Pistachio Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Pistachio Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Frozen, sweet, salty, and so delicious. Creamy pistachio ice cream is sandwiched between soft, chewy brown butter chocolate chip pistachio cookies, then rolled in even more chopped pistachios for the perfect nutty crunch. Each sandwich has a soft, chewy cookie, creamy ice cream, and the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Make a batch now and keep them stocked in your freezer all summer long.

Ice cream season is officially here. It feels like most of the country has been under a heat advisory lately. I know a lot of you can’t stand that kind of weather, but honestly, I’m loving it. I’ve been embracing the heat as much as I can, spending most of my days working outside and only popping into the air conditioning for little breaks.

Needless to say, the freezer is fully stocked with ice cream. My list of frozen dessert ideas just keeps growing. Part of that is thanks to my sister-in-law, Lyndsie. By late afternoon, when the heat really settles in, my sister-in-law, Lyndsie, always says she wants the coldest thing she can get her hands on. She heads straight for the ice cream. Honestly, she’s inspired so many of the frozen desserts I’ve been making lately because, to her, ice cream is always the right answer.

She’s been asking me to make pistachio ice cream sandwiches for the longest time. I always knew they’d be delicious, but I also knew they could take a little planning. You have to bake the cookies, make the ice cream, then wait for everything to freeze.

Instead of creating a fussy, completely from-scratch recipe, I decided to take a shortcut and let the store do some of the work. Let’s call these semi-homemade.

Use your favorite store-bought pistachio ice cream or, even better, pistachio gelato. I love gelato because it’s extra creamy, which makes these sandwiches even more delicious. My favorite trick is to pop the entire cylinder of ice cream out of the container, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze it until it’s completely firm, usually overnight.

Then simply slice it into rounds and sandwich each one between two homemade cookies. It’s so much easier than scooping and gives every sandwich the perfect, even layer of ice cream.

Store-bought ice cream was the shortcut, but homemade cookies were non-negotiable. I made them with brown butter, pistachio butter (I find mine at Whole Foods), mini chocolate chips, and plenty of chopped pistachios. I wanted a cookie that would stay soft and chewy even after freezing, and this one does exactly that.

And when it comes to flavor, you really can’t beat a homemade brown butter cookie. It’s rich, buttery, perfectly chewy, and absolutely worth the extra effort!

Here are the details

Ingredients 

• salted butter, cold
• brown sugar
• eggs
• pistachio butter
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour
• baking soda
• sea salt
• mini dark chocolate chips
• roasted salted pistachios
• pistachio ice cream or pistachio gelato

From the Kitchen

You’ll just need a skillet for browning the butter, a mixing bowl, two baking sheets, parchment paper, and a cookie scoop. If you want perfectly even ice cream sandwiches, grab a roll of plastic wrap too. Wrapping the ice cream into a log before slicing is my favorite little trick and makes assembly so much easier.

Steps

Step 1: Brown the Butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Brown the butter over medium heat until it smells nutty and the milk solids turn golden brown. Immediately pour it into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process.

Tieghan’s Tip: Don’t walk away from the butter. It can go from perfectly browned to burnt in seconds. As soon as you smell that warm, toasted aroma and see golden brown bits at the bottom of the pan, it’s ready.

Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough

Whisk the brown sugar into the warm brown butter, then mix in the eggs, pistachio butter, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. If the dough still feels warm, let it cool for a few minutes before folding in the mini chocolate chips and chopped pistachios.

I always use mini chocolate chips here. They melt into every bite while letting the pistachio flavor stay front and center.

Recipe Note: If you can’t find pistachio butter, simply leave it out and add a few extra chopped pistachios for even more nutty flavor.

Step 3: Bake the Cookies

Roll the dough into balls, place them on the prepared baking sheets, and gently flatten each one. Bake until the edges are just set. About halfway through baking, tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter, then return them to the oven to finish baking. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets.

Slightly underbaked cookies are exactly what you want. They’ll stay perfectly soft and chewy, even after freezing.

Tieghan’s Tip: Don’t overbake the cookies. Soft, chewy cookies make the very best ice cream sandwiches.

Step 4: Prep the Ice Cream

While the cookies cool, remove the pistachio ice cream or gelato from its container. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to create one long log about the same diameter as your cookies. Freeze until completely firm, then slice into thick rounds.

Tieghan’s Tip: This is so much easier than scooping! Every sandwich ends up perfectly even, and you won’t have melting ice cream running everywhere while you assemble them.

Step 5: Assemble

Sandwich one slice of pistachio ice cream between two cookies, gently pressing until the ice cream reaches the edges. Roll the sides in chopped pistachios, if desired, then freeze until firm.

The chopped pistachios add the perfect salty crunch against the creamy ice cream and soft, chewy cookies.

Tieghan’s Entertaining Tip: Make these a day or two ahead and keep them individually wrapped in the freezer. Arrange them on a chilled platter after dinner and let everyone grab their favorite. They’re one of those desserts that always disappear first.

Pull the sandwiches from the freezer about 5 minutes before serving. The cookies soften just enough, and the gelato becomes perfectly creamy.