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These M&M Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches are the dessert of the Summer! Two soft and chewy M&M cookies are stuffed with sweet vanilla ice cream and stored in the freezer for a great any-time treat. They're sweet, simple, and perfect for kids AND adults!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients Needed
- Assembling Your Cookie Sandwiches
- Expert Tips
- Recipe Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Other Recipes You Might Like!
M&M Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches *might* just be my new favorite summer dessert to make. I mean, there's 2 thick, soft, and chewy M&M cookies sandwiched with whatever flavor of ice cream your heart desires...
Does it get any better?!
Mind you, these are also so simple to make! I based the cookies off of mys, used a biscuit cutter to make circles out of vanilla ice cream, then assembled and froze. Easy Peasy!
Grab one straight from the freezer and dig in, I guarantee they'll be a new favorite of yours as well.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple and easy- a no-chill cookie dough is baked and sandwiched with your favorite ice cream. Doesn't get any easier!
- Soft, chewy cookies- they're every so slightly underbaked so that they're still chewy even once you freeze them.
- No chill cookie dough- that way there's minimal time between you and a homemade M&M cookie ice cream sandwich.
- Made with store bought ice cream- you can customize the flavors and it's much faster than making it from scratch.
- Fun and colorful- kids (and adults!) will love these colorful cookies sandwiched with their favorite ice cream flavor!
Key Ingredients Needed
*the full list of ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below*
Butter: I typically use salted butter when I bake, but unsalted will work also. Use whatever you have on hand, it won't change the flavor too much.
Brown Sugar: I used light brown sugar in this recipe, but you could also use dark! Keep in mind, the flavor will be the same but the cookies will look darker in color.
Eggs: For these cookies, I use 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. The yolk adds moisture and keeps them soft and chewy.
Flour: I made these M&M cookies with regular all purpose flour, but you could substitute it with gluten free all purpose flour that contains xanthan gum if needed.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to keep the cookies soft and chewy- which is perfect so they're not too hard once frozen!
Baking Soda: A little bit of baking soda allows the cookies to spread and not be too thick.
M&Ms and chocolate chips: I like to use a combo of both M&Ms and chocolate for extra fun! You can use regular or mini M&Ms, but stick to mini chocolate chips because regular are too hard to eat when frozen.
Vanilla Ice Cream: Use a good quality ice cream that doesn't melt super quickly. Some cheaper brands tend to melt fairly fast and aren't ideal for ice cream sandwiches.
How To Make M&M Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
STEP ONE: Before you begin, take the ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften for 10-15 minutes.
STEP TWO: Preheat your oven to 350°Fand line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP THREE: In a large mixing bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
STEP FOUR: Next, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients and gently fold it all together.
STEP FIVE: Fold the M&Ms and mini chocolate chips into the dough.
STEP SIX: Scoop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between each scoop. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and just set and the tops still look glossy. Carefully remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely.
STEP SEVEN: While the cookies are baking, spread the softened ice cream into a 9x13 pan that's been lined with parchment paper. Place back into the freezer for at least 30 mintues.
Assembling Your Cookie Sandwiches
STEP ONE: Allow the cookies to cool completely and freeze them for 10 minutes before assembling.
STEP TWO: WORKING QUICKLY! Take the ice cream tray and the cookies out of the freezer. Use a 3 inch biscuit cutter to cut the ice cream into a circle and sandwich it between 2 cookies. Immediately place the M&M cookie sandwich into the freezer and finish the rest of the sandwiches.
*if the ice cream begins to melt before you're done assembling, place it back into the freezer for 10 minutes before finishing.*
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: This tip is for when you're making the cookie dough! Room temperature ingredients mix together better and form a smoother batter.
- Bake the dough immediately: It may look a little runny, but trust me this cookie dough bakes up into the most delicious, soft and chewy M&M cookies. The longer it sits, however, the cookies can become a little doughier and not as chewy.
- Underbake the cookies: Ever so slightly, that way they're nice and chewy even when frozen!
- Use stiff ice cream: This is important when it comes to your ice cream! One brand I tried first melted almost immediately and I was left with a puddle. Once I found a stiffer brand if ice cream, these were absolute *chef's kiss*
- Work quickly: You're working with ice cream, it's probably about 68 degrees in your house, you need to work fast!
