About “Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches”

Ice cream sandwiches aren’t that exciting to me as a summer dessert; I have sensitive teeth, so the idea of biting into a block of ice cream has never really appealed to me. The only exception I’ve found thus far is the It’s-It ice cream sandwich: vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two oatmeal cookie layers and covered in chocolate. The ratio of chocolate to cookie to ice cream in these ice cream sandwiches is perfection to me.

I was first introduced to these marvels while growing up in the Bay Area, so when I moved to New York I was devastated to learn that these ice cream sandwiches aren’t sold east of the Rocky Mountains. This recipe is my modest attempt at capturing the wonder of the It’s-It ice cream sandwich through my take on an oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich. I wanted the method to be streamlined enough so that it could be made at home (or on either side of the Rockies), and while my recipe yields ice cream sandwiches that look much quite “rustic,” I promise they taste much better than they look.

Occasion

I think these ice cream sandwiches are best for a potluck or dinner party during the summer, where you can store them in the freezer until you are ready to serve them. These don’t transport very well (the ice cream will start to melt), so I wouldn’t plan to bring these outside of the kitchen where you make them.

Elements

The oatmeal cookie layers are truly the central element of this recipe. I opt for ras el hanout in the cookie layer, a departure from the expected cinnamon or conventional array of warm spices typically used in oatmeal cookie recipes. I first fell in love with ras el hanout when I tried chicken pastilla in Essaouira for the first time, and I remember thinking that this flavor would work incredibly well in lieu of the typical spices reserved for oatmeal cookies. Developing this recipe confirmed my premonition, and I think the ras el hanout works wonderfully with the chocolate that coats these ice cream sandwiches. You can substitute for cinnamon if you’d like, but I’d strongly recommend seeking out ras el hanout for this recipe.

References

Much like writing an academic paper, publishing this recipe without citing my references feels dishonest. I am an amateur baker, and although a competent one, I am far from a professional. I adapted my recipe for Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and the method from a separate Claire Saffitz recipe for ice cream sandwiches, so all the recipes I’ve referenced to develop this one are listed here:

Clark, Melissa. “Classic Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies Recipe.” NYT Cooking, 5 Feb. 2025, cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018658-classic-oatmeal-raisin-cookies.
McKenney, Sally . “Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.” Sally’s Baking Addiction, 23 Mar. 2019, sallysbakingaddiction.com/soft-chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/.
Saffitz, Claire. “Chocolate Chip Cookies.” Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence, Clarkson Potter, 2020, pp. 133–135.
Saffitz, Claire. “Salty Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches.” What’s for Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People, Clarkson Potter, 2022, pp. 57-58.
Saffitz, Claire. “Oat and Pecan Brittle Cookies.” Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence, Clarkson Potter, 2020, pp. 151–153.