Thin, chewy oatmeal cookies with a thick layer of easy no churn vanilla ice cream in between. The homemade oatmeal cookie dough is baked in thin layers in a square pan, and the ice cream sandwiches are assembled in the same pan for convenience. The oatmeal cookie dough is packed full of chewy oats, slightly cinnamoney, and its edges are caramelized and crispy without being hard when frozen. You can add raisins as I did, or opt for mini chocolate chips instead. Nostalgic, comforting, and cooling on a hot summer day!
I've tested this oatmeal ice cream sandwich recipe many times to ensure that the oatmeal cookies stay chewy, not rock hard, when frozen. Adding water and using a combination of oil and butter achieves the perfect texture without compromising on flavor!
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🍨 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Chewy, caramelized oatmeal cookies that stay soft when frozen: I developed this recipe to stay soft and chewy even when frozen! A smaller flour content as well as some water in the cookie dough get the job done.
- No churn vanilla bean ice cream: In case you don't have a carton of vanilla bean ice cream in the freezer, this easy from scratch no churn ice cream is just as creamy, delicious, and whips up in no time.
- Tastes like oatmeal cookies dunked in milk: It's an ice cream sandwich version of the nostalgic childhood treat.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Quick cooking rolled oats: This is my favorite form of rolled oats for oatmeal cookies. Instant oats are too fine and don't have that signature look and texture. I also found that old fashioned rolled oats are too thick and turn out too hard. Quick cooking rolled oats are the perfect in between if you can find them. Alternatively, use old fashioned rolled oats. Don't use instant oats or steel cut oats because this recipe won't turn out.
Raisins: I LOVE raisins in oatmeal cookies. If you don't, you can omit them or replace them with chocolate chips.
Butter: If you use salted butter, reduce or omit the salt in the cookie recipe.
Oil: I used canola oil, but any neutral oil will work great! This makes the cookie soft which is important for when it gets frozen.
Water: It may seem like an unusual addition to a cookie recipe, but a splash of water hydrates the oats and keeps the cookies soft even when frozen.
Cinnamon: A touch of cinnamon in an oatmeal cookie adds the perfect amount of warmth, without being overly cinnamoney.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Heavy whipping cream: You need a cream that you could whip up to stiff peaks. I used a 35% milkfat whipping cream. Don't use anything with less than 32% milkfat content or else it won't whip up to stiff peaks.
Sweetened condensed milk: Not to be confused with evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness and makes sure that the ice cream freezes into the perfect, creamy, ice crystal free texture. Don't use evaporated milk instead!
Vanilla bean paste: I used vanilla bean paste so that the ice cream would have beautiful specks of vanilla bean and a strong vanilla flavor.
👩🍳 How to make oatmeal ice cream sandwiches
Oatmeal raisin cookies step by step
Prep: Line a 9" square baking pan with parchment paper, making sure that there are handles on the sides to lift out the baked cookies. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
Step 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine softened butter, oil, and sugar. Beat together until thick and creamy. Scrape down the bowl so that it mixes evenly.
Step 2: Add the egg, water, vanilla extract, and salt, mix together well.
Step 3: Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, oats, and cinnamon. Mix together just until combined. Add the raisins and stir together.
Step 4: Transfer half of the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. Bake it in the center of a preheated oven for 10 minutes. It will be golden on the edges and puffed.
Step 5: Remove from the oven, and press down the corners and edges with a spatula if they're raised. Let it cool for a few minutes, and carefully transfer the cookie with the parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool completely. It might still be a little soft and fragile and it will firm up as it cools.
Repeat with baking the second half of the cookie dough exactly the same way.
No churn vanilla bean ice cream step by step
Step 1: Add the chilled cream into a large bowl or stand mixer. Use a whisk attachment to whip to stiff peaks.
Step 2: Add salt, vanilla bean, and one full can of sweetened condensed milk into the whipped cream. Fold together just until combined.
Step 3: Peel off the parchment from one of the cookie dough squares. Place the parchment paper back into the baking pan. Carefully place the first cooled square cookie upside down onto the parchment paper.
Transfer the ice cream mixture onto the cookie and smooth the top. Place the remaining cookie on top, right side up.
Step 4: Freeze the ice cream cookie sandwich in the freezer for about 8 hours, until frozen all the way through.
Once frozen, remove the ice cream from the freezer and cut into 12 rectangles. You can wrap them individually in wax or parchment paper and store them in the freezer, or just place them into a freezer safe bag, unwrapped, and freeze to store.
✔️ Expert ice cream sandwich tips
- Don't overbake the oatmeal cookies: If you overbake them, they'll be hard and tough when frozen. The cookies are ready when they're golden brown all around and puffed in the middle!
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks: This ensures that your ice cream has an airy, fluffy texture when it's frozen.
