These homemade puff pastry ice cream sandwiches have a crisp, caramelized puff pastry outside, and a no churn brown butter ice cream in the center. I also swirled in some wild blueberry jam for a gooey berry touch. These ice cream sandwiches are super crisp to bite into and the brown butter ice cream has a creamy, caramelized, vanilla bean flavor. These ice cream sandwiches are inspired by the French dessert millefeuille, also known as Napoleon cake.
Homemade ice cream sandwiches are so quick and easy to put together, especially when you make a homemade no churn brown butter ice cream for the center.
Jump to:
- 🍨 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- 📝 Key ingredients
- 👩🍳 How to make homemade ice cream sandwiches
- Caramelized puff pastry step by step
- Homemade ice cream and sandwich assembly step by step
- ✔️ Expert homemade ice cream sandwich tips
- 🥄 Make ahead and storage
- ❔ Why you should make a homemade ice cream sandwich
- 📖 Recipe FAQs
- 🍦 More related recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🍨 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Crisp crunchy outside: The caramelized puff pastry is super crisp and crunchy, shattering as soon as you bite into it.
- Soft creamy brown butter ice cream: The ice cream filling has a soft chewiness and melts in your mouth. The toasty caramelized vanilla bean flavor is so incredible.
- Wild blueberry swirl: A simple wild blueberry jam adds a rich blueberry flavor and a bit of gooeyness.
- Easy to make: All you have to do is bake pre-made butter puff pastry and make no churn ice cream! So easy.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Puff pastry: I used ready all-butter puff pastry that I found in my grocery freezer section. You could also make your own puff pastry but that is extremely labor intensive. If you want to make it from scratch, I recommend making a quick puff pastry! It's easier to make and produces a very similar result to a more traditional puff pastry.
Butter: Butter gets browned and added into the ice cream filling, giving it a beautiful toasty, buttery flavor.
Milk powder: I love adding a few tablespoons of milk powder into the brown butter - it adds even more toasted milk solids which means a stronger brown butter flavor! This is optional, but highly recommended.
Vanilla bean: A whole vanilla bean adds a gorgeous vanilla flavor and crunchy vanilla bean specks into the filling. If you don't want to add a whole vanilla bean, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste will yield similar results.
Sweetened condensed milk: Not to be confused with evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness and creaminess into the ice cream. It prevents the filling from developing ice crystals and gives it that ice cream chew factor.
👩🍳 How to make homemade ice cream sandwiches
Caramelized puff pastry step by step
Step 1: Unroll your puff pastry and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on each side.
You'll need to make two pieces of puff pastry, one for each side. If your baking sheet is large enough you can fit them both on it. Otherwise, you can bake them in two batches.
Step 2: Cover the puff pastry with parchment paper and another baking sheet.
Bake the puff pastry sandwiched between two baking sheets for 25-30 minutes. Check the puff pastry at 20 minutes and check every 5 minutes so that it doesn't burn! You're looking for a deep golden color.
Step 3: Use the bottom of an 8" or 9" square pan as a guide to cut both puff pastry sheets into squares. It's best to use a large serrated knife (bread knife) and cut in a sawing motion.
Step 4: Line the bottom and sides of an 8" or 9" square pan with parchment paper. Place a piece of puff pastry down into the pan.
Homemade ice cream and sandwich assembly step by step
Step 1: Combine the butter and milk powder and heat on medium-low heat until it melts. Then it will start to simmer and foam on top - stir to prevent it from burning. Then, keep stirring occasionally as the white specks turn into a golden brown color, because it's prone to burning. It will start foaming again once it's ready.
Step 2: Immediately remove the butter from heat.
Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds into the browned butter and stir to coat. Let the butter cool to slightly warmer than room temperature so that it's still liquid but not hot.
Step 3: Whip the cream to stiff peaks in a chilled bowl or stand mixer using a whisk attachment. Be careful not to overwhip!
Step 4: Add the sweetened condensed milk and salt into the whipped cream.
Take the vanilla pods out of the brown butter and scrape the vanilla seeds off. Discard the vanilla bean pod. Add the brown butter into the whipped cream and fold together well.
Step 5: Transfer the brown butter ice cream mixture into the baking pan and spread the top. Place dollops of blueberry jam on top and swirl it in with a knife or spatula.
Step 6: Lastly, place the second piece of puff pastry on top.
Cover the top of the pan and freeze for 3-4 hours or until the filling is frozen completely.
Step 7: Once frozen, remove the ice cream sandwiches from the baking pan by pulling it out by parchment handles. Place the sandwiches on a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife and a sawing motion to cut the slab into 6 sandwiches.
Keep the sandwiches frozen and serve! You can wrap them individually in wax paper and store them in an airtight bag or container in the freezer.
