Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Sandwiches

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Sandwiches

Welcome to the final day of Pumpkin Week! I hope that you have all enjoyed all of the wonderful pumpkin recipes that I've shared with you this week, and I hope that you give some or all of the recipes a try! If you missed any of the days, here is a quick round-up of recipes that we had this week:

Pumpkin Pie and Nutella Brownies: 

Pumpkin Poke Cake:

Cinnamon Cupcakes with Pumpkin Pie "Frosting":

Tres Leches Pumpkin Flan:

Pumpkin Granola: 

Pumpkin Yogurt and Granola Parfaits:

Now, for our final recipe of Pumpkin Week-- Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Sandwiches! This is a very special recipe because it's like three recipes in one! This is another one of my favorite recipes and I look forward to making these ice cream sandwiches each year.

I actually made these ice cream sandwiches for our Thanksgiving celebrations last year! Everyone loved these treats. I decided to assemble the sandwiches at both our family's celebrations which also allowed those that didn't want ice cream sandwiches to just eat the cookies and/or the ice cream separately. Everything tastes wonderful separately, but if you put them all together they are AMAZING!

This recipe originated at Our Best Bites and combines ginger spice cookies and pumpkin spice cookies to make these lovely sandwiches. I haven't changed anything in the recipes with the exception of the cookies. If you plan on making ice cream sandwiches and storing them in the freezer, add one tablespoon each of vegetable oil and light corn syrup to the batter. This prevents them from getting hard in the freezer and makes them a little easier (i.e. more enjoyable) to eat! These are great to store in the fridge for special treats and are great for dinner or parties. If you decide to take these to a party, either store them in the freezer at the party or assemble them there (you can let everyone assemble their own).

Don't be put off by the three different recipes. The cookies are fast to mix together and get into the oven, and the ice cream is fast to mix together to get into the ice cream maker. Make these the day before and you're all set.

I hope you give this recipe a try! I can't say enough how much I adore this recipe!

Thanks for joining me for Pumpkin Week and I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what your favorite pumpkin recipes are!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy holidays!

Pumpkin Ice Cream
From Our Best Bites

2 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
1 c. canned pumpkin
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Place brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine.

Add pumpkin and whisk together. 

Add cream, milk and vanilla. Stir with a whisk until everything is well distributed and brown sugar is mostly dissolved. 

For best results, chill mixture in the fridge for several hours and then process in ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. 

Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze several hours, or overnight, until firm.


Ginger Spice Cookies
Slightly adapted from Our Best Bites, originally from Paula Deen

3/4 c. butter flavored Crisco
1 c. sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. light corn syrup (if you plan on making ice cream sandwiches)
1 Tbs. vegetable oil (if you plan on making ice cream sandwiches)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

With an electric mixer, combine shortening and sugar and cream until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the egg and the molasses and beat until completely incorporated.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt and then add to the mixture. Stir until combined. (If you plan on making ice cream sandwiches, also add the light corn syrup and the vegetable oil to the dough and mix well. This will help the cookies from becoming rock hard in the freezer!)

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set around the edges and you start to see “crackling” on the top.

Don’t overbake! You want to keep them nice and chewy-soft in the middle.

Yield: about 4 dozen


Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Sandwiches
From Our Best Bites

One batch Pumpkin Ice Cream
One batch Ginger Spiced Cookies
1 jar of caramel ice cream sauce

To assemble cookies, place a small dollop of caramel sauce on one flat side of a cookie. Scoop a small amount of ice cream onto the cookie, and immediately place another cookie (flat side down) on top of the ice cream. Gently squeeze the cookies together, then serve immediately.

You can also make these ice cream sandwiches ahead of time. Place a cookie sheet in the freezer. As you assemble the cookies, place them on the cookie sheet in the freezer. Leave the cookies in the freezer 30-minutes to an hour, then you can wrap them individually with pieces of aluminum foil and store in the freezer until they are ready to serve. Note that the cookies won't be as pretty, but they will still taste AMAZING!

Remember, if you made the ice cream sandwiches, don't forget to add 1 tablespoon each of vegetable oil AND light corn syrup. This helps them from getting too hard in the freezer and helps them be easier to eat.