Classic gluten free ice cream sandwiches are made the easy way by baking big slabs of soft chocolate wafer cookies that are filled with soft homemade or store-bought gf ice cream. Who needs the ice cream truck?
Make these gf ice cream sandwiches at home with no-churn homemade vanilla ice cream sandwiched between simple soft chocolate wafer cookies. A beautiful summertime treat to please the whole family!
In the past, I've always made my ice cream sandwiches between two thin and chewy cookies. It seemed simple, and clearly it's fabulously delicious. But I really wanted my gluten free son to have a classic gluten free ice cream sandwich.
Why you'll love this perfect gluten free ice cream sandwich recipe
- Thick and chewy wafers: The wafers in this recipe are soft, yet sturdy enough to hold up to the ice cream.
- Versatile: You can use any flavor of ice cream that you like, making this recipe customizable to your taste preferences.
- Quick to make: With only a few ingredients, these gluten free ice cream sandwiches come together in no time.
- Minimal fuss: We bake the wafer cookies in sheets to save time and make life easier.
How to store gluten-free ice cream sandwiches
Once assembled, wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store them in an airtight container in the freezer until you're ready to serve. They melt pretty fast, so don't get them out of the freezer until you're ready to eat them.
Gluten free ice cream sandwich variations
I did say these ice cream sandwiches were versatile, and I really meant it. You can use whatever ice cream you like to create the perfect ice cream sandwich. Mint choc chip? Pistachio? Salted caramel? Strawberry? Raspberry swirl?
Whatever your favorite ice cream flavor, if it pairs with chocolate, you can use it in these gluten free ice cream sandwiches, as long as you know the ice cream is gluten free too. And, you can make them dairy free.
Dairy-free ice cream sandwiches
For those who are lactose intolerant or vegan, try using dairy-free ice cream instead of regular ice cream. You'll also need to switch out the butter for vegan butter (try Miyoko's Kitchen brand). And, if you're following a vegan gluten free diet, you'll need to replace the eggs. In which case, I recommend using a “chia egg”.
Nut-free chocolate wafer substitution
Thankfully, you don't need to make any special adjustments to these gluten free ice cream sandwiches, as they're already nut free. You will, of course, have to make sure that all of your ingredients are certified nut-free to be certain of safety, just as you do for gluten free ingredients.
What's the best type of flour to use for gluten free ice cream sandwich wafers?
There's lots of choices when it comes to gluten free flour blends. In this recipe for classic ice cream sandwiches, I used my Mock Better Batter recipe, but regular Better Batter or Cup4Cup will work, too.
What type of cocoa powder is best for gluten free chocolate wafer cookies?
I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for these gluten free ice cream sandwiches, as it has been treated with an alkalizing agent that makes it less acidic than natural cocoa powder.
Are there gluten free ice cream sandwiches?
Ice cream sandwiches are not usually gluten free, since ice cream is usually gluten free, but the wafers or cookies that make the sandwich are made with wheat flour unless they're specifically made gluten free.
FatBoy Ice Cream does make a packaged gluten free ice cream sandwich, but they are made in a shared facility that also processes wheat.
Making the chocolate wafer cookies
These are the same soft gluten free chocolate wafer cookies that we've made before. But this time, we're rolling them out into squares and baking them whole. Fancy! And frankly, it's easier than cutting out a million shapes.
You could also make one large rectangle instead of two smaller ones, bake and then cut in half. Up to you!
The easiest part? When you make your own ice cream for these ice cream sandwiches, you don't freeze it until it's between the two cookie layers.
Can I make the wafers ahead of time?
Yes! If you want to make things even easier, you can make the chocolate wafer cookie squares way ahead of time. Like, days and even weeks ahead of time.
Just stack the baked cookie squares, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer. You don't even have to thaw them.
What kind of ice cream can I use for ice cream sandwiches?
You could use pretty much any vanilla ice cream in these classic ice cream sandwiches. And, as I mentioned earlier, you can you use any flavor you like as long as it pairs well with the chocolate in the wafer cookies.
You don't have to use homemade ice cream if you don't want to. But if you do decide to go homemade, you won't even need an ice cream maker…
I thought this was as good a time as any to introduce you to my recipe for No Machine Marshmallow Ice Cream.
