Few food combinations in this world ever reach the level of such partners-in-crime as peanut butter and jelly or hazelnuts and chocolate.
For those who are yet to add the ice cream sandwich to these ranks, prepare to be dazzled.
Below are ten ice cream sandwich pairings which will take each other to as-of-yet-untouched levels of cold, warm, and melty glory.
Chocolate fudge cookies + raspberry gelato
Photo by Zoe Schneider
This has an excellent sour bite to it. The strong contrast in flavor between the cookie and gelato make for an awesome combo that is a major step-up in classiness from the standard chocolate chip and vanilla pairing. Try this combo if you want a pop of color on your plate and in your mouth.
Check out this Rachel Ray article for a ranking of gelato brands to assist this cookie sandwich adventure.
Chocolate fudge cookies + hazelnut gelato
Photo by Zoe Schneider
Watch out Nutella, there is a new kid in town. The hazelnut flavor may take a bite to get used to, but once you are in, it works beautifully with a nice creaminess. Don’t overstuff it with ice cream though or you will take away from the cookie flavor.
Chocolate chip cookies + praline pecan ice cream
Photo by Zoe Schneider
Overall, this is a safe option if you want a simple gateway ice cream sandwich. The caramel strain in the ice cream spices it up beyond just vanilla though. The two provide a combo that isn’t overwhelming but will still please your tastebuds.
Chocolate chip cookies + chocolate ice cream
Photo by Zoe Schneider
This is a solid pairing but does not provide a huge variety of flavors. As with the hazelnut combo above, don’t overstuff the cookies or the ice cream can overwhelm the stage. If you are a chocolate fanatic though, this will be sure to satiate your cravings.
Sugar cookies + banana split ice cream
Photo by Zoe Schneider
You have to like banana split ice cream (basically all of the ingredients-cherries, walnuts, fudge-of a banana split blended into a single flavor) if you want to go down this route. The cookie definitely improves the ice cream though. This has a carnival appeal to it and a strong banana flavor.
Our friend Alton Brown has a sugar cookie recipe to kick start this combo.
Sugar cookies + strawberry cheesecake ice cream
Photo by Zoe Schneider
We set our expectations a bit too high in trying this pair, but it was still good with its cakey flavor. If you are scooping the ice cream yourself, be sure to shoot for more strawberry bits to distinguish this enough from a simple vanilla and sugar cookie combo. Adding a garnish of strawberry sauce on the outside can also make this a crowd-pleaser.
Peanut butter cookies + chocolate chip ice cream
Photo by Zoe Schneider
This works perfectly and provides the right balance of salty and sweet. The chocolate is subtle and complementary and does not threaten to overpower the joy of the peanut butter cookie.
Peanut butter cookies + chocolate ice cream
Photo by Zoe Schneider
Don’t expect a Reese’s flavor here, but prepare to be pleased. The chocolate definitely comes out more strongly in the pairing and the two tastes do compete a bit.
This provides a surprisingly different texture than expected though if the peanut butter ice cream you choose has peanut chunks. For all of these, we recommend warm cookies for maximum results.
Want to be fancy? Follow this Jamie Oliver recipe to make your own chocolate ice cream.
Oatmeal raisin cookies + blueberry creme pie ice cream
Photo by Zoe Schneider
The blueberry dominates this couple, so you can only taste the raisins in the cookies. If you want to impress your compatriots with your sense of adventure though, this is the way to go. At its core, this is a souped up classic ice cream sandwich with some extra personality.
Oatmeal raisin cookies + “Supercow” ice cream
Photo by Zoe Schneider
This is the safety fallback of the group. Supercow or “superman” is basically a vanilla ice cream with some added sugar. Putting it on the cookies provides a nice platform though and some showstopping color. Although not traditionally paired as ice cream sandwiches, these cookies are versatile and should not scare off the faint of heart.
Photo by Zoe Schneider
As a final challenge to all who actually like white chocolate macadamia nut cookies: come up with your own cookie sandwich combinations and send them to us. We didn’t try these because, well, honestly we aren’t fans of these particular cookies.
Want more ice cream sandwich stories? Take a bite out of these: