The Best Ice Cream Sandwiches, According to Frozen Treat Fanatics
Updated: Apr. 19, 2023
Next time you get a treat craving, will you have the best of the best on hand? Our Test Kitchen sampled nine options to find the top ice cream sandwich brands.
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Searching for the Best Ice Cream Sandwich
We all love catching the ice cream truck when it weaves its way through the neighborhood, but you can’t rely on the ice cream man for all your frozen treats. That’s why we like to keep our home freezers stocked with plenty of treats—particularly ice cream sandwiches. Is your stock over? Don’t worry; here’s how you can make ice cream sandwiches at home.
So what brand makes the best ice cream sandwich for filling your freezer? Our Test Kitchen team had to find out in a very delicious taste test.
And if you have a little extra time, try making homemade ice cream sandwiches.
Testing Ice Cream Sandwiches
In this test, our team grabbed nine brands of ice cream sandwiches. Each was a version of the classic chocolate wafer cookie paired with vanilla ice cream. There are lots of tempting ice cream sandwich flavors out there, but we wanted to stick to the classics. Each sandwich was sampled blindly and judges took notes on the following:
- Ice cream:Â To be called Test Kitchen-Preferred, these sandwich has to be built around a great vanilla ice cream. Our team wants a smooth, creamy texture and real vanilla flavor.
- Cookie: The chocolate wafer holding the treat together should be cocoa-forward and hold its shape well enough to contain the ice cream. Our team knows that these cookies can vary from soft to crunchy—all cookies are welcome here as long as they’re tasty!
- Balance:Â When the two components are combined, they should work in harmony.
While there were no bad ice cream sandwiches in this test, three options really earned their place in our freezers. Check out our Test Kitchen-Preferred picks.
Best Classic Ice Cream Sandwich
Kemps Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
In the words of Maggie Knoebel in the Test Kitchen, Kemps Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches are “classic, classic, classic.”
In fact, every tester compared these ice cream treats to the frozen sammies they’d get at a school picnic. These Kemps treats had that perfectly nostalgic flavor that we all look for. The ice cream here was velvety and sweet with nice notes of real vanilla.
The wafers had a great cocoa flavor. Sure, they were a bit soft, but they held everything together without disintegrating or breaking. Overall, “you can’t argue with a classic like this,” according to Test Kitchen culinary assistant Mark Neufang.
The Ice Cream Sandwich with the Most Ice Cream
Blue Bunny Simply Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
If you prefer a greater ice cream to cookie ratio in your frozen treats, pick up a box of Blue Bunny Simply Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches. These sandwiches are the Double Stuf Oreos of the ice cream novelty world.
The second we unwrapped these sandos, we noticed the generous amount of ice cream. This extra dose of vanilla ice cream made these sandwiches feel a bit more special despite their straightforward and nostalgic flavor.
In addition to the hefty bit of delicious ice cream (Blue Bunny also makes some of our Test Kitchen’s favorite ice cream), this brand offered the most chocolaty wafer cookie. Our tasters detected great cocoa flavor that complemented the sweet filling in the best way.
Best Low-Fat Ice Cream Sandwich
Skinny Cow Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
If you’re looking to cut back a bit but still want to enjoy frozen desserts, try Skinny Cow Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches. These treats are made with Skinny Cow’s trademark low-fat ice cream.
But just because these treats are lower in fat doesn’t mean they lack. We liked the sandwiches’ sophisticated look, thanks to scalloped cookies and piped ice cream. The ice cream here wasn’t quite as rich as a full-fat version, but was still delicious.
Mark compares these Skinny Cow treats to something you might pick up from a local ice cream shop with their pretty finish and dark chocolate cookie exterior.
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing kitchen gadgets, cleaning gear and food looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test Kitchen-Preferred.
If you’re looking to fill your pantry and fridge with the best products, check out these tests:
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