Marshmallow ice cream is very much like my classic 3-ingredient No Machine Ice Cream. In place of sweetened condensed milk, though, you make a low-gelatin marshmallow mixture and fold the whipped cream into that.
Marshmallow homemade ice cream is lower in sugar, too, since marshmallows are lower in sugar than sweetened condensed milk. Bonus! So let's beat the heat, and maybe my children will go easy on me until it's time to go back to school. :)
How to make classic gluten free ice cream sandwiches
Classic Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches
Equipment
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Candy thermometer for making ice cream
Ingredients
For the chocolate wafers
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used my mock Better Batter; click thru for appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed is fine, but I prefer Dutch-processed)
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (72 g) vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum nonhydrogenated shortening), melted and cooled
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the marshmallow ice cream (See Recipe Notes)
- 2 cups (8 fluid ounces) 16 fluid ounces heavy whipping cream
- ½ packet (4 g) unflavored powdered gelatin
- ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) warm water
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the chocolate wafers.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Set aside two (or 4, if you have them?) 8-inch square metal baking pans. Do not grease or line them.
- In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the brown sugar and whisk again, working out any lumps. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the shortening, butter, eggs and vanilla, and mix to combine. The dough should come together and be smooth and pliable.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, place it between two sheets of unbleached parchment paper.
- Roll into a square that is about 8-inches all around, and about 1/4-inch thick.
- Remove the top piece of parchment, and trim the edges to create a 7 1/2-inch square with a pastry or pizza wheel or a sharp knife.
- Transfer the dough, still on the bottom piece of parchment paper, to one of the 8-inch square pans, folding the sides of the parchment as necessary to allow the dough to lie flat in the pan.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough.
- Place the two pans in the preheated oven. Bake until set in the center (about 8 minutes).
- Remove the pans from the oven and allow the wafers to cool in the pans for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of dough, reusing the pans once they're cool to the touch.
Make the ice cream.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the heavy whipping cream. Beat on medium speed until the cream holds soft peaks.
- Transfer the mixture to another bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill.
- In the clean bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or another large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the gelatin and 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) warm water.
- Mix together and allow to sit until the gelatin blooms. It will swell. In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the remaining 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) water, sugar, cream of tartar and salt, and mix to combine.
- Clip a candy or deep fry thermometer to the side of the saucepan and place it over medium heat. Allow the sugar mixture to cook undisturbed until the temperature reaches the softball stage, 238°F.
- Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and pour the hot sugar mixture down the side of the mixing bowl with the bloomed gelatin, making sure it doesn’t hit the whisk. The mixture will bubble and then subside.
- Beat the mixture with the whisk on medium speed until the mixture is thick, white and glossy, and has nearly tripled in size.
- Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and fold it carefully into the marshmallow mixture until well-combined.
Assemble the ice cream sandwiches.
- Once the wafer cookies are cool, place two cookie squares on criss-crossed sheets of unbleached parchment paper and place each back in a cooled 8-inch square baking pan.
- Divide the ice cream mixture between the two baking pans, on top of each cookie square, and spread into an even layer.
- Top with the remaining two cookie squares and press down firmly but carefully. Place the baking pans in the freezer until the ice cream is firm (at least 4 hours).
- Once the ice cream is frozen, remove from the pans and slice each into 8 rectangles of equal size.
- Wrap ice cream sandwiches individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer until ready to serve.
Notes
Classic Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches
Equipment
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Candy thermometer for making ice cream
Ingredients
For the chocolate wafers
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used my mock Better Batter; click thru for appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed is fine, but I prefer Dutch-processed)
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (72 g) vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum nonhydrogenated shortening), melted and cooled
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the marshmallow ice cream (See Recipe Notes)
- 2 cups (8 fluid ounces) 16 fluid ounces heavy whipping cream
- ½ packet (4 g) unflavored powdered gelatin
- ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) warm water
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the chocolate wafers.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Set aside two (or 4, if you have them?) 8-inch square metal baking pans. Do not grease or line them.
- In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the brown sugar and whisk again, working out any lumps. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the shortening, butter, eggs and vanilla, and mix to combine. The dough should come together and be smooth and pliable.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, place it between two sheets of unbleached parchment paper.