- Store the ice cream in a freezer safe bag or container: This prevents freezer burn and helps the ice cream last longer.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
Ice cream bars are perfect to make ahead because they need time to completely freeze. You can store the oatmeal ice cream bars for up to 3 months in the freezer. Wrap up the individual bars and store them in a freezer bag in the freezer, and grab one whenever you need an ice cream fix!
🍪 How to keep oatmeal cookies soft, even when frozen
A few extra ingredients and tweaks to my favorite oatmeal raisin cookie resulted in the perfect, soft from the freezer cookies. Specifically formulated to be enjoyed in frozen form, sandwiching ice cream!
Since butter is hard right out of the freezer, I substituted half of the butter with oil which stays soft when frozen. This gives these cookies a softer bite, without forfeiting the delicious flavor that butter gives.
I also add a tablespoon of water to keep the oatmeal cookies soft. It adds extra moisture to the dough and hydrates the oats. And since these cookies were baked in slabs, I was able to reduce the flour a touch. This also resulted in softer, more caramelized cookies because there's a higher fat/sugar to starch ratio.
Lastly, the sugar is what does most of the job in keeping the cookie soft right out of the freezer. Sugar (like salt) lowers the cookie's freezing point and keeps it nice and soft right out of the freezer.
🍨 Ice cream filling variations
I went with a vanilla bean ice cream for the center of these oatmeal ice cream sandwiches, but you don't need to limit yourself to that! You can use your favorite store-bought ice cream flavor as well. Just leave it out at room temperature for 10 minutes so that it softens just a touch but doesn't melt! This makes it easier to spread the ice cream in between the cookies.
Here are some no churn ice cream fillings that you could make instead of the classic vanilla bean no churn ice cream that I've included in this recipe:
- raspberry cheesecake ice cream
- brown butter ice cream - or try my puff pastry ice cream sandwich recipe!
- lavender vanilla ice cream
- carrot cake ice cream
- funfetti ice cream
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you're looking for even more of a shortcut, you can soften some vanilla ice cream (or use your preferred flavor) so that it's easier to spread. Assemble the ice cream the same way and make sure that there's enough time for it to freeze solid for a few hours before cutting it into individual pieces.
Yes you can, just substitute the all purpose flour with 1:1 gluten free flour. And make sure that you use gluten free certified oats!
No, unfortunately this recipe was formulated to be made into a slab that you then cut into individual sandwiches. The oatmeal cookie needs to be baked in a large piece, as opposed to individual cookies. If you bake them into individual cookies, they will melt completely on the baking sheet and you'll be left with a mess.
🍦 More summer ice cream recipes
Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Follow me on Pinterest to save and for more recipe ideas.
📖 Recipe
Oatmeal Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Oatmeal cookie dough
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup neutral oil canola or light olive oil
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup all purpose flour 60g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats not instant
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup raisins
No churn vanilla bean ice cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream chilled
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
Oatmeal Cookies
- Line a 9" square baking pan with parchment paper, making sure that there are handles on the sides to lift out the baked cookies. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine softened butter, oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat together until thick and creamy. Scrape down the bowl so that it mixes evenly.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup neutral oil, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg, water, vanilla extract, and salt, mix together well.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, oats, and cinnamon. Mix together just until combined.½ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 ½ cups quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add the raisins and stir together.¼ cup raisins
- Transfer half of the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. Bake it in the center of a preheated oven for 10 minutes. It will be golden on the edges and puffed.
- Remove from the oven, and press down the corners and edges with a spatula if they're raised. Let it cool for a few minutes, and carefully transfer the cookie with the parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool completely. It might still be a little soft and fragile and it will firm up as it cools.
- Repeat with baking the second half of the cookie dough exactly the same way.
Vanilla Bean No Churn Ice Cream
- Add the chilled cream into a large bowl or stand mixer. Use a whisk attachment to whip to stiff peaks.2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Add vanilla bean, salt, and one full can of sweetened condensed milk into the whipped cream. Fold together just until combined.1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Peel off the parchment from one of the cookie dough squares. Place the parchment paper back into the baking pan. Carefully place the first cooled square cookie upside down onto the parchment paper.
- Transfer the ice cream mixture onto the cookie and smooth the top. Place the remaining cookie on top, right side up.
- Freeze the ice cream cookie sandwich in the freezer for about 8 hours, until frozen all the way through.
- Once frozen, remove the ice cream from the freezer and cut into 12 rectangles. You can wrap them individually in wax or parchment paper and store them in the freezer, or just place them into a freezer safe bag, unwrapped, and freeze to store.
Notes
- Don't overbake the oatmeal cookies
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks
- Store the ice cream in a freezer safe bag or container to prevent freezer burn
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