Do you remember that ice cream I made a few weeks ago? If you missed it, it was a Toasted Coconut Ice Cream and it was superb.
Since then I’ve been making it on the regular and pairing it will all sorts of things — fresh fruit, grilled peaches, whipped coconut cream. It pairs perfectly with so many flavors, kinda like a fancy vanilla.
I might even go so far as to say… coconut is the new vanilla.
So I had an freezer full of ice cream, the summer temperatures were creeping up and I realized I also had a stash of cookie dough in the freezer — my vegan version of the New York Times Chocolate Chip cookies.
I always have a that cookie dough in the freezer and you should too! You just never know when you’ll need a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie or twelve. So naturally I had to bake them up and marry them to the toasted coconut ice cream. They're so perfect for this with their slightly soft and chewy texture that will hold up well to freezing.
So I get it. You have to make two separate things and it’s kind of a lot of work. But keep in mind these processes can be spaced out over weeks or days, as both cookie dough and ice cream keep perfectly in the freezer.
I recommend baking the cookies two days before you’re ready to serve the sandwiches. One day before, assemble the ice cream sandwiches and let them freeze overnight. You have to let the ice cream soften a bit to make the sandwiches, so the re-freeze time is crucial to achieving a nice, set ice cream sandwich.
Another option if you’re short on time, is to have your guests assemble their own. They might not be as perfect, but it’s way more fun. If you go that route, it’s a good idea to have some edge rolling options. I used toasted coconut, but you could also use:
- mini vegan chocolate chips
- chopped pistachios
- chopped walnuts
- crushed graham crackers
- sprinkles
Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
These Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches, packed with dark chocolate and toasted coconut, are sure to be the most popular dessert this summer!
Ingredients
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3 ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp. coarse sea salt
- 1 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 pound bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
- flake sea salt
Optional for Ice Cream Sandwich rolling:
- mini vegan chocolate chips
- chopped pistachios
- chopped walnuts
- crushed graham crackers
- sprinkles
Instructions
For the Ice Cream
For the Cookies
- Combine dry flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In the large bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment in place, add the butter, coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Cream on medium speed until it’s nice and fluffy. This might take 3+ minutes. Then add the applesauce and vanilla. Mix until well combined. - With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix in. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator and let it soften a bit. Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 F. Using a ice cream scoop, scoop about ⅓ cup of dough and form into a ball. Place on the parchment paper and flatten with your fingers or the back of a measuring cup. Sprinkle lightly with flake salt.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
To Assemble
- Leave your ice cream out to soften for 30-60 minutes, depending on how warm your house is. It should be perfectly scoopable.
- Sandwich one hearty scoop of ice cream between two cookies. If you want to roll then sides in a topping, this is your chance. Repeat until you run out of cookies or ice cream. Return to the freezer to firm up until you're ready to serve.
Notes
I recommend reading the original Toasted Coconut Ice Cream and New York Times (Vegan) Chocolate Chip Cookies posts for tips on making both recipes.
For the cookie recipe, you'll only need 24 cookies. You can save the remaining dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Keywords: ice cream sandwich, vegan ice cream sandwich, vegan dessert, dairy-free dessert
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