Simple and Easy No-Bake Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Ice cream cake is basically the best of both big dessert worlds, but sometimes it can stray a little too heavy on the cake and a lot too light on the ice cream. Not anymore! We’ve found a way to make the ultimate dessert skew all the way to frozen ice cream delight. It’s an Ice Cream Sandwich Cake!

Yes, that is three layers of smooth and dreamy ice cream, held together with ice cream sandwiches, anchored on a chocolate cookie crust, and topped with all the classic sundae toppings you could ever want. Does it get any better than this? We don’t think so!

We got our perfect outside “crust” with around 8 ice cream sandwiches. Your perfect number for that outer ring will depend on the size and shape of your chosen ice cream sandwiches, and on the size and shape of your pan.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Prep: 15 Mins | Total: 8Hrs 15 Mins
Serves: 8-12 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
14 Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (Oreos or other similar cookies)
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
8-9 Ice Cream Sandwiches (cut in half both horizontally and vertically)
1 Pint Pistachio Ice Cream, softened (Can use any flavor ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet)
1 Pint Strawberry Ice Cream, softened (Can use any flavor ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet)
1 Pint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, softened (Can use any flavor ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet)
3 Cups Whipped Cream (Can use thawed Cool Whip or other whipped topping)
1/4 Cup Magic Shell (Optional) (Can substitute chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce)
8 Maraschino Cherries (Optional)
1/4 Cup Chopped Nuts (Optional)
Directions
Coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the sides of the oiled pan with waxed paper. Trim the paper to fit the height of the pan.
Place the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor and pulse until the cookies are reduced to crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture just begins to hold together.
Add the cookie crumb mixture into the lined springform pan and press firmly into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Stack the cut ice cream sandwiches, vertically on end, around your lined pan on top of the pressed cookie crumb layer until you have a complete ring of ice cream sandwiches. Chill in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up the ice cream sandwiches and set the cookie crust.
Transfer the pistachio ice cream to large bowl and stir until a firm spreading consistency is reached. Spread the pistachio ice cream into an even layer in the center of the ice cream sandwiches and return the pan to the freezer. Repeat the process with the strawberry and then the chocolate chip ice cream flavors.
Top the cake with a layer of whipped cream. Return the cake to the freezer overnight or until firm.
Remove wax paper before serving. Top with more whipped cream, magic shell, maraschino cherries and chopped nuts, if desired.

And speaking of that crust— make yours truly your own! We went with classic chocolate sandwich cookies, but you can experiment with different cookies to make a crust that’s the flavor you really crave, and that’ll go with the ice cream flavors you like.

Yes, we totally mean that last bit about the flavors. While we love the flavor combo and color contrast of pistachio, strawberry, and chocolate chip, you should customize yours to include any three you love— or even just use one flavor if you don’t want to mix things up too much.

If you do decide to go with multiple flavors, you can add them all at the same time if you get them softened to just the right consistency. If they start to get soupy, though, make sure you pop your in-progress Ice Cream Sandwich Cake into the freezer in between adding each layer of flavor.

Fun fact: we’ve noticed that “premium” ice creams will appear to melt faster than the “cheap” stuff. This difference is because there is normally less air whipped into the premium brands, and because sometimes there are less stabilizers and emulsifiers helping the ice cream to keep its shape as it melts. Who knew?!

As long as you treat your Ice Cream Sandwich Cake right, though, you shouldn’t have to worry about melting! Just make sure to follow the directions and allow it to freeze overnight before cutting into it, then immediately return it to the freezer after serving. (Of course, it’s so good there might not be any left to put back!)

We’re all about the frozen sweet treats here at TipHero. Check out some more of our past favorites: