Description
Delight in these homemade Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches featuring creamy banana and coconut ice cream paired with crunchy peanut butter cookies studded with vegan chocolate chunks. Perfectly soft and satisfying, these dairy-free treats are easy to make ahead and come together with simple ingredients for a naturally sweet and indulgent dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Ice Cream
- 4 large ripe bananas (or 6 small), sliced and frozen
- 1 cup coconut cream (thick part from chilled full fat canned coconut milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Cookies
- 1 medium ripe banana
- 1 cup soft brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (such as NutShed Very Crunchy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup ground almonds
- 3.5 oz vegan chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preparation (Day or Night Before): Slice the bananas into coins and store in a reusable container or ziplock bag. Freeze overnight to ensure they are fully frozen before blending.
- Make the Ice Cream: Remove the frozen banana slices from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly. Place bananas, coconut cream, and vanilla bean paste in a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend starting on low, gradually increasing speed until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy like soft serve. Transfer to a 6×6 inch baking tray or suitable container and freeze for 1½ to 2 hours until firm enough to cut.
- Prepare Cookies: Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mash the medium ripe banana well with a fork. Add the soft brown sugar (or coconut sugar), crunchy peanut butter, vanilla extract, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix with an electric whisk or stand mixer for about 30 seconds until combined. Add ground almonds and knead into the dough by hand. Gently fold in chocolate chunks, reserving some for topping.
- Shape and Bake Cookies: Divide dough into 8 equal portions and roll each into balls. Place on the lined baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Flatten each into a disc, then top with remaining chocolate chunks if desired. Bake for 10-11 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven and, while still hot, use a large round cookie cutter to neaten edges in circular motions. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer with parchment to a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes to room temperature.
- Assemble the Sandwiches: Line a tray or plate with parchment paper suitable for the freezer. Place 4 cookies bottom side up. Using a cookie cutter slightly smaller than the cookies, cut 4 round discs from the set ice cream. Place an ice cream disc on each cookie and sandwich with another cookie on top.
- Serving and Storage: Serve immediately for the best soft cookie texture or store assembled sandwiches in the freezer for up to 2 hours. Cookies can be stored separately in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, and ice cream kept frozen until ready to assemble and serve.
Notes
- Freeze bananas overnight for the smoothest ice cream texture.
- Use the thick coconut cream from refrigerated canned coconut milk for creaminess.
- Assemble sandwiches just before serving for soft cookies; freezing tends to harden cookie texture over time.
- You can substitute brown sugar with coconut sugar for a different flavor profile.
- Ground almonds can be replaced with another nut flour if preferred to maintain a similar texture.
- For easier shaping, slightly warm peanut butter if too stiff to mix.
