When you want a dessert that perfectly bridges the gap between fall flavors and year-round chocolate cravings, these Chocolate and Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches are your answer. Imagine biting into a soft, chewy chocolate cookie that gives way to a thick layer of creamy, spiced pumpkin ice cream in the middle. The combination sounds unusual but tastes absolutely incredible because the warm spices in the pumpkin ice cream complement the rich cocoa in the cookies, while the sweetness of both elements balances perfectly. These sandwiches are fun to make with kids, impressive enough to serve at a dinner party, and completely customizable with different mix-ins and toppings. You can roll the edges in mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even candy pieces for extra texture and visual appeal. The best part is that you can make everything ahead of time and store them in the freezer, pulling them out whenever you need a special treat. They’re perfect for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dessert, holiday cookie exchanges, or any time you want something that feels both nostalgic and unique.
Serving Quantity: Makes 12 ice cream sandwiches
Cooking Time:
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Baking time: 12 minutes
- Cooling time: 30 minutes
- Freezing time: 4 hours
- Total time: 5 hours 12 minutes
Nutrition Information (per sandwich):
- Calories: 385
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
- Sodium: 195mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugars: 38g
- Protein: 5g
- Vitamin A: 45% of daily value
- Iron: 8% of daily value
- Calcium: 10% of daily value
Ingredients
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- Three quarters cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- Half teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 and a half cups of granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 and a half quarts of pumpkin ice cream (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup of mini chocolate chips for rolling
- Half cup of toffee bits for rolling (optional)
- Quarter cup of chopped pecans for rolling (optional)
- Parchment paper for baking
Making the Chocolate Cookie Dough
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until everything is evenly mixed and there are no cocoa lumps. Set this aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and continue beating for another 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. It should look paler in color and have increased in volume slightly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until everything is combined. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point and that’s completely normal.
Combining and Chilling
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed after each addition just until the flour disappears. Don’t overmix or your cookies will be tough. The dough will be thick, fudgy, and deeply chocolatey. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for about 15 minutes. This quick chill makes the dough easier to scoop and helps the cookies hold their shape better during baking. While the dough is chilling, take your pumpkin ice cream out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter to soften slightly. You want it soft enough to scoop and spread but not completely melted.
Shaping and Baking the Cookies
Use a large cookie scoop or a quarter cup measure to portion out the dough. You want these cookies bigger than normal because they need to hold a good amount of ice cream. Roll each portion between your palms to form smooth balls. Place them on your prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart because they’ll spread quite a bit. You should get about 24 cookies total, which will make 12 sandwiches. Use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to gently press each dough ball down until it’s about half an inch thick. This helps them bake more evenly and gives you a flatter surface for sandwiching. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges look set but the centers still look slightly underdone and soft. They’ll continue cooking on the hot pan after you take them out. Don’t overbake them or they’ll be crunchy instead of soft and chewy.
Cooling the Cookies
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They’ll be very soft when they first come out of the oven and need this time to firm up enough to move. After 5 minutes, use a spatula to carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely to room temperature, which takes about 30 minutes. This cooling step is crucial because if you try to assemble the sandwiches with warm cookies, the ice cream will melt everywhere immediately. While the cookies are cooling, put the pumpkin ice cream back in the freezer to firm up again if it got too soft.
Assembling the Ice Cream Sandwiches
Line a large baking sheet or cutting board that fits in your freezer with parchment paper. Take your pumpkin ice cream out of the freezer and let it soften at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes until it’s spreadable but not soupy. Flip half of your cooled cookies over so the flat bottom side is facing up. These will be your bases. Scoop a generous amount of pumpkin ice cream onto each base cookie. You want about half a cup of ice cream per sandwich. Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread the ice cream into an even layer that goes almost to the edges. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect because you’ll smooth it out in the next step. Top each ice cream mound with another cookie, placing it flat bottom down so the two flat sides sandwich the ice cream. Press down gently but firmly to spread the ice cream to the edges of the cookies.