- Roll into a square that is about 8-inches all around, and about 1/4-inch thick.
- Remove the top piece of parchment, and trim the edges to create a 7 1/2-inch square with a pastry or pizza wheel or a sharp knife.
- Transfer the dough, still on the bottom piece of parchment paper, to one of the 8-inch square pans, folding the sides of the parchment as necessary to allow the dough to lie flat in the pan.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough.
- Place the two pans in the preheated oven. Bake until set in the center (about 8 minutes).
- Remove the pans from the oven and allow the wafers to cool in the pans for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of dough, reusing the pans once they're cool to the touch.
Make the ice cream.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the heavy whipping cream. Beat on medium speed until the cream holds soft peaks.
- Transfer the mixture to another bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill.
- In the clean bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or another large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the gelatin and 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) warm water.
- Mix together and allow to sit until the gelatin blooms. It will swell. In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the remaining 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) water, sugar, cream of tartar and salt, and mix to combine.
- Clip a candy or deep fry thermometer to the side of the saucepan and place it over medium heat. Allow the sugar mixture to cook undisturbed until the temperature reaches the softball stage, 238°F.
- Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and pour the hot sugar mixture down the side of the mixing bowl with the bloomed gelatin, making sure it doesn’t hit the whisk. The mixture will bubble and then subside.
- Beat the mixture with the whisk on medium speed until the mixture is thick, white and glossy, and has nearly tripled in size.
- Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and fold it carefully into the marshmallow mixture until well-combined.
Assemble the ice cream sandwiches.
- Once the wafer cookies are cool, place two cookie squares on criss-crossed sheets of unbleached parchment paper and place each back in a cooled 8-inch square baking pan.
- Divide the ice cream mixture between the two baking pans, on top of each cookie square, and spread into an even layer.
- Top with the remaining two cookie squares and press down firmly but carefully. Place the baking pans in the freezer until the ice cream is firm (at least 4 hours).
- Once the ice cream is frozen, remove from the pans and slice each into 8 rectangles of equal size.
- Wrap ice cream sandwiches individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer until ready to serve.
Jamie says
These look delicious! I may have to make these…tho I don’t think they qualify as paleo, they would still be better than store bought. We have just started making our own ice cream, we have a local farm with grassfed (and some non gmo & non grain feed, so gluten free) low temp pasteurization, non homogenized organic milk & it makes the BEST ice cream, especially if you add in some of the cream!!(which its already cream top milk!) Yes we’re paleo but we DO drink milk and have occasional cheese(organic) and yogurt(organic) also we LOVE your Crunchy Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!! They are delicious! You are a genious!!!!
Kris says
I just made these and ate the first one. They are delicious and they will be a staple summer dessert on our menu from now on! I did cheat though and use store-bought ice cream.
Cathy Treadwell says
I literally was cutting out circles two days go, then came across this. So. Much. Better! The other way was LOTS of work and had me vowing never again! Thanks!
Terri Perkins says
Hi Nicole, is this in one of your cook books?
Mare Masterson says
Oh how I have been craving an ice cream sandwich! Nicole, your timing is impeccable! Definitely one of this weekend’s projects.
On another note, I finally convinced hubby to stop eating gluten. However, 2 nights ago he ate some normal saltine crackers. Yesterday, he was sick as a dog. I think he really got it about the gluten this time! It means I am amping up my baking because there are 2 of us that have to be. I will eventually get my daughter there.
Jennifer S. says
You are a genius!!!
Laurarheiler@gmail.com says
Is there a dairy free version of heavy whipping cream? Thank you!
Jennifer S. says
you can use coconut cream and then let us all know how it works out for you!
Lucy says
Beautiful!
My two girls have been home from school almost 2 weeks now (teachers strike), so they have a head start when it comes to boredom!
I think I’ll have them help out making these, I love how authentic they look!
As for the kids going easy on you or us other parents we can only hope! ;)
Polly says
I was just wondering if I could place two wafer sheets into a jetty roll pan and cook them that way. If so, how long should they cook? I haven’t got 2 8×8 pans. Looks yummy!
Nicole Hunn says
I haven’t made them that way, Polly, so you’ll have to experiment! You could try two 9-inch pans, I bet.