Rich butter pecan ice cream is a delicious filling for homemade ice cream sandwiches!
Learn to make the best Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches with this easy recipe featuring scratch-made chocolate cookies.
This recipe, made with store-bought ice cream or homemade, is easier than it looks, and well worth the effort!
Classic ice cream sandwiches are a well-loved summer treat, but you can take this dessert to a whole new level with this recipe for homemade ice cream sandwiches with butter pecan ice cream!
Save the vanilla ice cream sandwiches for the kids, because I think these Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches will attract a more sophisticated ice cream lover.
Rich and buttery with crunchy pecans, butter pecan ice cream is the perfect filling in between 2 homemade chocolate cookies.
Why You're Going to Love This Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
Step By Step Instructions: I'm sharing all of my best tips for making homemade ice cream sandwiches, plus photos of the process.
A Very Versatile Recipe: Once you have this recipe down, you can make so many other ice cream sandwich flavors!
Easy to Make Ahead: Once assembled, you can store butter pecan ice cream sandwiches in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Have these on hand for ice cream cravings, whenever they might strike.
If you love ice cream sandwiches, check out my recipe for making an Ice Cream Sandwich Cake! I think you'll also enjoy making Fudgesicles from scratch too.
Ingredients in Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches
Butter Pecan Ice Cream - Store-bought ice cream works well in this recipe, or try it with Pralines and Cream Ice Cream or Butter Brickle ice cream instead.
Unsalted Butter - Butter is the base of our cookies– it gives them structure and richness.
Light Brown Sugar - Sweetens the cookies and gives them a soft, chewy texture.
Egg - The egg helps bind the cookie dough together.
Vanilla -This flavor extract enhances the sweetness and chocolatey flavor of the cookies.
Flour - Flour gives the cookies structure. Make sure to measure using the spoon and level method as adding too much flour can result in dry, crumbly cookies.
Cocoa - You can use natural or Dutch-process cocoa but it must be unsweetened baking cocoa.
Baking Powder - This helps the cookies rise slightly so they have a tender crumb.
Kosher Salt - A bit of salt helps to balance the sweetness in the cookies.
How to Make Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches from Scratch
- First, freeze the ice cream into a flat, even layer in a parchment-lined 9-inch square pan. This needs to freeze for at least 3 hours, so while you're waiting, you can make the cookies!
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Then add the egg and vanilla. Mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- Finish the cookie dough by adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a little bit at a time, on low speed. Mix just until combined, and avoid overmixing! Divide the dough into 2 disks, wrap them with plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of ⅛”. Cut with a cookie cutter or a knife into rectangles that are about 1.5”x2.5”. Place the cutouts onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2 inches in between them. Chill the unbaked cookies for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until they are just set around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Assemble the ice cream sandwiches. Remove the frozen slab of butter pecan ice cream from the freezer and cut it into pieces that are the same size as your cookies. Working quickly, sandwich a slab of ice cream between two cookies and place the ice cream sandwich on a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the ice cream and cookies, then freeze until ready to enjoy.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
How to Store Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
Store any leftover ice cream sandwiches in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Tips for Making This Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe
Try other flavors! Butter pecan ice cream makes delicious ice cream sandwiches, but these are also delicious with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, or Coffee Ice Cream.
Store-bought or homemade ice cream can be used. You can also use your favorite non-dairy ice cream.
To make gluten-free ice cream sandwiches, replace the AP flour in this recipe with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose baking flour blend.
Make your sandwiches any size or shape. Any size cookie cutter can be used to make ice cream sandwiches, although it's easiest to make these square or rectangular so that you aren't wasting anything. Or you can simply cut the cookies and the ice cream with a knife. Use a ruler to be sure that the cuts are straight and even.
The Easiest Way to Cut Ice Cream Sandwiches: If you cut the cookies into rectangles that are 1.5”x2.5”, and you freeze the ice cream in a square 9" pan, you can cut the ice cream in half, and then cut each half into 4 equal rectangles. Everything will fit together perfectly this way! Otherwise, be sure to use the same cutter for the ice cream that you used for the cookies.
Work quickly when assembling the ice cream sandwiches to avoid melting! Put the finished sandwiches back in the freezer right away to freeze.
Where Can I Buy Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches?
Many big grocery stores carry this flavor of ice cream sandwiches now, but they aren't always easy to find. In any case, these homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches are going to be much tastier than the mass-produced ones you'll find at Walmart.
What if I Can't Find Butter Pecan Ice Cream?
You can make DIY butter pecan ice cream by mixing vanilla ice cream with the buttery homemade pralines that I use in my homemade Pralines and Cream Ice Cream!
You can also make ice cream sandwiches with any flavor of ice cream that you have on hand, or any other flavor that you want to try!
More Homemade Ice Cream Desserts to Try
Our Favorite Ice Cream Making Tools:
- Cuisinart 2QT Ice Cream Maker - Works with ice cream, sorbets, and frozen yogurt.
- Loaf Pan - You can use any 9 x 13 loaf pan or a shallow pan, but we like this one.
- Ice Cream Scoop - Make sure you have a good ice cream scoop. This is one of our favorites.
- Ice Cream Containers - We love keeping a couple of ice cream containers on hand for when we make homemade ice cream.
Note: Each of these links will take you to the exact product on Amazon. As an Amazon associate, I earn a little from each qualifying purchase.
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Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches
Learn to make the best Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches with this easy recipe featuring scratch-made chocolate cookies and buttery, nutty ice cream.
Ingredients
- 1 quart butter pecan ice cream, homemade or store-bought
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a 9” pan with parchment paper and spread the butter pecan ice cream into an even, compact layer. Cover with plastic wrap and place the ice cream back into the freezer to chill until firm– about 3 hours.
- To make the cookies, add the softened butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy– about 2 minutes.
- Next add the egg and vanilla. Mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated– you don’t want to overmix!
- Divide the dough into two discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes, or until firm but rollable.
- Once the cookie dough has chilled, roll out each disc on a lightly floured surface until they are ⅛” thick. Cut out any shape you like– I'm making 1.5”x2.5” rectangles. If using the same size cookie cutter, you should yield 16 cookies. Carefully transfer the cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure to place them at least 2” apart.
- Place the cookies in the fridge or freezer (either will work) to chill for 30 minutes. While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Bake the chilled cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until they are just set around the edges. Remove the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before continuing.
- Make sure to work quickly when assembling the ice cream sandwiches– we don’t want them to melt! Using the parchment, lift the frozen ice cream out of the pan and place it on your work surface. Using the same cookie cutter from Step 7, cut out as many pieces of ice cream as you can. If you used the same size cookie cutter as I did, slice the ice cream block in half and then slice each half into 4 even rectangles and they should be just the right size.
- Sandwich a slab of ice cream between two cookies and place the ice cream sandwich on a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat until all of the ice cream sandwiches are assembled.
- Store the ice cream sandwiches covered in the freezer until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Butter pecan ice cream makes delicious ice cream sandwiches, but these are also delicious with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, or Coffee Ice Cream.
- Store-bought or homemade ice cream can be used.
- To make gluten-free ice cream sandwiches, replace the AP flour in this recipe with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose baking flour blend.
- Any size cookie cutter can be used to make ice cream sandwiches, or you can simply cut the cookies and the ice cream with a knife. Use a ruler to be sure that the cuts are straight and even.
- Work quickly when assembling the ice cream sandwiches to avoid melting! Put the finished sandwiches back in the freezer right away to freeze.
- Storage: Store any leftover ice cream sandwiches in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 335Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 189mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 6g
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