2 Elevated Alternatives to the Ice Cream Sandwich

The ice cream sandwich is an iconic sweet, frozen treat. Did you know that it has its very own day? That’s right…ice cream sandwiches get their own special holiday! On August 2nd every year ice cream aficionados get an extra reason to eat the creamy sweet treat that they love, but in sandwich form.

While Ice Cream Sandwich Day may not bring on parades, family gatherings and special traditions, it can be a day where you play with the novel concept and make it your own. Just recently I put my own brain to work and came up with two ice cream sandwiches that are NOT chocolate and vanilla. And now I want to share them with you!

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A Southern, Summer-Inspired Ice Cream Sandwich

Let me just start by saying that I love ALL THINGS BANANA-FLAVORED. I’ve seen the Duncan Hines Dolly Parton Southern Style Banana Cake Mix on the shelf many times before, but each time fought the desire to buy it. This time I caved and made it the center of my inspiration for one of the sandwiches.

After I had the banana cake mix in my cart I headed to the ice cream aisle. I scanned and scanned until my eyes landed on the Breyer’s Dulce De Leche Ice Cream. If you know banana flavor pairings, then you know that banana goes wonderfully with caramel. I grabbed the ice cream and put it in my cart.

Now that I had the flavors, I had to decide: cookies or waffles? Waffles because the banana and waffle combination makes me nostalgic for Sunday morning breakfasts where bananas are an amazing pancake/waffle topping. Banana Waffle Ice Cream Sandwich it is!

Let’s Make a Waffle Ice Cream Sandwich!

Ready to make an ice cream sandwich? Great! Let’s get started.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 Duncan Hines Dolly Parton Southern Style Banana Cake Mix
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of water
• 3 large eggs
• Cooking Spray
• 1 small waffle maker (my daughters have a small heart-shaped one made by Dash…you can find similar ones here)
• Breyer’s Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
• Caramel Syrup

Here’s your instructions:

1. Turn on your waffle iron and let it preheat.
2. Whisk together the cake mix, vegetable oil, water and eggs in a bowl.
3. Spray the waffle iron with the cooking spray if needed.
4. Place the batter into the waffle iron and let it cook as usual.
5. When it is done, remove it from the waffle iron. Set it aside to let it cool.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 until you have enough waffles to make your ice cream sandwiches.
7. Once the waffles have cooled, spoon the ice cream onto one waffle and then top with a second waffle to make the sandwich.
8. Serve the waffle ice cream sandwich on a plate and drizzle it with caramel syrup.
9. Enjoy!

The Banana and Dulce de Leche waffle ice cream sandwich is on the sweeter side, but that’s what makes it a great dessert! And it’s definitely way prettier than just the average ice cream sandwich that you get from the store. Want to elevate it even more? Caramelize some bananas on the stove top and use them as a topping along with whipped cream to make the ultimate waffle sandwich.

An Autumn-Inspired Butterscotch Spice Cookie Sandwich

Out of the two elevated ice cream sandwiches that I made, this one is my favorite. The earthiness from the spices, the saltiness of the the pecans, the richness of the ice cream and the sweetness from the butterscotch all together create one beautiful bite.

I came up with the idea for this sandwich on the same day and using the same method that I used to create the Banana Waffle sandwich. I seriously stood in the baking aisle at Food Lion for like five minutes, staring at the cake mixes. Nothing says “Autumn” quite like spice cake, and so I grabbed it. Autumn might not be here yet, but it will be here soon! (PS- Totally saw Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Coffee on the shelf at Sam’s Club yesterday!)

Of course, I had to head to the ice cream section next. The butter pecan ice cream caught my eye before anything else. I almost used it for the banana sandwich, but I’m so glad that I didn’t!

Ready to make your Spice Cake Cookie Sandwich? Let’s get started…

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 box of Spice Cake Mix (you can use any brand, but I used Duncan Hines)
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie sheets
• Cookie Scoop
• Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Here’s your instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the spice cake mix, egg whites, flour and vegetable oil. Mix until it is combined.
3. Add in the butterscotch chips. Fold in but try not to mix too much.
4. Scoop the cookie dough into balls (approximately 1/2 inch) and place them onto the lined cookie sheets (about 2 inches apart).
5. Place in the oven and let them bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven when done and let them cool.
7. Once they’re cool, scoop the ice cream onto a cookie and top with another cookie.
8. Enjoy!

Go Ahead, Eat the Ice Cream Sandwiches..

Even though August 2nd might be Ice Cream Sandwich Day, you can enjoy the sweet treats any time you want. Seriously, no one will tell!

What is your favorite flavor combination? Do you think it would make a great ice cream sandwich? If you try one of mine I would love to know what you think. Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

-Meg