A proper ice cream sandwich needs proper cookies and this recipe for gluten free ice cream sandwich cookies is perfect for the task. I have tested this recipe several times to make sure the cookies are not only delicious and sturdy but also stay on the softer side even when frozen. Clearly, this depends on your freezer as well - I have a standard American fridge and freezer.
This recipe is a small batch recipe for 12 cookies - you can easily double this recipe.
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Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this recipe with my own Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour Blend as well as Bob’s Red Mill 1 – to 1 as well as Cup4Cup. This recipe worked great with all three products.
Cornstarch: The added cornstarch gives this cookie a tender crumb and keeps them soft as well as chewy.
Whole Milk Powder: Milk powder has been a staple in my kitchen and recipes for years. It enhances the taste of the baked goods by adding just a hint of sweetness as well as a creamier texture (think of it as an additional emulsifier). Also, when heated, the sugars from the milk powder caramelize which adds to the rich taste and give cookies a browner tone. The fat found in milk powder also acts as a tenderizer resulting in a softer bake. You can find nonfat milk powder in the baking section or near the canned milk in your local grocery store which will work just as fine as whole milk powder. I buy this product online: Whole Milk Powder. (Milk Powder is an optional ingredient)
Chocolate: For this recipe, we are going to use a block or bar of chocolate which we will finely chop. I used Callebaut 811 but what would work fabulously here is a dark chocolate bar, a milk chocolate bar, or a mix of both. I have tried chocolate chips which resulted in rock-solid hunks of frozen chocolate in the cookies which were not pleasant to bite into.
How to make Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie Dough
This recipe for gluten-free ice cream sandwich cookies is a very simple recipe made with ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry. Like all my other cookie recipes, I highly recommend allowing this one to rest for at least 4hrs.
Start with room temperature ingredients. I prefer my butter soft, but cool and should not appear shiny or greasy. Especially during the summer month I only allow for it to sit out for 5 minutes before using it. The ideal temperature for butter is actually 65F which is a lot colder than many of us consider room temperature. To test if your butter is at room temperature nudge it with your finger. You should see an indent but the butter should not feel like you can poke right through it.
Sift together dry ingredients: sift together your gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and milk powder, and set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugars: Using the paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar at medium speed for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy. I recommend halfway through the creaming process, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides with a flexible rubber spatula.
Incorporate Egg and Vanilla: Add your egg and vanilla and at medium speed mix until incorporated.
Add your dry ingredients: add your sifted dry ingredients and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides and give it another good mix.
Add your finely chopped chocolate: You can either mix this in per hand with a spatula or add it to the mixing bowl and give it a quick mix with the mixer. Do not overmix it.
Let's chill: Good things come to those to wait. Transfer the cookie dough to a Tupperware container and let it chill in the fridge for at least 4hrs.
How to make Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies
Once your dough has peacefully chilled in your refrigerator and you have avoided snacking on it, it's time to scoop some cookies and get baked. Since you want uniform-sized cookies, I highly recommend using a cookie scooper here. Aside from a digital scale, my cookie scooper is probably the most used equipment in my kitchen. The only cookie scoopers I purchase these days are stainless steel and made by Vollrath. I recommend a #20 for my cookies.
Scoop, bake, and scoot your cookies
Three simple steps. While the oven preheats to 350F, scoop your cookie dough. Technically you should have 12 cookies which give you 6 ice cream sandwiches. Arrange 6 cookies on a parchment-lined cookie tray and bake at 350F for 8 minutes, rotate your sheet tray, and bake for an additional 4-5 minutes. Do not overbake the cookies. They will look slightly underdone but the carry overheat from the sheet tray will continue to bake them. Use a round cutter, slightly larger than the cookies, to scoot them into a perfectly round shape. Repeat with the remaining 6 cookies.
Completely cool your cookies
We all know hot cookies and cold ice cream won't end well. Allow the cookies to completely cool. In the meantime, you can think of which ice cream you want to use to fill your cookies. ONE pint (16oz) of ice cream is enough to fill 3 ice cream sandwiches depending on how much ice cream you are using.
Fill and chill
Once your cookies are completely cold, line them up on a sheet tray that will fit in your freezer. I love my ¼ sheet trays for this task. You want 6 bottoms and 6 tops. Using your #20 cookie scoop place a generous scoop of ice cream on top of the bottom cookie. Use another cookie and sandwich them together. I do mine in batches. Start with 6 cookies (making 3 sandwiches) and one pint of ice cream, transfer them to the freezer, and repeat with the second batch of cookies. You will have a total of 6 Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Now that we have actual ice cream sandwiches, I have really bad news for you: You can't actually eat them yet. Ice cream sandwiches are a lot better when they get to chill in the freezer for an extended period of time (like 12 hours or so). The ice cream actually melts a little bit and softens the cookie. But trust me, the wait is worth it. You can also go off script and eat them right away. I will not say I have never done this....
Enjoy!
Now that you have baked your perfect gluten-free ice cream cookies, filled them with your favorite ice cream, and patiently waited for them to be ready to eat, it's time to enjoy a very well-earned ice cream sandwich.
FAQ for Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies
My cookies are really puffy when I pull them from the oven! HELP!
No need to panic - if this is the case, just lightly bag the sheet tray against your kitchen counter (I can not be held liable if you crack your kitchen counter!). This normally helps release some of the air and will flatten out the cookies. If needed, scoot them again.
Can I leave out the Milk Powder?
Yes, it's okay to leave out the milk powder.
Can I use any ice cream for the sandwiches?
