Summer is now HERE which has me in the mood for chilly treats, like these Ice Cream Protein Cookie Sandwiches! They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and totally crave-worthy! As if the chocolate chip protein cookies weren’t delicious by themselves, you can can sandwich them with banana “nice cream” or in my case, dairy freecookiedoughicecream 🙂
Did you know? Lactose tolerance varies greatly depending on ancestral origins and appears to be a cultural adaptation. For example, only 2% of those with European heritage are lactose intolerant, compared to 95% of Asians, 80-100% of American Indians, 60-80% of African Americans, and 50-80% of Hispanics (source). Makes sense considering traditional Asian cuisine does not involve dairy, but many northern European cuisines include butter, cheeses, milk, and yogurt.
Personally, I can’t handle ice cream or sour cream at all, but do okay with aged or fermented dairy (cheese and Greek yogurt), since these processes reduce the amount of lactose. I also don’t tolerate whey protein, which is why I switched to a vegan protein powder, despite not being vegan!
Recommended protein powder
Speaking of vegan protein powders, my favorite (and the one I used here) is LIV Body Lean VeganProtein. You can use my code SARAHWILKINS for free shipping! I haven’t tested this recipe with whey, but in my experience a wheyblend works much better than whey isolate for baking.
I’ve also found a combination of nut butter and vegan buttery spread are the best for a perfectly crisp yet soft cookie! Feel free to swap the buttery spread for coconut oil, or use any nut butter you have on hand. You can also play around with substituting more unsweetened applesauce to lower the fat! To hold the cookies together, I used egg white, but have also tested aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) and flax eggs. All work!
Of course, I added some dairy-free dark chocolate chips, because more chocolate is always better! Am I right?
Here’s the printable recipe for these Ice Cream Protein Cookie Sandwiches! I hope you’ll rate and comment below if you try them 🙂
This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.
These Ice Cream Protein Cookie Sandwiches are gluten-free, vegan, and totally craveworthy on a hot summer day! Make with nice cream or dairy-free ice cream.
Ingredients
1/3 cup (40g) vegan protein powder* I used LIV Body brand, code SARAHWILKINS for free shipping
3 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* (I used one that’s twice as sweet as sugar)
3 tbsp. gluten-free baking flour*
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
3 tbsp. creamy peanut butter (or cashew butter)
2 tbsp. vegan buttery spread (or more unsweetened applesauce)
1 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup (2 large) egg white (or 2 tbsp. ground flaxseed + 1/4 cup water)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
2 tbsp. (30g) mini chocolate chips
Filling:
1/2 cup dairy free ice cream or 1 medium frozen banana, blended
*See blog post above for more substitutions.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl (through salt).
Add wet ingredients (through vanilla) and mix until a dough is formed.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (recommended) or lightly coat with cooking spray.
Bake cookies in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
Cool cookies completely (can place in fridge), arranging together in matching pairs of similar size.
Scoop 2 tbsp. of ice cream (spoonable but not soft) onto center of one cooled cookie and press other cookie on top. Repeat to make four ice cream cookie sandwiches.
Store in the freezer in an airtight container until ready to eat! Leftovers will last at least a month in the freezer.
Recipe Note
Calories (per sandwich, with buttery spread and ice cream): 235kcal, Fat: 14.8g, Sat fat: 4.4g, Carbs: 17g, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Protein: 13g, Sodium: 321mg
Calories (per sandwich, with applesauce and banana nice cream): 201kcal, Fat: 9.2g, Sat fat: 2.4g, Carbs: 20g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Protein: 12g, Sodium: 282mg
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