These Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Ice Cream Sandwiches are the perfect summer dessert! They pair gluten-free chocolate sponge cake cookies with creamy dairy-free vanilla ice cream. These vegan ice cream sandwiches are also paleo, nut-free, and can easily be Modified AIP compliant.
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Looking for more gluten and dairy free desserts? Try my Lemon Blueberry Bars, Watermelon Mochi, Fudgy Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies or Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake.
Classic ice cream sandwiches are the yummiest way to cool down on a hot day. However, for folks with food allergies or who are following a gluten and dairy-free diet, it can be difficult to find store bought ice cream sandwiches that meet the mark. Cue my homemade ice cream sandwiches without gluten, dairy, eggs, or nuts. With chocolate cake cookies and vanilla ice cream, they’re delicious and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for all eaters!
Gluten Free Dairy Free Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
These ice cream sandwiches are super easy to make. The difficult part is waiting for them to freeze before digging in. But trust me, it’s worth the wait!
For the cookies, I used the vegan chocolate sponge cake from my Gluten-Free Yule Log recipe. It’s a moist chocolate cake made with a grain-free and gluten-free flour blend of cassava and coconut flour, with cacao powder, baking soda, sea salt, and coconut sugar.
It’s further sweetened with maple syrup and lightly flavored with vanilla extract. Coconut yogurt and avocado oil add moisture, and as liquid fats, keep the cake light. This means that once frozen, the cakey cookie firms up enough to provide a sturdy base, but is still soft and chewy with a pleasant bite. Lush vegan vanilla ice cream is spread between the two cake layers. It’s frozen and cut into smaller sandwiches for a rich and refreshing gluten and dairy-free dessert.
These ice cream sandwiches are sweet, chewy, and creamy, with delicious chocolate and vanilla flavors. A nostalgic summer staple that everyone will love!
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities.
- cassava flour
- coconut flour
- raw cacao powder
- baking powder – I used the Otto’s Naturals brand of grain-free baking powder to keep this recipe paleo.
- sea salt
- coconut sugar
- avocado oil
- maple syrup
- coconut yogurt
- vanilla extract
- dairy-free vanilla ice cream – I like this brand.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Cacao powder: You can also use cocoa powder.
- Coconut sugar: You can replace it with maple sugar, or granulated cane sugar if you don’t need this recipe to be refined sugar-free. However, I don’t recommend substituting the coconut sugar with more maple syrup or vice versa. Both the liquid and granulated unrefined sweeteners are needed to create the optimal texture.
- Avocado oil: Or use olive oil as a substitute.
- Coconut yogurt: You can use other dairy-free yogurts like cashew or oat milk based yogurts. However, I think an almond milk yogurt might be a bit too thin and watery.
- Dairy-free Vanilla Ice Cream: You can use any type and flavor of dairy-free or vegan ice cream, whether it’s made from coconut milk, oat milk, almond or cashew milk (if you tolerate nuts), etc. Of course, if you tolerate dairy, that’s great too. Depending on the flavor, like cookies and cream for example, you’ll want to ensure it’s also a gluten-free ice cream.
- AIP Modifications: These ice cream sandwiches comply with the Modified AIP version of the AIP diet as they contain cacao. Be sure to check the ingredients of the ice cream you use to ensure it is also AIP compliant.
For homemade AIP ice cream recipes, try my Strawberry Ice Cream, Peach Ice Cream, Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream or the matcha ice cream from my Matcha Ice Cream Sandwiches. - I don’t recommend any other substitutions.
Instructions
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 10×15 baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: Make the Cake-Cookie Dough
In a large bowl, combine the cassava flour, coconut flour, cacao powder, baking powder, sea salt, and coconut sugar. Then, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the avocado oil, maple syrup, coconut yogurt and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the center of the dry ingredients. Stir to combine into a soft dough.
Step 3: Shape the Dough
Use a spoon or a large scoop to scoop the dough out onto the center of the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Smooth and spread out the dough with your fingers into an even layer. Then, cover it with a sheet of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangle between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in thickness and approximately 9 x 12 inches. You may need to remove it from the baking tray to roll it out properly between the two sheets of parchment paper. Return the bottom sheet with the rolled out dough to the baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake the Cake
Bake the chocolate sponge cake in the middle rack of the oven for 16 minutes.
