Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Ice Cream (Print Version)

Creamy vanilla bean ice cream squares sandwiched between bold espresso cookies for a rich frozen delight.

# What You'll Need:

→ Espresso Cookies

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
06 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
08 - 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
09 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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

# Steps to Follow:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod (or paste), and salt. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture steams without boiling. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod if using whole bean, and stir in heavy cream.
02 - Refrigerate mixture for at least 2 hours until thoroughly chilled. Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Spread churned ice cream into a parchment-lined 9x13-inch baking pan to approximately 1 inch thickness and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined.
04 - Divide dough in half. Roll each portion between parchment sheets to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut 16 cookies total. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
05 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set. Cool completely on wire racks before assembly.
06 - Remove frozen ice cream slab from freezer and cut into 8 rounds using the same 3-inch cutter.
07 - Place each ice cream round between two cookies and gently press together. Wrap each sandwich in parchment paper and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like the fancy coffee shop drink you love but costs a fraction of the price and feels homemade.
  • The moment you bite through that crispy cookie edge into cold vanilla cream is honestly worth every minute of planning.
  • People always assume you spent hours perfecting this when really you just followed straightforward steps.
02 -
  • Cold ingredients matter enormously here—your ice cream base needs time to chill thoroughly or it churns up grainy rather than smooth and creamy.
  • Rolling cookie dough between parchment is not extra work, it's the difference between cookies that tear when you cut them and cookies with clean edges.
  • Assembly happens fastest when your ice cream is brick-hard frozen, so don't skip that final freezing step before serving or your sandwiches become melting puddles.
03 -
  • Roll the edges of finished sandwiches in mini chocolate chips or crushed espresso beans right before that final freezing—it adds crunch and looks intentional.
  • Wrap each sandwich individually in parchment so you can grab one without thawing the whole batch, and they actually taste better when eaten straight from the freezer.
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