Healthy Ice Cream Sandwiches (Dairy Free)
It was a sad, sad day when I discovered ice cream triggered my migraines. I grew up where 3 scoops of ice cream after dinner was as reliable as the sun setting. But alas, I’m not a quitter, and these homemade ice cream sandwiches are how I brought dessert back.
Soft, chewy cookies are filled with creamy two ingredient banana ice cream made from frozen bananas and almond or coconut milk. They are gluten free, dairy free and delicious. Sit back, kick up your feet and indulge.
The Best Healthy Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches (Dairy Free)
A life without ice cream seemed pretty grim. I love food and dessert way too much to forever say farewell to one of my most favorite treats. Ice cream sandwiches!
There are a couple surprising ingredients in these ice cream sandwiches. Ready? Garbanzo beans in the cookies and frozen bananas in the ice cream. Don’t judge before you try them. Garbanzo beans have a very mild flavor and create a chewy, soft base for my Chocolate Cookies, Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies. I’m beyond addicted. My husband knows to quickly grab a couple freshly baked, because I feel no remorse for engulfing the entire batch. My latest record: 2 dozen in 24 hours.
And for the ice cream, who knew frozen bananas created smooth, creamy, vanilla like ice cream? If you can make something delicious and healthy, why not? No diet can do what healthy living does. It’s time to skip the diet and live healthy.
Why You’ll Love These Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Two ingredient ice cream. Frozen bananas and almond or coconut milk blend into soft serve.
- Dairy free. No cream and no milk from cows, so it is friendly for dairy sensitive eaters.
- Pick your cookie. Chocolate, crunchy peanut butter or chocolate chip peanut butter.
- Make ahead treat. Keep a stash in the freezer for hot afternoons and after dinner cravings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These healthy ice cream sandwiches have two parts, the cookies and the banana ice cream. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Your choice of cookie: Pick one of my garbanzo bean cookies: Chocolate Cookies, Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies or Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies. They are soft and chewy, which is exactly what you want in an ice cream sandwich, because a soft cookie bites cleanly without squeezing the filling out the sides. Bake them ahead and let them cool completely before assembling, or the ice cream will melt on contact.
- Frozen bananas: Three bananas, peeled before freezing. As frozen bananas blend, their natural sugars and low water content turn them into a smooth, creamy texture that tastes a lot like vanilla soft serve. The riper the bananas, the sweeter your ice cream will be, so look for bananas with plenty of brown spots. Peel them before they go in the freezer, because frozen peels are almost impossible to remove.
- Almond milk or coconut milk: Just a half cup loosens the frozen bananas enough to blend. Coconut milk makes the ice cream a little richer, while almond milk keeps it light. Add it slowly, since too much liquid turns the ice cream into a smoothie.
- Wax or parchment paper: Lines your cookie sheet so the sandwiches don’t stick while they set in the freezer.
- A quality blender: Not an ingredient, but important. Myself? I’m a VitaMix woman. It has a tamper that helps break up air pockets and push the contents down, making blending super easy. I use it every. single. day. However, I don’t want to discriminate. There are lots of Ninja and BlendTec fans out there too.
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Freeze the bananas. Peel 3 bananas, place them in a freezer zip top bag and freeze for at least 4 to 6 hours, until they are frozen solid.
- Bake the cookies. Meanwhile, prepare your cookie of choice. Let the cookies cool completely before you assemble the sandwiches.
- Blend the ice cream. Add the milk and frozen bananas to a quality blender and blend until smooth. Use the tamper or stop and scrape down the sides as needed. It is ready when it looks thick, glossy and creamy like soft serve.
- Scoop. Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. Place 6 to 8 cookies about 2 inches apart, bottoms up. Scoop about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of ice cream onto the center of each.
- First freeze. Immediately place the sheet in the freezer for an hour so the ice cream firms up.
- Top and freeze again. Top each with another cookie, pressing gently, and freeze for another hour.
- Store. Store the sandwiches in a zip top bag in the freezer. For best results, enjoy them within a week.
Kami’s tip: Freeze the scooped ice cream for an hour before adding the top cookie. Giving the banana ice cream time to firm up keeps it from squishing out the sides when you sandwich them.
Ways to Customize Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Mix and match cookies. Use one chocolate cookie and one peanut butter cookie for a two flavor sandwich.
- Chocolate ice cream. Blend a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa powder in with the frozen bananas.
- Peanut butter swirl. Blend a spoonful of natural peanut butter into the banana ice cream for a nutty filling.
- Rolled edges. Roll the sides of the finished sandwiches in mini chocolate chips or chopped peanuts before the final freeze.
Ice Cream Sandwich FAQs
- How is banana ice cream made? Frozen bananas are blended with a little almond or coconut milk until smooth and creamy. That’s it.
- Does it taste like bananas? It has a mild banana flavor, but the texture and sweetness are a lot like vanilla soft serve.
- Do I need a high powered blender? A quality blender makes it much easier. A Vitamix with a tamper works great, and many Ninja and Blendtec fans love theirs too.
- Which cookie should I use? Any of the three: Chocolate Cookies, Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies or Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies. All are soft and chewy.
- How long do they keep? Store them in a zip top bag in the freezer and enjoy within a week for the best texture.
- Why is my ice cream runny? The bananas were not fully frozen, or there was too much milk. Freeze bananas at least 4 to 6 hours and add milk slowly.
- Can I eat the banana ice cream on its own? Yes. Eat it right out of the blender as soft serve, or freeze it in a container for an hour for a firmer scoop.
- Can I make them ahead? Yes. They need about 2 hours in the freezer to set, so make them the day before a party.
Want to keep the healthy habits going? Come join my next 6 week Game-On Health Challenge or my 21 Day Mystery Health Challenge. Last round, I had one couple lose 26 pounds together. I have helped hundreds once and for all kick unhealthy habits like daily Diet Coke. And guess what? They keep coming back for more, because they love feeling healthy. Come play! I’ll take good care of you.
Kitchen Tools for This Recipe
Almond Milk Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Choose your cookie:
- Chocolate Cookies
- Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
For Ice Cream:
- 1/2 cup almond milk or coconut milk
- 3 frozen bananas
Instructions
- Peel 3 bananas, place in freezer ziplock bag, and put in freezer for at least 4 to 6 hours until bananas are frozen.
- Meanwhile, prepare your cookie of choice! Allow cookies to completely cool prior to assembling your ice cream sandwiches.
- In a quality blender, add milk and frozen bananas. Blend until smooth.
- Place a sheet of wax or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Place 6 to 8 cookies about 2 inches apart bottoms up. Scoop about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of your ice cream on the center of each. Immediately place sheet in freezer for another hour and then top with another cookie. Freeze for additional hour and enjoy!
- Store in ziplock bag in freezer. For best results, enjoy the ice cream sandwiches within a week.
Made these ice cream sandwiches? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell me which cookie you chose in the comments below. I love hearing your favorite combinations!
