Easy Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches
These Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches are a delicious homemade summer treat. Creamy, fruity strawberry ice cream is sandwiched between two strawberry shortcake cookies to make this refreshing and satisfying snack.
Making your own gourmet ice cream sandwiches is easier than it looks!
Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches are such a special ice cream treat! They’re different than anything you’ll find at the store, and way more delicious because they’re homemade.
We’ll start by making an easy recipe for shortbread cookies with bits of freeze-dried strawberries mixed in. There are only five ingredients in the cookie recipe, and the dough comes together all in one bowl.
Then I’ll teach you how to fill the cookies with creamy strawberry ice cream so that they look professionally made, with a thick layer of ice cream between two of those homemade cookies.
Looking for something a little bit different? You can also make Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwiches, or Classic Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches with my easy recipes.
Why You’re Going to Love This Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
- We are making these strawberry ice cream sandwiches entirely from scratch!
- While you could make something similar using graham crackers or store-bought cookies, these strawberry shortbread cookies are truly simple to bake and make these sandwiches completely amazing.
- In the photos, I’m using store-bought strawberry ice cream, but I have made this recipe with our homemade strawberry ice cream as well.
Ingredients in Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Strawberry Ice Cream – Use your favorite brand, or make your own!
- Salted Butter – The crisp and buttery cookies start with two sticks of salted butter. Be sure to let the butter soften to room temperature before starting.
- Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar sweetens the shortbread cookies.
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract enhances the sweetness and flavor of the cookies. Almond or lemon extract would also be delicious with the strawberries in this recipe– just reduce the amount to ½ teaspoon!
- Flour – This gives the cookies structure. Make sure to measure using the spoon and level method because adding too much flour will result in dry cookies.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries – You can find these near the raisins and such at the grocery store. They are optional, but add great color and extra strawberry flavor to the recipe.
For the complete list of ingredients and instructions on how to make strawberry ice cream sandwiches, please see the recipe below.
How to Store Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
These fresh ice cream sandwiches can be kept for about 2 weeks in the freezer. Each sandwich should be wrapped individually with plastic wrap, then placed in an airtight freezer container until you’re ready to eat them.
Tips for Making This Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
- Try Other Ice Cream Flavors! The strawberry shortbread cookies will be delicious with vanilla bean ice cream. Or try them with homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream for a real treat!
- Freeze Dried Strawberries are Optional. If you decide to leave them out, the shortbread cookies will then be perfectly neutral, and ready to be filled with any flavor of ice cream you can imagine!
- Try Other Sizes and Shapes. Any size cookie cutter can be used to make ice cream sandwiches. If you’re worried about wasting any of the cookie dough, it’s best to make these square or rectangular. You can also just 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. The ice cream will start to melt as you’re assembling the strawberry ice cream sandwiches. Be ready to put them into the freezer as soon as you’re done handling them.
Fun Variations
Once you have the method of making homemade ice cream sandwiches down, you can get creative and make hand-held ice cream treats in so many flavors! Here are a few fun variations just for this recipe.
- Use peanut butter cookies to make strawberry ice cream sandwiches. You can roll the edges in chopped nuts and freeze-dried strawberries to make a PB&J ice cream sandwich!
- Chocolate Cookies will make a tasty chocolate-covered strawberry-style ice cream sandwich.
- Add a filling, such as strawberry compote, fudge sauce, or peanut butter sauce. Just drizzle a bit on the inside of one or both of the cookies before adding the ice cream.
More Homemade Ice Cream Dessert Recipes
LET’S GET SOCIAL, you can follow us on Pinterest or leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Did you make this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe? Leave a Comment Below letting us know what you thought and if you added any additional add-ins.
Easy Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 quart 4 cups strawberry ice cream, softened slightly
- 1 cup 2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup minced freeze-dried strawberries
Instructions
- Line an 8” square pan with parchment paper and spread the softened strawberry ice cream into an even layer in the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it back in the freezer until completely set– at least 2 hours.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy– about 2 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour to the butter mixture. Mix just until no large lumps of flour remain.
- Gently fold in the minced freeze-dried strawberries– you don’t want to crush them up too much into the dough so make sure to mix them just until combined.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of the dough to ¼” thick. Cut out the cookies using your desired cookie cutter– I'm using a 2” round cookie cutter but pretty much anything will work! Just try to get at least 8 cookies. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or just until they are golden brown around the bottom edges.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
- Using the same cookie cutter, cut out as many pieces of ice cream as you can– again, try to get 8 (or as many as you have cookie pairs). Place a piece of ice cream between two cookies and then wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap.
- Place the ice cream sandwiches in the freezer for at least an hour to chill and then enjoy.
Notes
- The freeze-dried strawberries are optional in this recipe, but if you can find them, they add a pretty pop of color the the cookies, and extra strawberry flavor.
- Store-bought or homemade ice cream can be used! We have an amazing recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream that you should try.
- To make gluten-free ice cream sandwiches, replace the AP flour in this recipe with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose baking blend.
- Feel free to use any cookie cutter that you like, or simply cut the cookies and ice cream with a knife. If you do decide to make your sandwiches squares or rectangles, use a ruler to keep the cuts straight and even.
- Work quickly to keep the sandwiches from melting while you're assembling them.
- Store any leftovers in the freezer, wrapped and in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.
