High on the list of cooking things that I’ve got far more opinions on than anyone has ever asked of me (and may have even, at times, prayed I’d stop yapping about), are homemade ice cream sandwiches. Why? Because it’s devastating when you realize something that should bring us nothing but incandescent summer joy — ice cream! cookies! — rarely work as well as promised. Most cookies become so hard once frozen, you feel like you’re breaking a tooth with each bite. Unyielding cookies also squeeze the ice cream out the sides, leading to drips down your arms and an immediate bad mood (for adults; kids, naturally, love it). While writing Smitten Kitchen Keepers, I became obsessed with creating a deeply nostalgic homemade chipwich-style ice cream sandwich that did everything right and I had three big a-ha moments along the way:
- Chocolate chip cookies might be rock-like from the freezer but do you know what is not? Cake! I found that making my cookies a little more cakey — blondie-like, even — by adding some milk yielded a cookie that was the perfect texture from the freezer.
- Freezing mutes flavors so slightly bumping up the sweetness and saltiness of the cookie you’re freezing really helps it have a perfect flavor when you eat them frozen.
- Finally, filling ice cream sandwiches individually is for people with more time and/or patience on their hands than me. Instead, I poured a single layer of cookie batter into a pan and divided it in half once it was baked. These halves formed the top and bottom of a slab of ice cream sandwiches I cut into individual ones once they were frozen. [I also use this technique for these classic Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches.]
And while I am truly as obsessed with the SKK Blondie Chipwich recipe now as I was in 2022, when a chipwich-loving friend had a birthday this month, I realized the next best thing to individual blondie chipwiches was a one cake-sized one we serve in wedges. Do I need to tell you what a commotion a giant chocolate chip cookie ice cream cake causes? Especially when you’re not even lying when you said it was “easy peasy” because it has a one-bowl, hand-whisked cookie batter that bakes quickly and storebought ice cream? It’s happy, retro, and speckled with so many chocolate chips, well, I found some melted into the kitchen floor the next sunny morning. But, uh, you’ll make sure they all get in mouths first, okay? I’m counting on you.
Video
Chipwich Ice Cream Cake
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, any temperature, plus extra for coating the pans
- Scant 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (215 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk, any kind, cold is fine
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces or 255 grams) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- 3 cups (1 28-ounce container) vanilla ice cream
In a large bowl, melt butter half in the microwave or in a medium-sized pot on the stove, then stir until the butter finishes melting. (This keeps the temperature down.) Add salt, brown sugar, and milk, whisking until smooth. If it’s not cool yet, let it cool a bit more (you do not want the egg to scramble or the chips to melt) before adding the egg and vanilla, whisking until combined. Sprinkle batter with baking powder and mix very well into the batter. Stir in flour and 1/2 cup (3 ounces or 85 grams) of the chocolate chips, stirring until flour disappears.
Pour half the batter into each pan and smooth the top flat. Sprinkle the tops of each round with 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until cookies are golden at the edges and set but soft in the center. Transfer to a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pans, peeling off the parchment underneath. I like to then transfer my cookies to the freezer for 10 minutes so that they are fully, fully cold before we begin assembling the cake. If your ice cream is rock-hard in the freezer, transfer it to the fridge for these 10 minutes so it will be easier to scoop.
Assemble the cake: Line one of the 8-inch round cake pans with plastic wrap that extends up the sides of the pan in two directions. This will make it easier to remove the cake. [An 8-inch springform can work too but risks leaking before the ice cream is fully frozen again; I’d still use some plastic inside for security.]
Place first chocolate chip cookie round top side down in the bottom of the pan. Scoop vanilla ice cream all over and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Place second chocolate chip cookie top side up on top and press it firmly against the ice cream. Use any plastic that has extended over the sides to cover the cookie, but it’s okay if it’s not fully covered.
Chill the ice cream sandwich cake for 3 to 6 hours and ideally overnight, until firm.
To finish and serve: Remove the cake from the freezer. Run a knife along the edges of the cake pan and then use the plastic wrap to help lift the cake out of the pan. Pat remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips onto the sides of the cake. Cut the cake into 8 to 12 wedges and serve right away.
Do ahead: Ice cream cake keeps in the freezer for weeks, not that I’ve ever had one last that long.
Note
The (Abridged) Blondie Chipwich (individual ice cream sandwiches) from Smitten Kitchen Keepers: To make these as individual ice cream sandwiches: pour the batter into a single 9×13-inch pan. Once baked, cut the cookie in half, flip so that the top side of each cookie faces the outside, and fill with the ice cream, using the sides of the pan to help it keep its shape. Once frozen solid again, cut into 12 small squares, and press reserved chocolate chips onto sides. For the full recipe, and 99 others that (I’m biased but) are too fantastic to miss, grab a copy of Smitten Kitchen Keepers wherever you like to buy cookbooks.
Previously
6 months ago: Potato Leek Soup
1 year ago: Braised Chickpeas with Zucchini and Pesto
2 years ago: Flaky Chocolate Cake
3 years ago: Plum and Cream Scone Cobbler
4 years ago: Deviled Eggs
5 years ago: Pasta with Pesto Genovese
6 years ago: Frozen Watermelon Mojitos
7 years ago: Corn Fritters and Bourbon Peach Smash
8 years ago: Hummus Heaped with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
9 years ago: Corn, Bacon and Parmesan Pasta
10 years ago: Tomato and Fried Provolone Sandwich
11 years ago: Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles and Grilled Peach Splits
12 years ago: One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
13 years ago: Bacon Corn Hash
14 years ago: Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones
15 years ago: Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint, Thai-Style Chicken Legs, Peach Blueberry Cobbler, and Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons
16 years ago: Light Brioche Burger Buns, Blueberry Boy Bait, and Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza
17 years ago: Chocolate Sorbet
18 years ago: Double Chocolate Layer Cake
This makes me almost wish I weren’t in the middle of making the strawberry stack cake for tomorrow’s dinner party. Almost. I think this is next on the list!
Okay but excellent choice. :)
WOWWWWWWWW
I made my sister bring me mini chocolate chips when she came to visit just so I could make the blondie chipwich. I learned the hard way many years ago that while I love a frozen brownie, they do not make a good ice cream cake as is.of course, I learned this after bringing it to a party, so I’m very grateful for your obsession.
I’m obsessed with chipwiches – was a staple of my childhood summers. I’m not a great baker and have a minuscule freezer but am definitely going to try this!
about ten years ago i cracked a tooth on a frozen chocolate chip in an ice cream pie (not your recipe!) that resulted in a root canal and a crown. so your whole thing about not breaking a tooth is very much legit!
I don’t think the chocolate chip amounts add up right now! But it looks amazing.
You are correct — my bad. So it’s 1/2 cup in the batter, 2 tablespoons sprinkled on each disc, and 3/4 cup chips for pressing into the sides of the cake. Recipe updated accordingly!
Can you use regular size chocolate chips?
They get rock hard and tough to bite through, and they are thick and these cookies work best when they can be thin. I made the mistake of using regular-size chips once, and never again! You could blast them in the food processor or chop them finely, though.
I wouldn’t recommend it. They’re a bit too crunchy when frozen.
These look amazing! I’m going to try this recipe for our bbq this weekend – I’m sure these will be a hit! xxx
I’ve made both the Chipwich ice cream sandwiches from your cookbook and the chocolate ice cream sandwiches multiple times already this summer. Both are excellent and very easy.
My only change is I generally go with strawberry ice cream in the chipwiches and mint chocolate chip for the chocolate ones.
Great suggestion on using mint chip ice cream.Depending on the brand some are green colored ice cream,some white.Which color did you like?
Looks fantastic. It’s a little confusing that in the description you say you poured a layer of cookie batter into the pan and “divided it in half once it was baked.” Sounds like the cookie was to be split in half horizontally after baking. But the recipe clearly calls for dividing the batter before baking, and baking each half separately (which makes more sense). Can’t wait to try it.
Where she says she divided the layer once it was baked, she is describing the process for making individual ice cream sandwiches.
OMG! OMG! OMG! I have Keepers and how did I miss this recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for making it front and center!
Thanks for this! My daughter has already requested this for her upcoming birthday but with cookie dough ice cream. Ice cream cake is a must for August birthdays and homemade is always better.
This was unbelievably delicious – but I would suggest that it MUST be chilled overnight. 6 hours in the freezer and cutting it led to a giant mess of ice cream squirting out of the sides. It tasted great though!
When my kids were younger (now 22 and 24) this was what we made for birthday parties. Always, always a hit, and the staff at the Y where we held our parties would line up for their pieces! I appreciate the idea of softening the cookie, because a hot chef’s knife was always required!
I was planning on making the blondie chipwich from Keepers for my kiddos birthday this week, so of course you posted this! Now maybe this cake version? Perfectly timed as always!
I am guessing (which is why I am asking) that if you only wanted half of an ice cream cake, you could half the ingredients and just bake one layer, cut it in half and proceed? Thanks for the recipe!
Oh yeah, for a semi circle, that would work. But if you happen to have 6” rounds, you could still have a small round “sandwich”. OR, you could bake it in an 8” square, it will be a little thinner and bake faster, but then you could cut on the diagonal, and have a fun triangle shape!
Yes
I saw this recipe posted yesterday, and made it almost immediately. I left it in the freezer overnight and we had it today. Not only was it very easy to make, it was delicious! My husband even commented on how good the cookie layer was. Thank you!
Looks amazing! I only have 9-inch cake pans. Will the recipe still work, or should I adjust the volumes? Thank you!
It will just be thinner cookies and a thinner cake, but it will work.
I adjusted the ingredients for my 9” cake pans – it’s about 1.25 x everything.
If you’re wondering if this could possibly be as good as it looks, the answer is yes. It has everything you love about a chipwich (the crunchy little chips on the outside!) but it’s even better. It was the perfect summer dessert for a party, a huge hit with kids and adults alike.
Deb, your status as Queen was never in dispute, but this cements it. Talk about making your kid self’s dreams come true…
I wonder if anyone has tried baking this or the blondies in a muffin tin for easy rounds (6 sandwiches total), and done the math on the proportions, or tested the bake time adjustment?
I am a huge Chipwich girlie, and I love this recipe from the cookbook! For Superbowl parties, I have added broken up pieces of pretzel for extra crunch and salt — a huge hit. Go birds!
I GASPED.
ok, this is so neat! you 100% earned the standing o from your daughter.
If I want to prep this ahead of time for a party a week or so later, how is it best to store it to avoid freezer burn? I’m going to be the neighborhood mom of the year to celebrate the end of summer :)
Deb, for later in the year, when we’ve moved back indoors, is there — or could there be — a version of the filling that makes it a chocolate-chip cheesecake-wich?
Meanwhile, the potential of chocolate and/or coffee ice cream in this recipe makes Monday me want it to be Saturday now! Thank you!
Perfect timing! My baby is turning one next month and while he’ll be getting a smash cake, I wanted something tasty for the rest of us which includes some people who aren’t traditional cake fans (they claim “ice cream cake” is an actual cake, but I digress). Anyway, I think this will be a winner for all!
When you cool the cookies – do you invert them out of the pan onto a cooling rack to take off the parchment? I’m wondering how to transfer them without them breaking apart?
They’re soft/a little bendy so breaking hasn’t been an issue.
I made this cake twice today! The first time it wasn’t cooked enough in the center and the whole thing melted/crumbled when I tried to turn it out. The second time I made sure that the center sprung back when I lightly pushed it. The edges were brown and the center was just on the other side of springy.
Got the chips and Tillamook Vanilla Bean ice cream today and will give this a go.Never attempted anything like this so we are looking forward to it,results will be provided.
I’d like to use 9” cake pans. Thoughts on if I made 1 1/2 times the cookie recipe for the larger size pan?
Thanks!
1.25 the recipe for 9″ pans.
Thanks!
This was so delicious—and yes, easy! A big hit with all on our group vacation, and easy to make in a vacation home with a little strategic packing (the cake pans!). I used slightly more than half of my 48 oz container of ice cream, and I’m not sure it was enough. The ice cream definitely didn’t look as thick as the photos here; I probably would use the whole 48 oz next time.
What kind of vanilla ice cream would you recommend? French vanilla, home style, or vanilla bean? It seems that some work better than others with certain dishes, and I never know which one to pick. Thanks for any tips!
I made my own homemade ice cream! I chose salted caramel because it’s what I wanted to try making and I was excited at the flavor combination.
I use Häagen-Dazs. Not sponsored (how I wish!), I just like the short ingredient list and general flavor. For homemade, my favorite vanilla is tucked into this recipe.
Trader Joe’s makes an excellent French vanilla ice cream!
This is gonna be my go-to for summer cakes! Wow, GREAT idea. You never disappoint, Deb!! I love Chipwiches, and who can say no to this??
First attempt making anything like this and the results were pretty darn good.Put together yesterday then we had slices for breakfast,yes breakfast.I think next time I will bake the cookie a little so the chips don`t sink.Any idea how long or is there a trick I`m missing?
Thanks
The Blondie Chipwich recipe in the book calls for an oven temp of 325. Have you since changed your mind about the temperature, or is it different here because of the different pan size?
Different because I wanted browner edges. This also has a touch more liquid and more chips. I’m always tweaking things!
I just made to bring to out amazing librarians on the bookmobile, and to share with neighbors. Everyone loved it. I didn’t pick up mini chocolate chip, so I finely chopped some dark chocolate. I suspect it was messier than it will be when I make it with many chocolate chips, but it was super delicious.
