A childhood classic made-over using healthy, vegan double chocolate cookies and non-diary frozen dessert as the filling. These Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches are the perfect afternoon summer treat or filling vegan dessert!
We all have those classic childhood desserts. The ones that bring you back to summer evenings where the days seem to last forever and only end with a little dirt under your fingernails. I know I find myself nostalgic for those days all too often.
To be fair, life is good. Really good. But I can’t help but miss those humid summer days where I did dumb things like rollerblade down a hill with only one rollerblade on (I have the scar on my knee to prove it) and jump 12 feet out of a treehouse (fortunately don’t have any scars to prove this one). There were lemonade stands where I attempted to sell chives from Mama Maven’s garden for 5 cents a pop and blisters on my hands from too many attempts at the monkey bars. There was a smell too. It was the smell of sweat and fun and clothes that were undoubtedly covered in mud. Those were the days!
Nowadays I’m pretty sure I’d be mortified to go out in public with that same smell and well, my daredevil days are unfortunately (or fortunately) behind us. Those humid days are long gone here in San Francisco, but I still live for those long summer nights, sitting in our backyard eating ice cream sandwiches.
Vegan Ice Cream
These days my ice cream sandwiches look more like these vegan ice cream sandwiches made with a gluten-free double chocolate cookie and Open Nature® Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert but the premise is still the same! Potentially more delicious…but shhhhh don’t tell my 8 year old self that!
Open Nature® Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert is a great non-dairy alternative to traditional ice cream and is made with almondmilk or cashewmilk. To be honest, it’s delicious straight out of the pint but if you’re feeling extra nostalgic I highly suggest sandwiching it between two cookies. I buy my Open Nature products at my local Safeway here in San Francisco, and you can also find them exclusively at all of the Albertsons Companies family of stores in your area (search for one here). If non-dairy isn’t your thing they also carry their Signature Reserve and the Open Nature Scandal-Less Light Ice Cream. You can easily sub either of these in for the ice cream center.
What You Need for Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches:
- almond butter
- unsweetened almond milk – or any other non-dairy milk!
- ground flax
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- coconut sugar
- baking soda
- sea salt
- chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- dairy-free ice cream – I used vanilla but feel free to experiment with different flavors!
Making Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
The key to making your own ice cream sandwiches is to use cookies that have cooled completely! After baking, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely or pop them in the freezer to speed up the process! When it’s time to make the sandwiches, take one cookie and carefully scoop ice cream on it, gently press on the second cookie and enjoy immediately! You can make all the sandwiches ahead of time and store them in the freezer or just make each sandwich as you want to eat them.
Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup drippy almond butter
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 1/3 cup good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- sprinkle of sea salt
- 1/4 cup good quality chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
For the Center:
- 1 pint of Open Nature® Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert in CashewMilk Vanilla Bean (feel free to swap for one of their other flavors!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine almond butter and almond milk until fully incorporated.
- Stir in flax, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda and sea salt until it all comes together.
- Stir in chocolate chips
- If mixture is a little wet (this will depend on your almond butter), place batter in fridge for 30 mins to set.
- Divide dough into 12 balls and roll and flatten with palm directly onto the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 13-15 mins or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 10 mins before removing from sheet. This step is important, do not attempt to remove them from the sheet before 10 minutes is up.
- Remove from sheet and allow to cool completely or place in freezer to speed up process. Cookies should not be hot or warm when making sandwiches.
- Place a scoop (about a 1/4 cup) of Open Nature® Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert in center of one cookie and top with another. You may need to re-shape cookie slightly, but be gentle.
- Smooth down sides with a knife, if desired.
- Store in freezer until ready to serve.
Like these ice cream sandwiches? Here are a few other vegan desserts you might enjoy:
- Vegan Oatmeal Lace Cookies
- Raw Nutella Bars
- Vegan Pumpkin Caramel Tart
- Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream [No Churn]
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons Companies . The opinions and text are all mine.
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6 Comments
Alicia baldwin
July 24, 2018 at 1:53 pmIce cream sandwich was always my favorite to get from ice cream vehicle growing up, nevertheless Im lactose intolerant so vegetarian is the best option. I must make these and stick some in the freezer for when I actually want a treat.
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
July 27, 2018 at 1:47 pmyes! We have them stored in the freezer for dessert every night 😉
Kaitlyn @ Powered by Sass
July 10, 2018 at 6:12 pmOmg, swoon. I’m lactose intolerant and have been eating mostly plant-based over the past year or so, so new-to-me vegan items are a must! I just haven’t found the perfect ice cream yet. The majority of the ones I find have peanut butter in them, and while I like peanut butter, I don’t want it in everything! I’ll keep my eyes peeled for this in SoCal! I’m moving there THURSDAY! Roadtrip from D.C., here I come! I’ll be long overdue for some comfort food. Hahah. – Kaitlyn | http://www.poweredbysass.com
Alicia @Bridges Through Life
July 9, 2018 at 10:02 amThe ice cream sandwich was always my favorite to get from the ice cream truck growing up, but now I’m lactose intolerant so vegan is the best option. I need to make these and stick some in the freezer for when I want a treat.
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite
July 4, 2018 at 2:03 pmI seriously can’t get over how these cookies are naturally gluten free…and no eggs even?!! I literally eat ice cream almost every night in the summer with a baked good…can’t wait to try this brand too! 🙂
Ashley
July 2, 2018 at 10:24 pmI eat this ice cream a few nights per week. I am so glad I discovered it and I’m so giddy that it goes on sale often. Oh, and I am totally digging the ice cream and cookie combo this summer so I must make these beauties!
★★★★★