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I didn’t grow up eating these. But as the weather turned HOT this year I found myself thinking of them… I’m super happy with this recipe. I love the dough, the cookie sandwich dough. It’s got that classic cocoa flavor (pretty dark chocolate) and is really fun to work with. You shape it with your fingers and it’s basically non-stick— easy and exciting as you anticipate the outcome.Serve these special sandwiches at a birthday party or an outdoor picnic. Enjoy the childhood memories you may have of eating the trashy ones– yet the more intense flavor and lovely texture of the homemade ones!
Use your favorite ice cream recipe to fill the cookies, or buy a good-quality grass-fed, organic ice cream. Here are a few of my favorite recipes for homemade: Lavender Ice Cream, Dairy-free Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, and of course~ classic Vanilla Ice Cream. Our favorite combination is Paleo Honey Mint Ice Cream inside, especially on a hot day! The cookies themselves aren’t super sweet, a definite bittersweet chocolate; so a sweet ice cream goes perfectly.
Cheers and happy hot summer!!
REAL FOOD Ice Cream Sandwich Bars- {grain-free, sugar-free}
Ingredients
- 1 egg preferably pasture-raised, lightly beaten
- ½ cup flax seed meal
- ½ cup cashew pieces "raw"
- ½ cup unsweetened fair trade cocoa powder
- ¼ cup + 2 T. coconut oil melted and separated
- 2 T. raw honey
- ¼ tsp. sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
- ⅛ tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grab a cookie sheet and slather it with 2 T. melted coconut oil, completely coating the surface.
- Place the dry ingredients into a high-powered blender: flax, cashews, cocoa, baking soda, and sea salt. Blend for about 50 seconds, until the cashews are powdered and the meal looks like coffee grounds, a bit wet and sticky, but not yet nut butter.
- Add egg and coconut oil and blend again until mostly mixed. Use a spatula to fully fold in any dry spots from corners or edges. Do not over-mix.
- This dough is very fun and easy to handle. It is almost non-stick! Place it in 5-6 pieces in the middle of the prepared cookie sheet and use your fingers to pat and shape it into a rectangle, about 10" by 13". It will be less than 1/2" thick. Prick the dough with the tines of a fork, as you would a pie crust.
- Bake 10 minutes in a convection oven or 15-20 minutes in a traditional oven, watching for the entire cookie surface to show subtle cracking and bubbles, similar to a pie crust. Cool 8-10 minutes; then, using a long knife cut away the rough edges to create straight lines and slice the giant cookie into 12 rectangular shapes.
- Carefully transfer cookies, using an offset metal spatula, to an un-greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (If your ice cream is hard, you can place it in the refrigerator during this time to create a softer texture [that isn't melting as much as it would if held at room temperature].)
- Use very scoop-able ice cream (softened slightly) to assemble ice cream sandwiches: place up to ¾ cup ice cream on each cookie, (shaping it with a spoon and butter knife works well) and top with second cookie, pressing down carefully to prevent the cookies from cracking, to seal the sandwich together. Freeze each sandwich as it's completed.
- Chill 30 minutes or longer. Serve.
Peppermint Extract
Anna @GreenTalk says
I shared this since these looked so amazing. Ice cream sandwiches were my favorite growing up.
Megan Stevens says
Yay, so much fun! 🙂
Carol @studiobotanica says
Oh.oh.. I have all the ingredients on hand! All I need is the time to do it and some friends/family for a visit! Thanks. Also a favourite childhood memory!
Megan Stevens says
So glad, Carol. You’re welcome! 🙂
Katie | The Antidote Life says
Oh. My. Goodness.
These look SO goooood! These are a favorite of mine, so nice to see a REAL food version so I can still enjoy this treat. Thanks for sharing!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Katie~ so glad!! 🙂
Andrea Kessel Fabry says
My 14 year-old son will be all over this! He makes ice cream weekly and now has a nice variation. We’ve all wanted ice cream sandwiches, so I can’t wait for these!
Megan Stevens says
Yay, Andrea, so glad! Our kids LOVE them. Have fun! Happy summer!
Tash @ HolisticHealthHerbalist says
I love this! They look so good <3 The lavender ice cream sounds heavenly!
Megan Stevens says
🙂 Thanks!! I agree; lavender makes the best ice cream!
Sylvie Shirazi says
Oh goodness that sounds heavenly!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Sylvie!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
Oh my goodness! I cannot wait to try these. Yum!
Megan Stevens says
🙂 <3