I made it in the 9 x 13 version, and cut it into only nine pieces (2“ x 3“), which made a very substantial dessert/snack. I cut them in half to serve them to my family and that size was quite satisfying as a more even day size treat. Having made it, I am even more looking forward to making it for my sister-in-law’s birthday.
Also, I was out of baking powder, but I had plenty of baking soda so I used a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and put a tablespoon of cider vinegar in with the milk. Worked great.
That is so sweet! Brb, hopping on a bookmobile…
Has anyone tried converting this to GF? (I may just try swapping in GF 1:1 flour and give it a try!)
Did you try Tricia? Or anyone else? I’m looking to make this GF for a friend but have little experience swapping flours and would appreciate any tweaks or insights that might be necessary to make this work. Thanks in advance.
This was super simple, quick, and easy to make. The hardest part is waiting until it’s re-frozen. Everyone *loved* it, thank you!
Genius. And can’t stop staring at these pics!
OMG. Must make right now. Cannot WAIT to bring it to tomorrow’s dinner party!!
I made this, and it was a huge hit! 4 generations of family loved it.
I Subbed half of the chocolate chips for mini m&ms, and baked in a 9-inch pan because that’s all I had (maybe the cookie layers were a little thinner because of it but it did not matter!)
Took the cake out of the freezer for 15-20 min before cutting, and it was perfect! Smittenkitchen has done it again!!
I had no problem turning the cookies out of the pans after ~12 mins, but it was impossible to transfer them to surfaces for the 10-min freeze and then off those surfaces subsequently without breaking. I imagine it won’t affect the taste ;) but do you have any tips for the multiple transfers? Do you have a special tool that allows you to pick up the whole cookie at once?
Do you mean they stuck? I usually put mine on a rack to cool, get impatient and then put the rack right in the freezer. The cookies usually come off easily once frozen.
Thank you! Clearly, this is the problem — my regular freezer is too narrow to accommodate a rack, so I had to keep transferring to other surfaces. I’ll have to start using my chest freezer again. All that said, as expected, the cake was a hit, regardless of the fault line(s), and not a scrap was left over.
I put my two cakes on cardboard cake circles to cool then used a long spatula to gently lift them off the cardboard, working my way around to loosen.
This was so nostalgia-inducing, and yet an innovation at the same time. I can’t wait to make it again. Don’t hesitate if you only have 9-in cake pans — I found the layers to be thick enough!
Made with coffee ice cream, went down very well! The cookie texture was perfect, another triumph.
I made this for a birthday celebration today, and everyone loved it. Big smiles all around! It was fun to make and not difficult. Froze it overnight and it was perfect.
This was a huge hit at our dinner party last night. It’s absolutely delicious! Who doesn’t love a chipwich?
I made this for a family birthday party and it was perfect. I was really surprised by how easy it was! I used an 8.5 inch spring form and it worked great but took a few minutes longer than 15 to bake. Thanks Deb!
As soon as I saw this recipe, it was a *must make* situation. Pleased to report that I was able to pull this together in the (granted, pretty well stocked) vacation house kitchen! It was a hit! I did a 9×13, and then cut it in half to make a square-ish layer cake, and also mixed rainbow jimmies in with the mini chocolate chips since it was a 5 year old’s birthday cake.
Loved it! Made it in 9 inch pans and 1.25x the recipe and it turned out great. My only tweak next time would be to sprinkle a little flaky salt on the cookie layers right after baking or maybe even when serving to give a little crunch and hit of salt.
I’m making this in a 9×13 pan (need a lot for a party!). Should I double the cookie recipe or adjust it in any way to fit the different size pan?
You’ll want to double it and make 2 9×13 cookie layers, then 2x the ice cream. Or at least 1.5x the ice cream.
Wowza! I made this while visiting family, and we all (three generations) loved it! The texture of the cookie is absolutely perfect and just the right amount of salty to balance the sweetness of the ice cream. Thank you, Deb!
This is a great recipe!!! Deb, please give us cookie/sandwich cake recipe options so we can make this ALL the time. Maybe a gingersnapish option for pumpkin ice cream in the fall? How about a chocolate cookie to pair with mint or cherry ice cream at Christmas? Pretty please…
Deal!
I made this dairy free with vegetable oil and rice milk and enjoy life mini chips. I used parley vanilla ice cream. It was awesome! I forgot to sprinkle the tops of the cakes with chips before baking and you definitely need to do that. Next time! I also want to experiment with white chips and rainbow sprinkles instead of chocolate. Great recipe idea!
