Jordan Myrick
Ariana Losch
We’ve never understood why ice cream sandwiches aren’t as popular—if not more popular—than just plain old tubs of ice cream. Think about it! We have ice cream parlors, vegan ice cream parlors, froyo shops, nationwide cookie sellers like Crumbl and Insomnia—but there are very few (if any) storefronts that specialize in ice cream sandwiches. What’s that about? In any case, it’s a good thing we’re here, bringing awareness to this very pressing issue.
How we found the ice cream sandwiches
This is our third summer in a row ranking the best ice cream sandwiches. We always wonder whether or not there will be new and exciting products to try—but that concern went out the window pretty quickly. We stumbled into new brands we’d never tried before (who was going to tell us about Nightingale ice cream sandwiches?) and found plenty of brand new flavors from nostalgic brands we already know and love, too. We also made a point to include as many vegan and budget-friendly picks as possible.
What we looked for in the best ice cream sandwiches
The best ice cream sandwiches are soft, chewy, stacked with dreamy ice cream, and supremely satisfying to bite into. The thick ice cream center should taste rich and churned—not airy, icy, or overrun. The cookies the ice cream is sandwiched between shouldn’t be too firm or too soggy. Regardless of flavor, we’re looking for that ideal soft-baked texture that works perfectly with the cream. But what’s the best ice cream sandwich of them all? How about the best cookie ice cream sandwich? That’s what we’re always here to find out.
Best Ice Cream Sandwiches, Ranked
- Tillamook Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
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Tillamook Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches are not the first thing I think of when I think of the best ice cream sandwiches. They consist of two thin, crispy waffles (think waffle cone texture) dipped in chocolate on one side and then filled with mint chocolate chip ice cream. The result is very crunchy, which is interesting and tasty. And it’s Tillamook, so you know the ice cream quality is on point. My only complaint is that the amount of ice cream relative to the thinness of the waffles makes this a melty mess. No worries, though. We’ll just go ahead and call this the best ice cream sandwich to eat outside. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Albertsons
- It’s It Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches
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It’s It fans should definitely try the mint ice cream flavor, which feels very on brand for them as a fun, loud, nostalgic novelty dessert. I don’t think it’s as delicious as the OG flavor (see #7), since the chocolate-covered oatmeal cookie doesn’t mesh as well with the mint ice cream, but it should still be on every It’s It lover’s radar. To be frank: Unlike what you’ll find in our unedited video, I did end up booting this one to the bottom of the list, because the casual buyer might find the flavors too clashy. The ice cream in It’s It is also very icy, which isn’t for everyone. But I’m sure this is someone’s favorite dessert for the summer, and I respect that. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Great Value Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
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Great Value always comes through when you need a tasty, affordable option. These ice cream sandwiches are a prime example. Shockingly, the vanilla ice cream in these is better than the ice cream in most of the other ice cream sandwiches we tried—even the fancy, expensive ones. These definitely exceeded my expectations—they’re among the best ice cream sandwiches to buy if you’re on a budget. It’s a perfect take on the classic chocolate cookie vanilla ice cream sandwich bar. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Aldi Sundae Shoppe Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
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What a deceptively delightful ice cream sandwich we have here. I tell you what, for the steal of a price and very plain aesthetic (like Great Value’s brand, they’re essentially knock-off Nestle ice cream sandwiches), I picked them up with low expectations. Instead, to quote Edward Cullen, I think I found my “own personal brand of heroine.” The chocolate cookie tastes much more like a soft graham cracker cookie, and the ice cream inside is pretty dreamy. To be honest, I don’t think it’s particularly high quality ice cream, but it is addictive as hell. This was the fastest I’ve ever eaten an ice cream sandwich, and they aren’t very messy, either. A great beach boardwalk snack, if you can keep them frozen long enough. Basically, if you shop at Aldi instead of Walmart, these are the best ice cream sandwiches to buy on the cheap. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Aldi
- Favorite Day Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches
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If you’re looking for the best ice cream sandwiches for true chocolate lovers, it’s hard to fault these cookies and cream ice cream sandwiches from Target brand Favorite Day. These are a handful, with a generous amount of rich ice cream filling. The cookies have big chocolate chunks and a bold cocoa flavor baked in, which makes every bite texturally nuanced and flavor packed. The overall flavor might remind you of store-bought cupcakes—and yes, that includes the sugary, mass-produced aftertaste you’re likely to detect in baked treats from the grocery store. If you’re sensitive to that, these might not be the best ice cream sandwiches for you! Otherwise, these give you great bang for your buck. They are huge, rich, decadent, and only cost $5 for a box of four at Target!—Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Ruby Jewel the Classic Minis
