Today’s recipe: gluten free ice cream sandwiches made with healthy soft flourless brownie cookies and a quick simplified way to prepare the ice cream filling. {filled with Carte D’Or Honeycomb ice cream and decorated with Waitrose sugar stars}
Ice cream sandwiches are arguably the best summer snack, but they’re a bit like unicorns in the gluten free world. Some claim that they exist, but they remain just a legend for most of us. So the solution is, as usual, to make our own! Bonus point: they’re much tastier and much cheaper to make than the pre-made ones anyway. ?
Before I start, I know brownies are a sore topic for the gluten free crowd… lol BUT if you’re going to make ice cream sandwiches you need brownie cookies in your life! I’ve tried different types of cookies over the years and these are honestly my favourite and the closest, in terms of both taste and texture, to those classic ice cream sandwiches I remember from my childhood.
They’re very simple to make as well. All the recipes I’ve seen before seem to overcomplicate the ice cream filling process. To get the right shape and avoid a melting mess, they either pre-freeze individual circular shaped patties using a muffin tray… Or they spread softened ice cream on a baking tray and refreeze it to then cut ice cream patties with a cookie cutter (only to discard the rest which melts in the process).
But then I thought why not just press the ice cream into a cookie cutter to quickly shape the filling right there and then instead of going through this lengthy and wasteful process? That works for me! ?
Based on my healthy(ish) black bean brownies recipe.
Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe:
- 1 x 400g (240g when drained) canned black beans
- ¼ cup (50g) unsalted butter
- 2 medium eggs (95g)
- ¾ cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (175g) sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 2 Tbsp gluten free self-raising flour (I used Doves Farm)
- Optional: chocolate chips (I didn't put any)
- Your choice of ice cream (I used Carte D'Or Honeycomb)
- Optional: sprinkles (I used Waitrose sugar stars)
P.S.: I promise you can’t taste the black beans! Besides being healthier than flour, they actually work so well for brownies and yield a perfect texture.
Directions
Make the brownie cookies:
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C (325F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Place all cookie ingredients (except the flour) in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add a bit of flour (optional).
- Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or until the batter is solid enough to handle with your hands.
- Take one heaped tablespoon worth of cookie dough, gently form a smooth ball with your hands, place it on the baking tray and press down with your finger to shape it like a cookie. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Note: wet your hands slightly, shaking off any excess, to prevent sticking.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Take the brownie cookies out of the oven and let them cool down completely. Then put them in the freezer (separated by cling film or baking paper to prevent sticking).
How to make the gluten free ice cream sandwiches:
- Before starting this process, make sure the cookies have completely cooled down and preferably spent some time in the freezer. Then have everything you need ready as ice cream melts fast so you can’t take your time. Have the cookies, cookie cutter (to shape the ice cream ‘patties’), cling film or foil (to wrap the ice cream sandwiches) and any utensils or storage containers you need ready.
- Scoop some ice cream into a cookie cutter and press down with a spoon to form an ice cream patty.
- Quickly sandwich it between 2 brownie cookies, add sprinkles to the sides (optional), wrap it up in cling film and/or foil and immediately store it in the freezer.
Enjoy!
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