Cool Off With Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches

When it’s sultry out, I have to comfort myself by making ice cream sandwiches, popsicles, and other frozen treats. Whenever I throw a party in the summer, I start preparations ahead of time by making ice cream sandwiches for everyone. So, when I decided to celebrate in July, I invited my favorite vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores, and made these delicious vegan ice cream sandwiches.

I have a great recipe for chocolate sandwich cookies in my book, Big Vegan, so I thought that would be a good starting point for an ice cream sandwich. There are also a few really good vegan ice cream recipes in the book, so if you want to make your own, look there. I was not in the mood to make both components, so I did the lazy thing. I bought some Cashew and Coconut based ice creams, and both were delicious. The cookies take a while to make, since you have to roll the dough into balls and flatten each one, then transfer to a baking sheet. That’s why you should start them a week or so ahead. Once you get them made, freeze them, and then you can fill with ice cream at your leisure.

Filling the sandwiches can be a messy affair, so have a damp towel handy for wiping your fingers. I use an ice cream spade to shave out inch thick wedges of ice cream, and build an even layer that way. You’ll end up using your fingertips to press the pieces down and gently press the top cookie on. If you want perfectly even layers of ice cream, you can always spread the ice cream in a sheet pan and freeze, then cut out rounds with a large biscuit cutter. I don’t care about perfection, so I didn’t do that. Of course, if you are not avoiding dairy, you can make these with butter and your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt. But don’t assume that the vegan version isn’t delicious. I promise that these will ring all your ice cream bells, without the cow. Stay cool, and enjoy the rest of the summer!