Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Ice Cream (Printer Version)

Creamy vanilla bean ice cream paired with espresso cookies creates a luscious frozen indulgence.

# What You'll Need:

→ Espresso Cookies

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
06 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
08 - 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
09 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

11 - 2 cups heavy cream
12 - 1 cup whole milk
13 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
14 - 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
15 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod or paste, and salt. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod if using bean, and stir in heavy cream. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours until very cold.
02 - Churn chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Spread churned ice cream into a parchment-lined 9 by 13 inch baking pan to approximately 1 inch thick. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
03 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
04 - Divide dough in half. Roll each half between two sheets of parchment paper to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 3 inch round cutter, cut out 16 cookies. Place on prepared baking sheets.
05 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until set around the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack.
06 - Remove ice cream slab from freezer and cut into 8 rounds using the same 3 inch cutter. Place each ice cream round between two cookies and gently press together. Wrap each sandwich in parchment and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get that café-quality espresso and vanilla combination without leaving your house, which means unlimited seconds.
  • The contrast between the crispy cookie exterior and the creamy center is genuinely addictive, and somehow tastes like a fancy dessert despite being totally doable at home.
02 -
  • If you don't chill your ice cream base long enough before churning, it won't freeze properly and you'll end up with something closer to soft-serve soup—learned this while standing in front of an open freezer at 11 PM.
  • The moment you pull the ice cream from the freezer to cut it, time becomes your enemy, so have your cookies already baked and ready to go or the ice cream will start melting faster than you can assemble.
03 -
  • Keep your cookie cutter in warm water between cuts so it glides through the ice cream instead of sticking and tearing—this small detail changed everything for my assembly process.
  • Make the ice cream base the day before so you're not rushed, and bake the cookies while the base chills so everything lines up perfectly for assembly.
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