Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Sandwich (Printable)

Creamy vanilla bean ice cream nestled between soft coffee-flavored cookies for a chilled delight.

# What You Need:

→ Coffee Cookies

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup light brown sugar
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

10 - 2 cups heavy cream
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
14 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Combine milk, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and salt in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture steams, without boiling. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod, and cool completely. Stir in heavy cream and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
02 - Churn the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Spread churned ice cream into a 9x13-inch pan lined with parchment paper to approximately 3/4-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla extract until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
04 - Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, flattening each to form 2.5-inch rounds. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft. Cool completely on baking sheets.
05 - Using a round cutter matching cookie diameter, cut ice cream rounds from the frozen slab. Place one ice cream round between two cooled cookies and press gently. Return assembled sandwiches to freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like an indulgent coffee shop treat but you made them yourself in your own kitchen.
  • The contrast between soft, warm-spiced cookies and creamy cold ice cream hits different every single time.
  • You can prep components ahead, which means less stress and more time to actually enjoy them with people you like.
02 -
  • Temperature control is everything—warm cookies will turn your ice cream to soup faster than you can say Frappuccino, so always wait for them to cool completely.
  • Your ice cream maker is essential here, but if you don't have one, you can freeze the mixture in a shallow pan and stir it every 30 minutes for about 3 hours, though the texture won't be quite as creamy.
  • The vanilla bean paste is a legitimate shortcut that works just as well as splitting a fresh vanilla bean, and nobody will know the difference.
03 -
  • Invest in a good ice cream maker with freezing capability built in if you're going to make homemade ice cream more than once—it changes everything and makes these sandwiches even easier.
  • The secret to cookies that stay soft in the center is baking them just under the point where you think they're done, then letting residual heat finish the job while they cool on the sheet.
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