Well somehow I managed to pull off shooting this recipe at 38 weeks pregnant on one of the hottest days of summer! Feeling pretty accomplished and impressed with myself right now. There is such a difference between winging a shoot and taking the time to practice before hand. This was one of those times I could not afford to wing it!
One of my favourite ways to prepare for a shoot is to look on Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration. I just type in whatever I’m planning to shoot (in this case “ice cream sandwiches”) and save the ones that inspire me or fit with my brand. Apparently it was National Ice Cream Sandwich Day on Thursday so there were tons to browse (and drool over).
This recipe came to mind when making my raw Chococolate Hemp Protein Balls last week. I thought they would also make great cookies, which led to the genius idea of sandwiching some ice cream in between. Of course then I had to get carried away by dipping them in melted chocolate and adding all of the delicious superfood toppings!
These No-Bake Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies are vegan, gluten-free and paleo. They’re made up of whole and healthy ingredients such as cashews, walnuts, sunflower seed butter, shredded coconut and coconut milk. You can make your own homemade ice cream or use a vegan store bought variety. I used Vanilla Island by Coconut Bliss as it’s made with organic ingredients and doesn’t contain any refined sugars.
The ice cream sandwiches are then dipped in soy-free melted dark chocolate and topped with superfoods. I went with chopped pistachios, walnuts, goji berries and shredded coconut, but feel free to keep things simple. If you’re making these for kids and want to keep the sugar content low, you can also omit the last two steps altogether. I’m sure they would still be delicious on their own.
These ice cream sammies are super soft and tender with the perfect amount of crunch. The ice cream is silky and creamy and melts perfectly with every bite. The combination of raw cookie dough, chocolate and ice cream is to die for. Trust me – just stop what you’re doing and go try them for yourself. And if you do, don’t forget to tag #wholeheartnutrition on Instagram so I can see!
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup walnuts
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp cacao nibs (optional)
- ¼ cup sunflower seed butter
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2-4 tbsp maple syrup (sweeten to your liking)
- 1 small pint vegan ice cream (I used Organic Coconut Bliss Vanilla Island)
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels)
- For rolling: pistachios, coconut flakes, goji berries, walnuts, etc.
- Combine walnuts, cashews and shredded coconut in a high speed food processor and pulse until broken down.
- Add sunflower seed butter, maple syrup, coconut oil and 2 tbsp full fat coconut milk. Blend until a sticky dough has formed.
- Transfer dough to a bowl and fold in cacao nibs. If consistency is too dry, add 1 more tbsp of coconut milk at a time.
- On a flat surface, roll out raw cookie dough with a rolling pin. Use a round cookie cutter or small plastic cup to form ¼" thick cookies.
- Transfer raw cookies to a parchment lined tray and allow to chill in freezer for one hour.
- Remove ice cream from the freezer. With a sharp knife, cut pint into 1" thick slices. Use your cookie cutter or cup to form the ice cream slices into rounds.
- Sandwich in between two cookies and immediately transfer back to freezer. Allow to chill for a few more hours.
- In a small double boiler, melt dark chocolate chips over the stovetop. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Dip one half of each ice cream sandwich into the melted chocolate and roll in your favourite toppings. Transfer back to freezer one last time to set.
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