- Freeze immediately: Once you sandwich the cookies, immediately place them into the freezer so they can harden back up.
Recipe Variations
Gluten Free: Substitute the all purpose flour in the cookie recipe with a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour that contains xanthan gum.
Mini M&Ms: If you want, substitute the regular M&Ms with mini and ditch the chocolate chips.
Dairy free: Make my dairy free chocolate chip cookies and sandwich your favorite dairy free ice cream in the middle!
Whipped Cream: For a lighter option, make whipped cream and freeze it! It freezes very well and is not as heavy feeling as ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any cookies?
Technically, you can use any cookie. If you're varying from these M&M cookies, I do still recommend using a cookie that is soft and chewy so you don't break a tooth eating these straight from the freezer.
Can't I buy these from the store?
Some stores do carry M&M cookie ice cream sandwiches, but I prefer to make them at home! That way they're totally customizable, I know the ingredients in them, and are less expensive per serving.
What other cookies can I use?
If you don't want M&M cookies, you can try making these homemade ice cream sandwiches with chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, or even snickerdoodles.
Why did my ice cream melt everywhere?
Different brands of ice cream melt quicker than others, so I recommend buying a brand that doesn't melt as fast and also being sure to work quickly!
Read my tips section for all my tricks on how to assemble your ice cream sandwiches.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Since these are stuffed with ice cream, you need to keep them in the freezer! I like to keep them in an airtight container or freezer safe bag so that they don't get icy as quickly.
These homemade ice cream sandwiches will stay good in the freezer for up to 2 weeks as long as they're stored properly.
Other Recipes You Might Like!
Did you make these homemade M&M Ice Cream Sandwiches? If you did, I would appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below!
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M&M Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
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These M&M Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches are the dessert of the Summer! Two soft and chewy M&M cookies are stuffed with sweet vanilla ice cream and stored in the freezer for a great any-time treat. They're sweet, simple, and perfect for kids AND adults!
- Author: Nicole Radcliffe
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 8 Minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 8 Large Sandwiches 1x
- Category: Ice Cream
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 113g salted butter- melted
- 142g light brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk- room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g all purpose flour
- 32g cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 110g M&Ms
- 50g mini chocolate chips
- about 4 cups vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Before you begin, take the ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften for 10-15 minutes while you make the cookie dough.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl, then set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, stir together melted, slightly cooled butter, brown sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- To the wet ingredients, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold to combine until no traces of flour remain.
- Pour the M&Ms and mini chocolate chips into the cookie dough and fold until evenly distributed.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough out onto your prepared baking sheet then bake for 8-9 minutes, or until barely golden and glossy on top, then pull them out
- While the cookies are baking, spread the softened ice cream into a 9x13 inch baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place into the freezer to harden up for at least 30 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, place into the freezer for 10 minutes.
ASSEMBLING THE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES.
- WORKING QUICKLY! Take the ice cream tray and the cookies out of the freezer. Use a 3 inch biscuit cutter to cut the ice cream into a circle and sandwich it between 2 cookies. Immediately place the M&M cookie sandwich into the freezer and finish the rest of the sandwiches.
*if the ice cream begins to melt before you're done assembling, place it back into the freezer for 10 minutes before finishing.*
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients: This tip is for when you're making the cookie dough! Room temperature ingredients mix together better and form a smoother batter.
- Bake the dough immediately: It may look a little runny, but trust me this cookie dough bakes up into the most delicious, soft and chewy M&M cookies. The longer it sits, however, the cookies can become a little doughier and not as chewy
- Underbake the cookies:Ever so slightly, that way they're nice and chewy even when frozen!
- Use stiff ice cream:This is important when it comes to your ice cream! One brand I tried first melted almost immediately and I was left with a puddle. Once I found a stiffer brand if ice cream, these were absolute *chef's kiss
- Work quickly:You're working with ice cream, it's probably about 68 degrees in your house, you need to work fast
- Freeze immediately: Once you sandwich the cookies, immediately place them into the freezer so they can harden back up
- Storing: Keep frozen in an airtight container or freezer safe bag for up to 2 weeks.
