These no bake small batch cookie dough ice cream bars feature a 3 ingredient dairy free vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched between two layers of soft cookie dough. No eggs, no dairy, and SO easy, you’ll never buy another store bought ice cream sandwich again!

vegan cookie dough ice cream bar bitten

As we’ve probably taken note of on Instagram, I’m a bit of a cookie dough fiend. Vegan cookie dough cake, cookie dough cheesecake, cookie dough brownie cheesecake BARS…I just love cookie dough.

SO why not make some super easy cookie dough ice cream sandwiches?! They’re similar to my vegan chipwiches, however, they’re of course unbaked cookies 🙂

Like digging into an opened container of Tollhouse cookie dough sandwiched with the most delicious vanilla bean ice cream. And yet all dairy free and vegan!? Dreams do come true.

sliced vegan ice cream cookie dough bars

Why this recipe works:

  • They’re small batch so you’re not making a TON of bars- just enough to enjoy between you and your family and friends! Or even just to have on hand in the freezer for when the craving hits 🙂
  • This recipe is entirely dairy free, no eggs, and vegan yet you’d never know. That’s because I’ve spent years figuring out what swaps yield both the best flavor and texture for vegan baking. Trust me, you’re going to be wowed.
  • These bars are super easy. We’re talking 15-20 minutes of effort to yield the most delicious ice cream sandwiches that you’d never believe are vegan. And WAY better than store bought!
  • You can easily make them gluten free as needed! This recipe is super versatile so that all can enjoy 🙂
stacked vegan ice cream bars

Ingredient notes:

Cookie dough: We’re using my simple and easy better-than-Tollhouse cookie dough that doesn’t need any eggs nor dairy. Now, the one note is that you DO need to heat-treat the flour. I know, I know, does that mean these ice cream bars are still no bake? Technically, yes, because this is a pre-step that just preps one of the ingredients for a component of the recipe.

Like in any raw cookie dough recipe, you’ll always need to heat-treat the flour (which simply means either microwaving the flour or heating the flour in the oven) to ensure that it’s safe to consume.

Vegan heavy cream: Now, some areas, it’s a bit harder to find this. I like to use Silk or Plant Crock vegan heavy cream here. Califia sometimes works, but honestly it’s not my favorite. Sometimes, it will thicken, other times not so it’s very unreliable. You can also use coconut cream, but make sure you chill before using and it will have a bit of a coconut flavor.

Vegan sweetened condensed milk: I love either Edward & Sons or Nature’s Charm.

Optional crunchy chocolate ganache: This is just for something extra to make these cookie dough ice cream bars even more special! Totally optional. It’s just my 2-ingredient vegan chocolate ganache and chopped nuts. I used salted pistachios here because I LOVE the saltiness and how it complements the sweet ice cream!

sliced ice cream bars

Expert homemade ice cream sandwich tips:

  • Chill the ice cream bowl: This will help your vegan heavy cream whip up into stiff peaks more easily!
  • Use an offset spatula: This will help smooth the ice cream to be super smooth on top before you press on the cookie dough.
  • Freeze the cookie dough ice cream sandwiches after slicing: If you’re going to dip into the crunchy topping! This will ensure that they’re extra cold so that the chocolate coating will set more quickly on top.
  • If you’re struggling to find any of the ingredients for the vegan ice cream: Feel free to use store bought! Whatever is easiest- this is YOUR recipe!
bitten ice cream bars stacked

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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sliced ice cream bars

Easy Small Batch Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars – Vegan and Dairy Free!

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  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Chilling Time: 150
  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Ice Cream
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

These no bake small batch cookie dough ice cream bars feature a 3 ingredient dairy free vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched between two layers of soft cookie dough. No eggs, no dairy, and SO easy, you’ll never buy another store bought ice cream sandwich again!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 batch vegan cookie dough
  • 1 cup (240 mL) vegan heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup (3.2 ounces or half container) vegan sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Optional topping:


Instructions

  1. Prep: Grease a 9″ loaf pan and place a piece of parchment paper in the middle. Place a medium bowl in the freezer to chill (this will be for the ice cream- you’ll make the cookie dough in a separate bowl). Make sure the flour for the cookie dough is heat-treated. This is super important! Read the cookie dough post for more notes on that.
  2. Make the cookie dough: Follow the instructions for making the cookie dough. Once the cookie dough is made, place it into the fridge to chill while you make the ice cream.
  3. Make the vanilla bean ice cream: Remove the bowl from the freezer and pour the vegan heavy cream in. Use a hand mixer and cream the heavy cream as is until you achieve stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Then add in the vegan sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean paste. Mix again until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
  4. Assemble the cookie dough ice cream sandwiches: Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and spoon half of the cookie dough into the prepared 9″ loaf pan. Press the cookie dough down to form a flat layer on the bottom. Spoon the ice cream on top of the cookie dough and use an offset spatula to smooth. WAIT to top with the remaining cookie dough- we’ll do that when the ice cream is fully set and frozen. You can store the remaining half of the cookie dough in the fridge.
  5. Chill: Place the half assembled cookie dough ice cream sandwiches into the freezer to chill for 1.5-2 hours, or until the ice cream is firm to the touch.
  6. Finish the assembly: Once the ice cream is firm, spoon the remaining cookie dough on top of the ice cream, and press it down on top of the ice cream to form an even layer. Place the cookie dough ice cream sandwiches back into the freezer to continue chilling for another 30 minutes.
  7. Slice and serve: Once the ice cream sandwiches are set, you can prepare the vegan chocolate ganache according to instructions, and stir in chopped nuts. Remove the cookie dough ice cream sandwiches from the pan, and slice into 6-8 small bars with a large kitchen knife. Dip half or all of the ice cream sandwich into the chocolate ganache and set on a piece of parchment paper until firm. Bite and enjoy!
  8. Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight bag or container and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Gluten free: I recommend using King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour. You will still need to heat treat the flour.  You can also use oat flour (STILL heat treat), but you will need to use the gram measurements for the flour.

Heavy cream: I like using Silk or Plant Crock vegan heavy cream. Califia is okay, sometimes it doesn’t whip into stiff peaks so you’ll just have to be cautious. You can also use coconut cream, but chill the can before use. You will also notice a more coconut flavor if you go that route.

Sweetened condensed milk: I recommend Edward & Sons or Nature’s Charm. E&S is coconut based, whereas Nature’s Charm is oat based so there is a slight difference in taste profile there, but overall, the vanilla ice cream is delicious either way.