I know it’s summer when I hear the melodies of the ice cream truck rolling through the neighborhood in search of kids with dollar bills in their hands, ready for a treat. But, if you’re a family with food allergies, the treats from the ice cream truck may not be an option for your children. No worries, I have a solution for you!
I developed this food-allergy-friendly ice cream sandwich recipe so that I could have something in the freezer for my food-allergic son on those hot summer days. The recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, egg-free, nut-free, and soy-protein-free. It’s an easy recipe to make ahead, and portions will keep in the freezer all summer long. It takes a bit of effort to make, but you’ll be glad you did!
Ice Cream Sandwiches (makes 8 sandwiches)
- 1 ¼ cups King Arthur Flour gluten-free flour blend
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 8 tbsp Earth Balance Natural Shortening, softened
- 3 tbsp Tempt chocolate hemp milk
- 1 tbsp applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 container of your favorite Tempt non-dairy ice cream
First, make the cookies:
- Mix together the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set it aside.
- Place the shortening, hemp milk, applesauce, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and blend on medium high for 2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients and blend well on medium for another 2-3 minutes.
- Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper on a medium-sized cookie sheet. Roll to about ¼-inch thick. Refrigerate for two hours.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares (about 2-inches square, or to desired size). If you end up with extra pieces of dough simply roll them into cookies.
- Place the squares (and any leftovers made into cookies) onto a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool, then place them in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze them overnight (or longer).
When you are ready to form the ice cream sandwiches:
- Soften the ice cream by letting it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Release the ice cream from the container onto a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the ice cream into squares (the same size as your cookies), about ½-inch thick.
- Assemble the sandwiches with a cookie on bottom, a layer of ice cream, and a cookie on top. Press gently to secure.
- Place the sandwiches back into the freezer-safe container and freeze, or eat immediately.
Once the sandwiches are assembled they will keep in the freezer for weeks. I love these with Tempt Chocolate non-dairy ice cream. Take them out as you need them and enjoy!