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Root Beer Float Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Root beer float ice cream sandwiches with molasses-and-root-beer soft cookies, vanilla bean ice cream, and a root beer caramel drizzle. The hand-held frozen sandwich delivers the full retro float vibe with a chewy cookie exterior and a cold, creamy center.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
freezing 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 37 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the root beer cookies
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 lb unsalted butter, softened
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp root beer extract or flavoring
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 gallon vanilla bean ice cream
Root beer caramel sauce
  • 0.5 cup caramel
  • 1 tsp root beer extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the root beer cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.
  2. Beat unsalted butter, softened and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, then mix in molasses, egg, root beer extract or flavoring, and vanilla extract.
  3. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.
  4. Scoop the dough into rounds and press flat, then bake on a sheet pan for 10-12 minutes until the cookies look set at the edges.
  5. Cool the cookies completely so they firm up before assembling the sandwiches.
Assemble and freeze
  1. Stir root beer extract into caramel until smooth and pourable.
  2. Sandwich vanilla bean ice cream between two root beer cookies to form hand-held cookie ice cream sandwiches.
  3. Drizzle root beer caramel over the tops, then freeze at least 1 hour until firm enough to hold.

Notes

For the neatest sandwiches, cool the cookies fully (they should not feel warm) before adding the ice cream, and freeze on a parchment-lined tray so the caramel drizzle doesn’t smear. Store assembled sandwiches covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks (freeze yes). For a dairy-free swap, use a vanilla bean dairy-free ice cream alternative and keep the rest the same.