Carrot Cake Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Carrot Cake Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches with Cream Cheese Ice Cream are basically everything I love about carrot cake turned into the most ridiculous frozen dessert. Soft, buttery carrot cake cookies are packed with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, then filled with homemade cream cheese ice cream. And because apparently I have no ability to leave well enough alone, I like to add toasted walnuts and a drizzle of white chocolate too.

The cream cheese ice cream is what really makes these different. Instead of putting regular vanilla ice cream between the cookies, we’re making a rich homemade custard ice cream with an entire block of cream cheese. You get that classic carrot cake and cream cheese combination, except cold, creamy and sandwiched between two soft cookies.

They take a little planning because both the cookie dough and ice cream need time to chill, but these are absolutely worth it.

• They actually taste like carrot cake. Fresh grated carrots, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice give the cookies that familiar warm, spiced flavor.
• The ice cream is homemade. The cream cheese custard ice cream is rich, creamy and gives you that carrot cake-and-cream-cheese combination in every bite.
• The cookies stay soft. Slightly underbaking them keeps them from becoming hard and cakey, which is especially important once they’re frozen.
• They’re perfect for making ahead. Assemble the sandwiches and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to serve.
• You can decorate them or keep them simple. White chocolate and toasted walnuts make them extra special, but they’re completely optional.

• For the Carrot Cake Cookies
• Carrots: Finely grate fresh carrots so they disappear into the cookie dough while adding moisture and classic carrot cake flavor.
• All-purpose flour: Gives the cookies enough structure to hold the ice cream while keeping the centers soft.
• Butter: Bring it to room temperature so it creams properly with both sugars.
• Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the warm spices.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the carrot cake flavors.
• Egg and egg yolk: The additional yolk adds richness and helps create a softer cookie.
• Light brown sugar: Adds moisture, sweetness and a deeper caramel-like flavor.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies while helping with their overall texture.
• Baking soda: Gives the cookies lift and helps them spread as they bake.
• Cinnamon: The main warm spice that gives these cookies their classic carrot cake flavor.
• Allspice: Just a small amount adds extra warmth without overpowering the cookies.
• Nutmeg: Adds another layer of warm spice.
• For the Cream Cheese Ice Cream
• Heavy cream: Creates the rich, creamy base of the homemade ice cream.
• Whole milk: Lightens the custard slightly while keeping it creamy.
• Egg yolks: Create the rich custard base and give the ice cream a smooth texture.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the ice cream and is whipped with the yolks before tempering.
• Cream cheese: The star of the ice cream. Use room-temperature cream cheese so it melts smoothly into the dairy mixture.
• Vanilla paste or vanilla extract: Vanilla paste gives you a deeper vanilla flavor, but vanilla extract works perfectly too.
• Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness.
• Optional Decorations
• White chocolate chips: Melt these for drizzling over the finished cookies.
• Walnuts: Toasting the walnuts first brings out their flavor and gives the ice cream sandwiches a little crunch.

• Make the cookie dough: Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, grated carrots and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Bake the cookies: Scoop the chilled dough onto lined baking sheets and bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes. The centers should look slightly underdone but shouldn’t jiggle. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
• Make the cream cheese ice cream: Whip the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Gently heat the milk, heavy cream, cream cheese and salt, then slowly temper the egg mixture with the warm cream. Return everything to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 165°F.
• Chill and churn: Stir in the vanilla and refrigerate the ice cream base until it reaches about 65°F. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.
• Assemble: Sandwich about 1/2 cup of cream cheese ice cream between two completely cooled carrot cake cookies. Freeze until firm.
• Decorate: If desired, drizzle with melted white chocolate and finish with toasted crushed walnuts.

• Finely grate the carrots: Use the fine side of a box grater. Smaller pieces blend into the cookie dough better and give you carrot flavor and moisture without large pieces throughout the cookies.
• Don’t overmix the cookie dough: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until everything is incorporated. Overmixing can affect the soft texture we’re going for.
• Give the dough the full chill time: Refrigerate the cookie dough for 3 hours before baking. The chilled dough is easier to scoop and helps control spreading in the oven.
• Keep the cookies the same size: Evenly sized cookies don’t just look better, they’re much easier to pair together when it’s time to make the ice cream sandwiches.
• Don’t overbake the cookies: This is probably my biggest tip. The centers should look slightly underdone but shouldn’t jiggle when they come out of the oven. The longer they bake, the more cake-like they’ll become. We want them soft, especially since they’re going into the freezer.
• Cool the cookies completely: Don’t rush the assembly. Even slightly warm cookies will start melting your cream cheese ice cream.
• Temper the eggs slowly: When making the ice cream, gradually whisk the warm dairy mixture into the egg yolks. Adding too much too quickly can scramble the eggs.
• Keep the ice cream mixture from boiling: Low heat is your friend here. Stir constantly, making sure to get into the corners of the pot, and cook the custard until it reaches 165°F.
• Let the ice cream firm up if needed: Freshly churned ice cream can be very soft. If it’s difficult to sandwich between the cookies, pop it into the freezer until it’s firm enough to scoop without running out the sides.
• Toast the walnuts: It only takes about 5 minutes, but toasting the walnuts gives them so much more flavor. Let them cool completely before rolling the ice cream sandwiches in them.

These carrot cake cookie ice cream sandwiches are made for the freezer, which also makes them such a good make-ahead dessert.

• Storing the cookies: If you’re making the components ahead, let the carrot cake cookies cool completely and store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.
• Freezing assembled ice cream sandwiches: After adding the cream cheese ice cream, place the sandwiches in the freezer until firm. Once frozen, wrap each sandwich individually and transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
• Keep them individually wrapped: This helps protect the cookies from freezer air and keeps the ice cream sandwiches from sticking together. It also makes it really easy to grab one whenever you want one.
• Before serving: Let a frozen sandwich sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating. This gives the cream cheese ice cream and carrot cake cookies just enough time to soften for the best texture.
• White chocolate and walnuts: You can completely decorate the sandwiches before freezing. Just make sure the toasted walnuts have cooled before adding them.