Chocolate Chunk French Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

Wanna know something? I used to LIVE on sugar. I’m actually surprised I’m still alive. No seriously, when I was a kid I used to sneak Twinkies into my bedroom, cover them with that bright colored frosting that came in a squeezable tube, and eat the Twinkie just like that. I wonder if my parents know that I did that? I guess I’ll find out when they read this! What is it about those sweets? You could eat 10 Twinkies and still be hungry. Something just isn’t right about that. Thankful those days are long gone, and these ice cream sandwiches are much different from the sweets I once consumed.

My goal with giving you treat recipes is to show you that you should never have to feel deprived. Food allergies are so common these days, so I want to provide recipes that show you that this lifestyle is actually really awesome! When you change your diet to a whole foods approach, your taste buds change drastically, and naturally you won’t want sugar much anyway! Treats begin to have a new meaning. At least that’s what happened for me!

My sister-in-laws birthday was coming up and I wanted to make her something really special to top off our family dinner. It’s rare that I even indulge in paleo treats anymore, but I certainly make an exception for birthdays! These little guys are so amazing, and they’re super easy to make! Everyone loved them, and no one could even tell they were paleo! The cookies are so delicious and not too sweet, and you’d never know that the ice cream is made from coconut milk; it’s incredibly creamy and bursting with that French vanilla flavor that I love! I hope you love this recipe as much as my family did! 

Ingredients –

Makes 12 Ice Cream Sandwiches

French Vanilla Ice Cream:

• 2 cans (13.5oz) of full-fat coconut milk
• 6 egg yolks
• ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Chocolate Chunk Cookies:

• 1 cup almond flour
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup ghee, softened (or palm shortening/grassfed butter)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped (I used Nohmad Snack Co’s 85% extra dark chocolate)

Directions –

Ice Cream:

1. In a medium sized saucepan, whisk the coconut milk, egg yolks, honey, and the vanilla bean over medium heat, until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan and the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Be careful not to let it boil.

2. Transfer the mixture (including the vanilla bean) to a bowl. Stir in the pinch of salt and vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, you want it to be well chilled.

3. Pour the cooled mixture into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturers instructions (I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.)

4. Transfer the ice cream to a bowl, cover and freeze for about 2 hours or until set.

Cookies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place all of the ingredients, besides the dark chocolate, in a food processor. Pulse until well combined, scraping down the sides if needed.
   **No food processor? No problem! Simply mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

3. Add the chopped dark chocolate and stir to combine. Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto the parchment paper, making 12 mounds. Shape them into circles, but don’t press the dough down, you’ll be cutting the cookies in half so you want them to stand tall (like in my picture above.)

4. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and bounce back when lightly touched.

5. Place on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Assembly:

1. Cut the cookies in half with a serrated knife, so that you have a top and a bottom.

2. Use an ice cream scoop to place a scoop of ice cream on the bottom layer of the cookie. Cover with the top of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are gone.

3. Place the ice cream sandwiches in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set, or eat them right away, they’re sooo good either way!