Step 5: Let Cool
Remove from the oven and place the pan on top of a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This will allow airflow underneath the cake while maintaining its shape in the pan.
Step 6: Cut and Freeze
Use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut in half crosswise.
Next, carefully wrap each piece in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour. Pre-freezing the cake pieces helps prevent the ice cream from melting quicker and creates sturdier cookie layers that won’t crack from the ice cream.
Step 7: Assemble Ice Cream Sandwich and Freeze
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow it to soften, about 15-20 minutes. However, you don’t want it to get too soft and start to melt.
Remove one half of the cake from the freezer and unwrap the plastic wrap. Scoop the softened ice cream evenly on top of it and use an offset spatula to spread the ice cream to the edges in an even layer.
Remove the remaining piece of cake from the freezer and carefully place on top to make a sandwich. Re-wrap the entire sandwich in plastic wrap and return to freezer for 8 hours or overnight.
Step 8: Cut Ice Cream Sandwiches
Once fully frozen, remove from freezer, remove plastic wrap and trim the edges to create a rectangle.
Cut into squares or rectangles of desired size.
Wrap individually with plastic wrap and keep frozen until ready to serve.
Tips & Tricks
Use room temperature dough ingredients
Use room temperature wet ingredients in the dough for optimal results. Let the dairy-free yogurt and maple syrup come to room temperature rather than using them cold from the fridge. Room temperature ingredients ensure smoother mixing and an evenly incorporated dough. If needed, slightly warm cold liquid ingredients first to remove the chill.
Avoid overmixing the dough
Mix the batter ingredients until just combined to ensure a light and fluffy cake texture. Overworking the batter can result in a denser, tough or rubbery texture.
Avoid overbaking
Don’t over-bake the cake to prevent it from drying out. This cake is meant to be light and fluffy, and will remain slightly soft even when frozen, making it easier to bite through.
Prevent Cracks
Ensure you roll the dough out to the recommended measurements; too thin and it will crack easily.
Let the cake cool properly before you cut it.
Handle the cake layers very carefully, especially when placing the top layer.
Freeze Flat
You’ll need to freeze the two cut pieces of cake, and then the assembled ice cream sandwich, on a flat surface like a baking sheet.
Assemble Quickly
Make sure everything is ready before you start assembling i.e., the ice cream is soft and cake pieces are frozen. Work quickly and carefully to prevent the ice cream from melting and to maintain the structure of the sandwich, and then freeze immediately.
Prepare the Ice Cream
Soften the ice cream just enough to scoop and spread it easily, but not too much that it melts.
Adjust the thickness of the ice cream layer by adding more or less ice cream, to suit your preference. You just want to make sure to spread it evenly. An offset spatula is the best tool to help with this but a regular spatula or even a butter knife can work if you don’t have one.
How to Cut the Ice Cream Sandwiches
Avoid messy sandwiches by only cutting it once it’s completely frozen. Place it on parchment paper on top a cutting board so the bottom layer doesn’t stick and for easier clean up.
Use a sharp knife with a long blade to cut into squares or rectangles. Wet the knife in warm water and wipe dry between cuts so it glides easily through the sandwich and to clean off any smudged ice cream.
Trim the edges, and use a gentle sawing motion to cut into squares or rectangles, rather than pressing down hard to avoid smushing the dessert. You can use a ruler to measure and mark where you want to cut for uniform sandwiches.
Work quickly so that the ice cream doesn’t start melting!
Experiment with Flavors
Swap out the vanilla and use your favorite ice cream flavor! Choose whatever flavors you enjoy most with the chocolate cakey cookie. Blueberry Ice Cream and Strawberry Ice Cream will pair nicely for a fruity twist.
Optional Add-ins
These ice cream sandwiches are a perfect no-dairy frozen dessert as is. If you’d like, you can jazz them up a bit by scattering some dairy-free chocolate chips over the ice cream layer before adding the top cake layer. Or, dip the ice cream sides in sprinkles or chopped nuts (if you tolerate them) for some texture.
Mix together some melted dairy-free chocolate and coconut oil to make a chocolate sauce and drizzle it over the ice cream sandwich before freezing. Or, enjoy with a scoop of dairy-free whipped cream for extra decadence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. Once the cake cools completely and you cut it in half, wrap it in plastic wrap. You can store it in the freezer for up to 1 day before assembling the ice cream sandwich and re-freezing. Or, you can store in the fridge also up to 1 day, then freeze for 1 hour before assembling and re-freezing.
If the ice cream has gotten too soft, put it back in the freezer to harden up a bit.
It’s a good idea to put the bottom cake layer with any ice cream on it back into the freezer for about 10-20 minutes to firm up a bit. Then you can continue adding more ice cream and the top cake layer. This prevents the top layer from sinking into the ice cream and cracking, and ensures the ice cream layer stays thick.
It might be slightly neater to wrap the sandwich with parchment paper instead of plastic wrap, before re-freezing until ready to eat.
Don’t worry too much if the cake cracks slightly. It’s firm enough that it will still stay together and not completely snap or break apart. Especially when assembling and it’s been pre-frozen for 1 hour, it’s still pliable enough that you can smooth it over with wet fingertips to bring it back together for the most part. Or, you can use a very tiny bit of softened ice cream and place in between the crack to ‘glue’ it back together.
How To Store Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
Freezer: Wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap or parchment paper and store them in a freezer-safe, airtight container in the freezer. This will prevent freezer burn and help them stay fresh longer.
They will last up to 1 month in the freezer once stored properly.
As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find dairy and gluten-free desserts that taste as delicious as their conventional counterparts. That’s why you’ll love my Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Ice Cream Sandwiches! If you do, I would appreciate it if you would give the recipe a rating and review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious.
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Gluten Free Dairy Free Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
- Total Time: 9 hours 31 minutes
- Yield: 10 ice cream sandwiches 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Ice Cream Sandwiches are a perfectly refreshing summer dessert! They pair vegan and gluten-free chocolate sponge cake cookies with dairy-free vanilla ice cream. They’re vegan, nut-free, and can easily be Modified AIP compliant.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cassava flour
- 2 TBSP coconut flour
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 TBSP coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 pints dairy-free vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 10×15 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To a large bowl, mix cassava flour, coconut flour, cacao powder, baking powder, sea salt and coconut sugar. Then make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, combine avocado oil, maple syrup, coconut yogurt and vanilla extract. Then add wet ingredient mixture to the center of the dry ingredients.
- Stir to combine the wet and dry ingredients into a soft dough.
- Scoop dough out onto the center of the parchment lined baking sheet. Use your fingers to spread and smooth the dough out into an even layer. Then place another sheet of parchment paper on top and press or roll out the dough into a rectangle between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick about 12×9 inches.* Remove top sheet of parchment paper.
- Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 16 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Using the parchment paper, transfer the cake to a cutting board and cut it in half crosswise.
- Carefully wrap each piece in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour, taking care not to crack the fragile cake while handling.**
- 15-20 minutes before you are ready to assemble, remove ice cream from the freezer and allow to soften a bit.*** Remove one half of the cake from the freezer and scoop ice cream evenly on top. Use an offset spatula to spread ice cream in an even layer to the edges.
- Remove remaining piece of cake from the freezer and carefully place on top to make a sandwich. Re-wrap in plastic wrap and return to freezer for 8 hours or overnight.
- Once fully frozen, remove from freezer, remove plastic wrap and trim edges to create a clean rectangle. Then, cut the large sandwich cake into squares or rectangles of desired size. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and keep frozen until ready to serve.
Notes
The yield depends on the size that you cut the ice cream sandwiches.
*You may need to remove the dough from the baking sheet to roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper.
**The cut pieces need to be placed on a flat surface in the freezer. You can re-use the baking sheet.
***Depending on how frozen the ice cream is, time of day, etc., it may not need that long. Keep an eye on the ice cream as it softens, because you don’t want it to get too soft and start melting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Freeze Time: 9 hours
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baked & Assembled
- Cuisine: American
These did not disappoint! Ice cream sandwiches are one of the very few things I miss going GF – thanks so much for this beautiful recipe – we will savour each and every one of them!