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Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwiches

These Ice Cream Sandwiches Could Never Get Old!

Frozen desserts are hugely responsible for getting me through the summer. With these classic ice cream sandwiches, I can cool down after a day in the sun and treat my sweet tooth at the same time. It’s hard to believe how easy they are to make!

The “cookies” are adapted from these cakey cookies, which are so wonderfully tender, I figured they would stay soft in the freezer like the original. Well, I was right on the money! The rich cookie bases pair perfectly with the smooth, refreshing ice cream in between them. Every bite is a burst of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry bliss.

These ice cream sandwiches were a huge hit in our house! The kids and the hubs all loved them. They were the treat of choice everyday until they were gone. They really are even better than the store-bought version because each flavor is present in every bite. So good!

Three Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches on top of one dessert plate

What Are Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwiches?

These crowd-favorite ice cream sandwiches pay homage to Neapolitan ice cream, which features three different flavors in the same tub – chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Many ice cream brands produce their own variation of this treat, but none of them could upstage this tempting homemade version. You’ll want to recreate it with fun new combinations of your other favorite ice cream flavors!

Recipe Ingredients

You can make these completely from scratch if you’d like, but I decided to keep them simple with store-bought ice cream. If you make the ice cream yourself, it may best to use a machine. No-churn ice cream is a bit too soft to work well in sandwiches, unless it’s one that uses cream cheese as the base, instead of sweetened condensed milk.

All-Purpose Flour: Measure with a food scale or fluff and spoon it into the measuring cup slowly to prevent overpacking.
Cocoa Powder: Natural and unsweetened – not Dutch-processed.
Baking Powder: Don’t worry, this won’t make your cookies tall and puffy. It’s there to ensure that they stay soft and light.
Salt
Unsalted Butter: At room temperature.
Sugar
Egg
Milk: I use 2%.
Vanilla Ice Cream
Strawberry Ice Cream

Five Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches lined up in a baking dish with handles

How to Make Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwiches

This recipe keeps the hands-on prep work to a minimum. Since each component must be frozen before the next one is added, it does require a little patience – but I promise the results will be worth the wait!

Make The Cookie Bases

Heat Oven & Prep Pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare two 9×13-inch baking pans with parchment paper in the bottom and spray the sides.

Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set the mixture aside.

Beat Butter & Sugar: Beat the butter and sugar just until they’re combined and smooth.

Add Egg & Milk: Add the egg and milk and mix until well combined.

Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the combined wet ingredients and mix just until well incorporated.

Pour Batter Into Pans: Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. It’ll be very thin. I used a food scale to halve it accurately, but you could measure it out with cups if preferred. Spread the batter evenly.

Bake: Bake the cookie/cake bases for 5-8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let Cool: Allow the cakes to cool mostly in the pan, then turn them out onto a large cooling rack (or two). You don’t want any part of either cake hanging off the rack. Before you transfer them over, line the cooling rack with parchment paper and lightly spray it with nonstick baking spray.

Build the Ice Cream Sandwiches

Freeze Cookie Bases: Put the cakes into the freezer for about 20-30 minutes before you start assembling the sandwiches (you can freeze them for longer if you want to make them ahead of time).

Remove First Ice Cream Flavor From Freezer: Set the first flavor of ice cream (I started with vanilla) out at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before you use it.

Add First Base to Lined Pan: Prepare one of the 9×13-inch baking pans for assembly. Make sure it’s clean and line it with parchment paper that sticks up above the two long sides of the pan. You’ll use the overhanging bits to lift the bars out of the pan later. Add one of the frozen cakes to the bottom of the pan with the “pretty side” (or the top of the cake) on the bottom/facing down.

The bottom cookie base inside of a pan lined with enough parchment paper to extend up either side of the pan

Spread On First Ice Cream Layer: Place your first ice cream flavor into a large bowl and stir well until it’s smooth and spreadable. Spread it into an even layer on top of the chocolate cookie/cake. Set the pan back into the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your freezer. You want to let the ice cream get firm enough to stay in place when you add the next layer.

A pan full of half-assembled ice cream sandwiches just after the vanilla ice cream layer has been added

Spread On Second Ice Cream Layer: About 15-20 minutes before you remove your pan from the freezer to add the second layer of ice cream, set the ice cream out to thaw a bit. Then place it into a large bowl and stir well until it’s smooth and spreadable. Spread it out evenly on top of the previous ice cream layer.

Add Top Cookie Base: Add the second frozen chocolate cake on top of the ice cream, with the “pretty side” up. Press it lightly onto the ice cream so it sticks well and fills in any gaps. Freeze the completed sandwiches until they’re firm and frozen. This will take at least 2 hours.

The strawberry ice cream layer on top of the vanilla ice cream layer on top of the bottom cookie base in a pan

An assembled batch of ice cream sandwiches inside of a pan lined with overhanging parchment paper

Cut Into Bars: Once the ice cream sandwiches have fully set, use the overhanging parchment paper to lift them out of the pan. Cut off the rough edges with a long knife, then cut them into rectangles.

Enjoy! Return your ice cream sandwiches to the freezer until you’re ready to serve them.

A batch of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream sandwiches after the rough edges have been trimmed off

A batch of Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches on a lined pan with two rectangles cut off and a sharp knife beside them

Tips for Success

Don’t start on this recipe until you review the following tips. Soon enough, you’ll be munching on a flawless Neapolitan dessert.

Don’t Forget to Line the Pans! It’s super important to line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper before you bake the cookie bases. You don’t want them to stick to the pan when you try to remove them. Because they’re thin, they could easily break.
Can I Make My Cookie Bases In Advance? If you’d like to make your cookies/cakes the day before you assemble the sandwiches, go right ahead. Just pop them in the freezer for when you’re ready to make the sandwiches. Just be sure to cover them in plastic wrap if you’re making them more than a couple days in advance. This prevents freezer burn.
Line the Cooling Rack With Greased Parchment Paper: Before you transfer your cookie bases to the parchment-lined cooking rack, remember to spray the parchment paper with nonstick baking spray. The “tops” of the cakes will end up on the outsides of the sandwiches, and ideally they’ll look nice, so you don’t want them sticking to the parchment paper when they cool.

Two homemade ice cream sandwiches stacked on a plate with a third one propped up against them

Variation Ideas

Every recipe has room for some customization, especially when it comes to desserts. These ice cream sandwiches are no exception!

Add Chocolate Ice Cream: I like to make these sandwiches with just vanilla and strawberry ice cream to let the chocolate in the cookie bases speak for itself. But if you’d like, you could certainly add a layer of chocolate ice cream as well.
Make Them Square: Ice cream sandwiches are known for their rectangular shape, but square ones are just as delicious! Smaller portions make for more servings and fewer calories a pop.
Swap Out the Flavors: You can use any ice cream flavor you’re craving for these sandwiches. Try substituting the strawberry ice cream for cherry or the vanilla for vanilla bean!

How to Store

Keep these ice cream sandwiches in the freezer at all times so they don’t melt. Wrap each one in a tight layer of plastic wrap to preserve them. Enjoy your Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches within about 2 weeks.

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