Vegan ice cream sandwiches are one of our favorite frozen desserts. They're not only fun to make, but they keep in the freezer for weeks! Enjoy endless cookie and ice cream flavor combinations. With options for gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, and coconut-free.
Strawberry-banana nice cream recipe (see other homemade ice cream options in post above, or use store-bought):
3frozenvery ripe bananas - To freeze bananas: peel, cut into pieces, place in an airtight container or sandwich bag, and freeze overnight
10 to 12frozen strawberries
splash ofnon-dairy milk
sweetener of choice, optional - If the bananas aren't sweet enough, add a small amount of maple syrup or sugar to taste.
Instructions
Planning: If making banana nice cream, do this at least 2 to 3 hours in advance so the ice cream has time to firm up in the freezer. If making any of the other homemade ice creams mentioned in the post above, it's best to make it the day before, or at least 5 hours in advance.
To make the strawberry nice cream: add the bananas, strawberries, and a splash of milk to a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
It will be similar to soft serve at this point. Scoop it into a freezer-safe container and freeze for about 2 hours. This will give you a firmer, scoopable texture for building the ice cream sandwiches.
If using store-bought ice cream or one of the other homemade ice creams: set out at room temperature to soften right after you put the cookies in the oven (next step). If you prefer a perfectly smooth disc of ice cream, spread the softened ice cream in a freezer-safe dish so that it's about 1-inch thick. Freeze it again for about 45 minutes or until firm enough cut into circles using a knife or biscuit cutter. *Use one of the cookies as a guide to see how large the discs of ice cream need to be.
Bake the cookies: select a cookie recipe and bake the cookies. Once the cookies are cool, place in the refrigerator until cold.
Assemble the ice cream sandwiches:
Once the ice cream is firm enough, place one scoop or one disc of ice cream on a cookie and place another cookie on top, gently pressing them together. If needed, place ice cream sandwiches on a baking sheet or plate in the freezer for a few minutes. The amount of time needed depends on how soft the ice cream is when you make the sandwiches.
Enjoy ice cream sandwiches right away or wrap the individual sandwiches in plastic wrap and place inside an airtight freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. Transfer hard-frozen ice cream sandwiches to the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Oil-free vegan cookies work well for ice cream sandwiches because they're still somewhat soft and chewy after cooling. Be careful not to over-bake the cookies.Once the ice cream sandwiches have been frozen for an extended period, say 4+ hours, the ice cream will be quite hard. Transfer to the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to eat!Store individually wrapped ice cream sandwiches in the freezer for up to 2 weeks for banana nice cream varieties and up to 4 weeks for higher fat ice creams.