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Ruby Jewel sounds like the pick-me protagonist of a bad romance novel and/or the name of a very cute local ice cream parlor. Luckily, the latter is closer to the truth. We only tried their mini chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches, but it’s clear ice cream sandwiches are a labor of love for Ruby Jewel. These come stacked; they’re almost as thick as they are wide. The vanilla ice cream is rich and creamy, with visible black specks of vanilla bean. The chocolate chip cookies themselves could be more flavorful, but they are still soft, crumbly, and satisfying to chew. If you’re a vanilla ice cream purist (like me), you just might think this is the best ice cream sandwich on this list. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Fatboy Premium Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
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If you’re looking for the best version of a classic ice cream sandwich with chocolate cookies and vanilla ice cream, Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches are what you should be buying. They call these premium and they are, in fact, premium. The quality of the ice cream is high and the chocolate cookies are the perfect texture. Also, these are huge! You could give one to your kid and they’d be quiet for quite a while. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Mad Minis Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
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Not to be confused with the blonde Mad Minis ice cream sandwiches (which have vanilla cookies sandwiching vanilla ice cream), Mad Minis Vanilla Ice Cream sandwiches look and taste like classic Oreos in ice cream sandwich form. They are scrumptious. The cookies have a bold cocoa flavor that perfectly balances the sweet vanilla filling. They might not be the fat, stacked, artisanal ice cream sandwiches you would normally expect from a ranking of the best ice cream sandwiches, but that’s almost what makes these more appealing. Our whole team found these cute little sammies super addictive. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- It’s-It Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
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I didn’t know ice cream sandwiches could be this good. It’s-It Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches are so elite and spectacular that I may only be buying these from here on out. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of them until this taste test! They consist of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies and coated in dark tempered chocolate. The chocolate covers the entire cookie, ice cream and all, which makes the biting and/or breaking-in-half experience truly unique. Our only complaint? We’re a stickler for good ice cream, and the stuff they use here is a little too airy. But if you don’t care about that, buy these! Now! —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Banana Pudding Nightingale
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Let me say my honest peace: The beautiful, crumbly, sandy shortbread on this oddly square-shaped sammie makes up for every single negative thing I have to say about it. And unlike my colleagues, who ranked this little guy first of all the new sammies they tried, I do have one big critique: The banana tastes pretty artificial. Yeah. I’ll fight my fellow taste-testers on this one. If you’ve ever had a banana Peelerz peelable gummy (which I actually like!), that’s the kind of banana flavor you’re getting. It doesn’t ruin the sandwich by any means, but if you’re sensitive to artificial banana, I’d honestly just skip this (although, they thought it tasted EXACTLY like banana pudding). Anyways, now that I’ve been a negative Nancy, I will repeat: the sugary shortbread here is a revelation. I stripped it from the actual ice cream to eat it on its own (mainly because I had so many more sammies to eat, not because I found the ice cream gross). This was the best ice cream sandwich from Nightingale we tried; the ice cream from this brand leans quite gummy, and that texture really works best when mimicking a pudding flavor. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger
- Fatboy Ice Cream Sandwich Pops
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If you’ve come here from our YouTube taste test, you may have noticed these new Fatboy sandwich pops falling way behind the other new ice cream sammies they tried on camera. I’m sorry to our iconic taste-testing trio, but no. I’m taking the reins here, and these are moving way up. The rainbow sprinkle cookie on the outside tastes exactly like a Publix sugar cookie, in the best way possible. It’s insane. The hard, crunchy sprinkles coat the entire sandwich bar, and they are so satisfying to bite into and effortlessly yummy. Dipped in a layer of white chocolate, this is basically a cake pop and lovely vanilla ice cream sandwich combined. Admittedly, it might be too sweet for some palates—but this is definitely one of the best ice cream sandwiches I’ve ever had, even if it comes on a stick. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Trader Joe’s Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches
