About a week ago, I went to Trader Joe's for my groceries and was so delighted to find every single item on my list. That was actually the highlight of my weekend. We are living in strange times. In the midst of a global pandemic and preventative social distancing, we have to take small wins where we can get them, right? I hope that we come out of this less likely to take the little things for granted and with much more compassion. Anyway, I picked up a jar of Trader Joe's crunchy cookie butter because is it even possible to go to TJ's and not buy cookie butter? I don't think so. I had no special plans for it until my sweet tooth struck. And since I'm a baked goods type of girl, the ice cream in my freezer wouldn't quite do. I needed to pair it with something and thought, "Cookie butter ice cream sandwiches, duh!"
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my cookie butter hot chocolate!
Like any millennial, I hit up my good sis, Google but was surprised to not find what I was looking for. All the recipes out there (at least, as far as I could see) were for regular ol' cookies + cookie butter ice cream. While that sounds delectable, what I had in mind were cookie butter cookies sandwiched around my ice cream of choice. So I got to work on making up something of my own and produced the recipe that I feel the streets really need right now: cookie butter cookie ice cream sandwiches. My initial reference point was this soft-batch brown sugar cookie butter cookies recipe from Averie Cooks. I played with the proportions and process to get a batch that was to my liking then added Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla to make them into ice cream sandwiches.
The result was like WOW. I don't know how to describe them better than that. These cookie butter cookie ice cream sandwiches are IT and I had to pat my self on the back because I did the damn thing. And now it's your turn! I've included the full recipe, notes, and even ice cream pairing suggestions below to get you started. I'd love to see you make these so please let me know how they turn out for you. If you're staying home, you might as well bake, right? And, if ice cream sandwiches aren't your thing, just make the cookies and enjoy them by themselves. They turn out crisp at the edges, a tiny bit gooey at the center and sweet but not overpoweringly so. In other words, perfect. By the way, these jumbo lemon blueberry muffins need to be next on your baking list.
Notes on Making Cookie Butter Cookies
- You can use crunchy or creamy cookie butter for this recipe in whatever brand you have on hand.
- Do not skip the freezing steps! They are critical to the final result. The first freeze will prevent your cookies from spreading too much on the pan and getting too thin. The second freeze helps them hold up to the ice cream and not break when you press the sandwiches together.
- If you want to be extra, spread a little cookie butter on the cookies before adding the ice cream. Just don't come at me if you emerge from the quarantine a little fluffier.
What Kind of Ice Cream to Use for Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Cookie butter ice cream...in case you want to just do the most.
- Dulce de leche works well because the creamy caramel slightly softens the spice in the cookies.
- Vanilla is the classic choice and a perfect flavor complement.
I know you will absolutely love this recipe once you try it. If you have any questions at all, just drop a comment below or shoot me an email. I'm pretty much glued to my devices these days. 🙂 Also, sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe to Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
P.S. more cookies to bake:
📖 Recipe
Cookie Butter Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup cookie butter creamy or crunchy works
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 5 scoops ice cream of your choosing
Instructions
- With a mixer, cream cookie butter, egg, vanilla extract, and brown sugar for about 4 minutes.
- Add in flour, sea salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until just combined. Dough should come together easily but not be crumbly. Do not over mix.
- Divide dough into about 10 two-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet, spaced at least two inches apart. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least three hours (overnight is fine).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap then transfer pan directly from freezer to oven. Bake for about 12 minutes. Cookies should expand to about 3 inches in diameter with slightly domed centers and some crinkling on top.
- Remove pan from oven and allow cookies to cool on pan. Cookies will be very soft to the touch at first but will get firmer as they cool.
- To make ice cream sandwiches: Wrap cooled cookies tightly in plastic wrap and place in freezer until firm (at least 30 minutes but overnight is fine).
- Remove cookies from freezer. Divide them up into pairs where each cookies is roughly equal in size.
- Scoop one scoop of ice cream (slightly softened ice cream works best) onto flat (bottom) side of a cookie then press the flat side of another cookie down on top to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- If you want to take these cookie butter cookie ice cream sandwiches over the top, spread a bit of cookie butter on each cookie before adding the ice cream.
Notes
- Cookie recipe adapted from Averie Cooks' Soft-batch Cookie Butter Brown Sugar Cookies recipe.
- Both cookie dough can remain frozen for up to three months.
- Finished ice cream sandwiches will keep in freezer up to one month.
Christy Hoover says
Now girl... My children will love this. a perfect snack to have during these times. Thank you!
Jayne Rain says
Definitely a fun project to do with the kids especially now that they are stuck at home. Thanks for this idea Jazz.
Capri says
I lovee peanut butter cookies! Thanks for the great tips on freezing the dough! I can't wait to make these.
Aline says
I need these in my life NOW!!! I've been baking all the cakes, now it's time to eat some cookies 😛
Desirée says
Oh my gosh. GIRL! These cookies look so bomb!
Marta says
I'm definitely going to fill these with cookie butter ice cream, because I STAY doing the most, LOL!
Katrina Adams says
Omg!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!! I love cookie butter!!
Tamara J. says
Oh my goodness!!! This is the next cooking project I’m taking on with my kiddos! Have you seen the cookie butter anywhere other than Trader Joe’s? I’m on the hunt now!
Jazz says
Yes! I checked last night and it looks like Walmart and Target also carry cookie butter. Amazon normally sells it but was sold out when I checked. And ALDI should have it, too.
Tamara Johnson says
Perfect, thanks!