✔️ Expert homemade ice cream sandwich tips
- Place another baking sheet over the puff pastry: This helps prevent the pastry from puffing up too much. It develops this beautiful, crunchy and flaky texture that is sturdy and perfect for the outside of an ice cream sandwich.
- Give the puff pastry enough time to brown: You want it to toast up to develop an almost caramelized flavor. This will also make it crisp and shatter in your mouth in the best way.
- Don't overwhip the cream: Overwhipping the cream until it's grainy will result in a grainy, not perfectly smooth ice cream filling! Please don't overwhip it.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
Homemade ice cream sandwiches are great to make ahead and store in the freezer since they need to stay frozen. Wrap them individually in parchment paper or wax paper. I prefer wax paper for wrapping ice cream sandwiches because it's easier to fold and holds its shape better. Then, place the wrapped sandwiches in an airtight bag or container and store them in the freezer.
❔ Why you should make a homemade ice cream sandwich
I took these to a few family and friend gatherings and let me tell you, they were a hit every time! Everyone thought that they were so unique and flavorful. Plus, when you're using premade puff pastry sheets they're actually quite easy to make.
The blueberry swirl is such an easy and delicious touch. If you love puff pastry desserts - especially napoleon or millefeuille - you will love these ice cream sandwiches even more.
📖 Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend using evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. The can might look similar but it's a completely different product. Sweetened condensed milk is thick and heavily sweetened which create a sweet no churn ice cream without ice crystals.
I don't recommend using phyllo pastry instead of puff pastry for these ice cream sandwiches because phyllo flakes apart even easier than puff pastry and the sandwich is more likely to fall apart in your hand.
Yes, you can omit the jam altogether or use a different fruit jam! Or even fruit curd. It will work out and be delicious either way.
🍦 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Puff Pastry Ice Cream Sandwiches
Equipment
Ingredients
Caramelized puff pastry
- 2 sheets butter puff pastry
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Brown butter ice cream
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons dry milk powder skim or whole milk (optional, but highly recommended)
- 1 whole vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 300mL, 14oz ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons wild blueberry jam or jam of choice (optional)
Instructions
Caramelized puff Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (180°C). Spread out the puff pastry and place the bottom of an 8" or 9" on top. If needed, cut out a square that's roughly 1" larger than the baking pan. Repeat again so that you have two squares of pastry.2 sheets butter puff pastry
- Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Place one or both pieces of pastry on top (if they both fit side by side). Then, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on each side. Cover the puff pastry with another piece of parchment paper and another baking sheet. If they both don't fit on the same sheet, it's ok you can bake them in two batches.4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Bake the puff pastry sandwiched between two baking sheets for 25-30 minutes. Check the puff pastry at 20 minutes and check every 5 minutes so that it doesn't burn! You want then to be a deep golden color.
Brown Butter Ice Cream
- Brown the butter in a small saucepan: heat the butter on medium-low heat until it melts. Then it will start to simmer and foam on top - stir to prevent it from burning. Then, keep stirring occasionally as the white specks turn into a golden brown color, because it's prone to burning. It will start foaming again once it's ready. Immediately remove the butter from heat.¼ cup unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons dry milk powder
- Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds into the browned butter and stir to coat. Let the butter cool to slightly warmer than room temperature so that it's still liquid but not hot.1 whole vanilla bean
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks in a chilled bowl or stand mixer using a whisk attachment. Be careful not to overwhip!2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and salt into the whipped cream.1 can sweetened condensed milk
- Take the vanilla pods out of the brown butter and scrape the vanilla seeds off. Discard the vanilla bean pod. Add the brown butter into the whipped cream and fold together well.
Assembly
- Use the bottom of an 8" or 9" square pan as a guide to cut both puff pastry sheets into squares. It's best to use a large serrated knife (bread knife) and cut in a sawing motion.
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8" or 9" square pan with parchment paper. Place a piece of puff pastry down into the pan.
- Then, transfer the brown butter ice cream mixture into the baking pan and spread the top. Place dollops of blueberry jam on top and swirl it in with a knife or spatula.4 tablespoons wild blueberry jam
- Lastly, place the second piece of puff pastry on top.
- Cover the top of the pan and freeze for 3-4 hours or until the filling is frozen completely.
- Once frozen, remove the ice cream sandwiches from the baking pan by pulling it out by parchment handles.
- Place the sandwiches on a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife and a sawing motion to cut the slab into 6 sandwiches.
- Keep the sandwiches frozen and serve! You can wrap them individually in wax paper and store them in an airtight bag or container in the freezer.
Notes
- Place another baking sheet over the puff pastry to prevent it from puffing up too much.
- Give the puff pastry enough time to brown and caramelized, but don't burn it!
- Don't overwhip the cream or else the ice cream will be grainy
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