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.