Yes, you can use any ice cream while I have not had good luck with no-churn ice cream when making ice cream sandwiches. Please double-check if the ice cream you are using is indeed gluten-free.
How long will my ice cream sandwiches last?
I recommend wrapping them individually in some parchment paper and placing them in an air-tight container in the back of your freezer where it is the coldest. I recommend eating them within 6 weeks because the exposed ice cream is very prone to freezer burn.
Can I just eat the cookies?
Of course! You can skip the ice cream part and just enjoy some delicious simple gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
Can I make this recipe with "regular" all-purpose flour?
Yes. Please use 180 grams of "regular" all-purpose flour in this recipe.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and very affordable. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. Measuring cups are very inaccurate and can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Be also prepared that the convection oven can cause your baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Be aware that it takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies
This perfect gluten-free ice cream sandwich cookie recipe will take your favorite summer dessert to the next level. A cookie that's not only delicious but also stays soft when frozen.
Ingredients
- 113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 130 grams light brown sugar
- 30 grams white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 185 grams Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour
- 15 grams cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon whole milk powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Diamon Salt Kosher Salt (see note)
- 100 grams of finely chopped dark chocolate
For Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 2 pints of your favorite ice cream, frozen
Instructions
How to make Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie Dough
- In the bowl of your stand mixer combine room temperature butter, both sugars, and salt, and beat at medium speed for 6-8 minutes until fluffy and pale. Halfway through, pause to scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula.
- In the meantime sift together the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl.
- With the mixer running on low, add the egg and vanilla, letting it fully incorporate. Pause your mixer to scrape down the sides.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Add your finely chopped-up chocolate just to combine. You don’t want to overmix and break up all the chocolate.
- Place the dough in a Tupperware container and let the dough rest in your refrigerator for at least 4hrs - better even if you can let it sit for 12hrs or longer. During this process the flour hydrates and develops flavor.
How to bake your gluten free cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- Once your cookie dough has rested peacefully in the fridge for an extended period of time, use a 2 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop (I refer to this as the #20 - yellow scoop) and portion the cookie dough. This recipe should give you 10-12 cookies, depending on how much cookie dough you snack on.
- Arrange 6 cookie dough balls on a baking sheet. Make sure you leave some room for spreading. Place the remainder of the cookie dough in the fridge,
- Bake Cookies for 8 minutes and rotate the cookie tray. Bake an additional 4-5 minutes or until lightly golden and beginning to set. The baking time depends on personal preference (and your oven).
- Remove from the oven, and use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to scoot them into a perfectly round shape. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking pan before moving to a cooling rack.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
How to assemble your gluten free ice cream sandwiches
- Once your cookies are completely cold, line them up on a sheet tray that will fit in your freezer. I love my ¼ sheet trays for this task. You want 6 bottoms and 6 tops.
- Using your #20 cookie scoop place a generous scoop of ice cream on top of the bottom cookie. Use another cookie and sandwich them together.
- Place your ice cream sandwiches in the freezer and allow them to refreeze for at least 2-3hrs.
- To store the ice cream sandwiches for an extended period of time I recommend wrapping each in parchment paper, place them in an air-tight container, and store in the back of your freezer. ENJOY!
Notes
SALT: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt in all my recipes and Maldon’s Flaky Sea Salt as my finishing salt (the flaky sea salt I put on almost all my baked goods). Not all salts are created equal. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier. 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt weighs roughly 3 grams while 1 teaspoon of Morton’s Kosher Salt weighs almost 5 grams. Therefore if use another brand other than Diamonds Crystal Kosher Salt please be aware that this can throw off the entire recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 285
Melissa Hickok says
Thank you for this. My nephew has to eat gluten free and these look yummy. Now won't feel so bad when I have yummy snacks because I can make these for him.
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you, Melissa! All my test eaters eat gluten and said no one can tell they are gluten free. I hope your nephew will approve!
Karis | Don't Dream, Just Travel says
These sound amazing! Can't wait to try them out!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you so much, Karis!
Headphonesthoughts says
I have not had ice cream sandwiches in a while. This looks so good, I totally have to make it.
Anaiah says
Homemade ice cream sandwiches are the BEST! It's something my siblings and I made often as kids and now we finally get to share the fun with our own babies. I love this gluten free cookie recipe as my son is the only one with sensitivities in the family. It's nice to find something delicious that everyone can enjoy!
Daniela Weiner says
I agree! Nothing beats a homemade ice cream sandwich! Thank you so much
Gus says
Wow! looks amazing! Added to my to-do list for this weekend! I will let you know how it goes!
Thanks for sharing!
Daniela Weiner says
Please let me know what you think! Can't wait to hear
Kayla DiMaggio says
OMG these were AMAZING! Ice cream sandwiches used to be my favorite as a kid but now that my body struggles with gluten, I have had to say goodbye to them. I am so happy I found a recipe that I can enjoy without the tummy pain!
Marinela says
Great idea for a hot summer day dessert!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you!
Joshua says
All of your gluten free recipes look wonderful! My wife and I just purchased some gluten free flours so we'll be trying out many of your delicious creations. These ice cream sandwiches are at the top of my list!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you so much, Joshua! I appreciate your kind words
Tracy says
These ice cream sandwich cookies look delicious! Can they be made with regular all purpose flour or is the ingredients measurements specific to gluten free flour? Thanks!
Tracy says
I got my answer haha thank you!
Daniela Weiner says
Ha! I am so sorry. But I am glad you found it. I try to include "regular" flour weights in my FAQs