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 wanted to find out.
I’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 I can’t think of one well-known brand or storefront that specializes 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. Across two taste tests, we searched for store bought ice cream sandwiches crafted with care, artistry, and quality ingredients. Here are the ten best ice cream sandwiches to scoop up the next time you find yourself wandering the freezer aisle at the grocery store, including icons like the Trader Joe’s ice cream sandwich and Fat Boy ice cream sandwich.
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- 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
- 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 definitely 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
- 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 the classic ice cream sandwich with chocolate cookies and vanilla ice cream, this is the one you should be buying. It calls itself premium and it is, 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
- 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
Best Unconventional
Best Budget
Best Chocolate Chunks
Best Ice Cream
Best Classic
Best Mini
Most Unique
Runner Up
Runner Up
Best of the Best
Other Products 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