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With an extra soft, almost gooey (but still somehow sturdy) brownie cookie and bold coffee ice cream center, this ice cream sandwich from Trader Joe’s is not getting enough hype. I taste-tested all of the Trader Joe’s ice cream pints back in the day, and I could immediately tell they used TJ’s Coffee Bean Blast ice cream (ranked #4 on the list) in this ice cream sammie. And if they didn’t, don’t tell me, I hate being wrong—just know it tastes really similar to it, with a very strong, roasty, almost burnt (in a good way) bitter coffee flavor to it that almost tastes like coffee grounds have been mixed in. Coffee ice cream freaks, this is a gift from the Trader Joe’s gods meant for you. Don’t sleep on it. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Van Leeuwen Double Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream Sandwiches
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When I say I want to visit an ice cream sandwich parlor that specializes in ice cream sandwiches, this is what I mean. Van Leeuwen is the blueprint, y’all. The cookies taste freshly baked, with a supremely soft (but not mushy) chew, like something you would get from a beloved local cookie seller. The tangy cheesecake ice cream beautifully balances the bold chocolate. My one gripe is that you can only buy Van Leeuwen ice cream sandwiches individually. If you’re going to make some of the best ice cream sandwiches out there, please, let me buy a whole box! —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Van Leeuwen Honeycomb Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches
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Like double chocolate cheesecake, Van Leeuwen’s honeycomb caramel flavor redefines what it means to be a gourmet ice cream sandwich. It may look plain, but the flavors here are deeply rich. The cookie is Snickerdoodle-soft. The honeycomb-caramel ice cream tastes home-churned. If they weren’t almost $4 for one sammie, I would give these a perfect 10/10. Van Leeuwen may make the best ice cream sandwiches for treating yourself, but if you have a party to feed, well, check out our #1. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Trader Joe’s Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
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This Trader Joe’s ice cream sandwich is truly sublime. This is not hyperbole. When it comes to cookie ice cream sandwich, this is the best you can get. In general, I expect very little from Trader Joe’s because their products range from good to hot garbage. But this might be one of the best products I’ve tried from Trader Joe’s. The cookie is soft without being mushy, the ice cream is creamy, and the chocolate chips pressed into the sides of the sandwich provide the perfect texture. The best ice cream sandwich doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel—it just needs to be high quality. And Trader Joe’s makes a high quality ice cream sandwich. Go buy these! —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Chipwich Vanilla Chocolate Chip & Chipwich Thin Mints
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Holding a heavy Chipwich in your hand is an experience in and of itself. They’re big. Chonky. Laden with thick, soft, textured cookies (very similar to those chewy Insomnia cookies that are all over college campuses) and several inches of fluffy vanilla ice cream. With crunchy chocolate chips coating the sides of the ice cream, the Vanilla Chocolate Chip Chipwich is the epitome of the perfect ice cream sandwich—it should be your go-to when you’re craving an old classic. We also tried Chipwich Thin Mints, which is an official collab with Girl Scouts, and we can confirm these minty ice cream sandwiches are incredible. It turns the simplicity of a Thin Mint into something incredibly indulgent, without losing the signature crisp, cool mintiness of the OG cookie. We’re obsessed. You will be, too. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Unconventional
Most Nostalgic
Best Budget
Most Addictive
Best Chocolate Chunks
Best Ice Cream
Best Classic
Best Mini
Best Crowd Pleaser
Most Unique
Best Sugar Cookie
Best Coffee
Best Novelty
Best Novelty
Runner Up
Best of the Best
Other ice cream sandwiches we tried:
Kroger Snowboard Sandwiches, Yasso Greek Yogurt Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches, Blue Bunny Ice Cream Sandwiches, M&M’s Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches, Mickey Mouse Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches, Tillamook Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches, Toll House Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, So Delicious Dairy Free Coconutmilk Vanilla Desset Sandwiches, Skinny Cow Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches, Goodpop Chocolate Vanilla Cookie Sandwiches, Alden’s Organic Organic Vanilla Bean Dairy Free Ice Cream Sandwiches, Alden’s Organic Key Lime Dairy Free Round Sammies, Alden’s Organic Sea Salted Caramel Sandwiches, Mad Minis Blondie Ice Cream Sandwiches, Favorite Day Vanilla-flavored Ice Cream Sandwiches, Favorite Day Neapolitan Chocolate, Vanilla-flavored And Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches, Breyers Frozen Dairy Dessert Sandwiches, S’mores, Campfire Collection, Oreo Mint Sandwhiches, Kellogg’s Eggo Blueberry Flavored Ice Cream Sandwiches, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches Strawberry Shortcake, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches Cookie Monster, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches Mocha Brownie
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Gwynedd Stuart
Matt Crowley
