sturdy enough to hold its structure straight out of the freezer without shattering. Too thick and the ratio is off and the cookie overwhelms the ice cream. Too thin and it breaks. The sweet spot took three tries to find and this recipe is it.
The sprinkles are non negotiable and the funfetti flavor is what makes these ice cream sandwiches feel like a birthday party in frozen dessert form. That classic birthday cake cookie flavor paired with cold creamy vanilla ice cream in the middle is one of those combinations that tastes like pure celebration. Roll the edges in extra sprinkles after assembling for that bakery finish that makes them look absolutely stunning and adds a little extra crunch to every bite.
Assemble them, wrap each one individually in parchment paper, and freeze for at least two hours before eating or eat right away. They keep in the freezer for up to two weeks which means you can make a full batch and have the most fun freezer treat ready to pull out all summer long. A heads up that the first batch of cookies also lives on this blog as its own recipe because they are incredible on their own and absolutely worth making if you just want a really great funfetti cookie without the ice cream. you can find it HERE. But if you want the sandwich, this third iteration is the one you want. Enjoy!
Funfetti Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup melted butter cooled but still liquid
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg + 1 yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp almond extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 1½ cups AP flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Mix-ins:
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles jimmies
- 1 tub vanilla ice cream, slightly soft
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix Wet Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine melted butter with sugar and brown sugar and mix until combined.
- Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined.
Whisk Dry Ingredients:
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients 1 cup at a time and mix slowly until combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed.
- When you see just a few floury spots left, add sprinkles and combine the rest of the way.
Scoop & Bake:
- Using a 2 Tbs cookie scoop, 6 scoop balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 9-10 min or until the edges are golden brown and middles are just set. They will continue to bake as they cool.
- Transfer cookies onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Make Ice Cream Sandwiches:
- Place a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on the back of a cooled cookie. I find it easiest to kind of pre-smash your scoop before placing it on the cookie.
- Top ice cream with another cookie, making a sandwich and gently press together on the centers of the cookies.
- Roll the edges of the ice cream in sprinkles and enjoy immediately.
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