Rolling the Edges
Pour your mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, or chopped pecans into a shallow dish or plate. You can use one topping or mix them all together for variety. Hold each ice cream sandwich by the cookies on both sides and roll the exposed ice cream edge through the toppings, turning the sandwich as you go so the entire edge is coated. The toppings will stick to the ice cream and create a beautiful finished look. Press gently so the toppings adhere well. Place each finished sandwich on your prepared baking sheet. Work quickly during this step because the ice cream will start to soften from the warmth of your hands.
Freezing Until Firm
Once all your sandwiches are assembled and rolled in toppings, immediately put the baking sheet in the freezer. Let them freeze uncovered for about 1 hour until they’re firm enough to handle without squishing. After that first hour, wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap. This prevents freezer burn and makes it easy to grab one whenever you want it. Store all the wrapped sandwiches in a large freezer bag or airtight container. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months, though they’re usually eaten way before that. Let them sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before eating so they’re not rock hard.
Making Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream
If you want to make your own pumpkin ice cream, it’s actually quite simple. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of heavy cream, 1 cup of whole milk, three quarters cup of sugar, 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of ginger, quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves. Whisk until the sugar dissolves completely. Pour this mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually about 25 minutes. The ice cream will be soft serve consistency when it’s done churning. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours until firm enough to scoop for the sandwiches.
Customizing Your Sandwiches
The flavor combinations are endless with these sandwiches. Try using double chocolate cookies by adding chocolate chips to the cookie dough. Make them with vanilla ice cream instead of pumpkin for a classic combination. Gingerbread cookies with pumpkin ice cream are incredible for the holidays. Sugar cookies with chocolate ice cream work beautifully. You can also make half-and-half sandwiches by using one chocolate cookie and one vanilla or pumpkin cookie. For the edge coatings, crushed graham crackers, crushed pretzels, sprinkles, crushed candy canes for Christmas, or even crumbled bacon for a sweet and salty treat all work wonderfully. Drizzle melted chocolate over the tops before freezing for an extra fancy presentation.
Serving Suggestions
These sandwiches are rich and satisfying, so one per person is usually plenty. Serve them on individual dessert plates with a fork since they can get messy. For a dinner party, you can slice each sandwich in half diagonally to make them easier to eat and more elegant looking. Drizzle some caramel sauce on the plate before placing the sandwich down. Add a small scoop of whipped cream on the side. A dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder on the plate makes it look restaurant-worthy. For kids’ parties, let them help roll the edges in toppings and choose their own combinations.
Tips for Perfect Ice Cream Sandwiches
The cookies need to be soft and chewy, not crispy. Underbake them slightly rather than overbaking. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay soft enough to bite through when frozen. Make sure your cookies are all the same size so the sandwiches look uniform. A large cookie scoop is your best friend here. The ice cream needs to be soft enough to spread but firm enough to hold its shape. If it melts too much, put it back in the freezer for 15 minutes and try again. Work in batches if needed so the ice cream doesn’t get too soft. Freeze the sandwiches flat before wrapping them so they keep their shape. Once they’re solid, you can stack them in storage. Let frozen sandwiches sit out for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. They’re much easier to bite into when they’re slightly softened. Use parchment paper between layers if you’re stacking sandwiches in your freezer container. This prevents them from sticking together. Press down evenly when sandwiching so the ice cream reaches all the edges without squishing out too much. If you don’t have pumpkin ice cream, make it by mixing pumpkin pie spice into softened vanilla ice cream and refreezing it. For cleaner edges, you can trim the ice cream flush with the cookies using a knife before rolling in toppings. Make mini versions using a small cookie scoop and half the amount of ice cream. They’re perfect for portion control or serving at parties. Don’t skip the edge coating. It not only looks pretty but gives you something to hold onto besides the cookies. Store extra cookies without ice cream in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can make sandwiches as needed. These make wonderful gifts. Wrap each sandwich prettily and pack them in a small cooler with ice packs for delivery.