Sorry – oatley vanilla ice cream. It also just dawned on me to melt some chocolate and drizzle the top since I forgot the extra chips!
My son-in-law is a sucker for peanut butter and his birthday is coming up. This would be a great birthday cake for him. I was thinking of filling the chipwich ice cream cookie with half peanut butter and half vanilla ice cream (for those of us who are less enamored with peanut butter). What do you think?
If I wanted to make the cookie/blondie a chocolate chocolate chip, can I just add some cocoa powder, and if so how much? Or would this royally throw off the ratios?
I would swap perhaps 1/4 cup flour for 5T or 1/3 cup cocoa powder (since it’s lighter).
I made this last weekend and it was so incredible! I’ll definitely be making it again soon. I think I underbaked my cookies because my top layer fell apart when I tried to pick it up to put it on top of the ice cream, but I just pressed it together. It ended up tasting a bit like a cookie dough ice cream sandwich, which again was incredible but I don’t think it was quite as intended.
Deb, Any ideas on changing the recipe quantity-wise to bake it in a half sheet pan? I made it as a cake and it was amazing. I also made chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches for the grandkids and the cookies were much harder. I’d like to bake a half sheet and use a biscuit cutter to make cookie sized circles and make ice cream sandwiches. Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
Thank you for an endless supply of awesome recipes!
For a half-sheet pan (13×18), I’d double the recipe, which makes a thin layer quarter-sheet (9×13).
Thanks!
Such a hit! Delicious! Definitely on the will make again list – next time I’ll double the recipe. That good.
Could I use heavy cream in place of the milk?
What brand cake pans do you use/recommend?
I couldn’t find them in your kitchen shop :(
I can’t eat ice cream but can eat frozen yogurt-would that work?
Sure!
This was wonderful! I made it last weekend to celebrate (commiserate?) with the kids going back to school. We rolled the edges in rainbow sprinkles to appease the sprinkle v. chocolate chip lovers in the house.
Am I the only one who found spreading the batter for the cookie kind of challenging? I’m thinking of doing 1.5x the recipe as my cookie was nowhere near the size of the ones in Deb’s photo.
I made a funfetti version and replaced the chocolate chips with rainbow sprinkles. I made it 2 days ahead when I was going to serve it, and it froze and kept well with a good layer of plastic wrap. It turned out beautifully and was a hit at a summer barbecue! I used nearly all of 1.5 quart container of ice cream, and I think that 28 oz wouldn’t have been enough ice cream for flavor and layer balance.
I made this for my 4-year-old’s birthday party and it was perfect. It’s true, everyone loses their minds when you pull out a giant chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich disguised as a cake. So easy and the flavor was awesome. I hope I get invited to more birthday parties soon just so I can volunteer making this cake.
*loses their mind. Couldn’t let that slide. Also, I did end up baking these cookies about 5 minutes longer than the recipe says and they were easy to handle at the point.
Just made this for supper and it turned out great! My daughter had some of her new vet school classmates over and they loved it. One of the girls said, “Wouldn’t it be good if you figured out how to make the cookie part chocolate and put strawberry ice cream in it?’ I mean, yum! Do you think I would need to do more than add cocoa? Thanks for a great recipe!
There is a recipe on Deb’s site that is a chocolate brownie type cookie with vanilla ice cream. Last week I made it with strawberry so definitely do-able!
Thanks for the tip!
I made this again with mini M&M‘s, and the M&M sink into the cake. If you are going to use mini M&Ms, I suggest sprinkling them on halfway through baking, unless you’re hoping for a confetti cake effect on the top instead of distinct M&M’s
This sounds so amazing! I am looking forward to making it with my grandson. However, one of our younger twin grandkids is egg allergic. Do you think Bob’s Redmill egg replacer or plain yogurt or softened cream cheese would work best in place of the egg in the batter?
Thanks so much!
My dad, Richard LaMotta, invented the original Chipwich (not whatever is happening with the brand name now) and he would be really thrilled about this honor, Deb, and all who are making this! ♡ Thank you all for keeping him alive in this way ♡
Deb! When I saw this in July I said, “That’s going to be my birthday cake!” And that’s how this newly-53 year old had a giant Chipwich cake for her birthday last night. This came together like a dream and everyone in attendance from 7 to 76 was bowled over by it.
My helpful tip for others: I heated up a large spoon by running it under hot water and used it to smooth out the tops of the scoops of ice cream.
Made this last month for a birthday and it was incredible! Very simple and delicious. Will definitely be making again.