Meet the Nut Free, Vegan, Raw, Gluten Free, Grain Free It’s It of Ice Cream Sandwiches. And it’s even AIP and SCD friendly! Whoot Whoot!
The It’s It was one of my top favorite ice cream treats growing up. Who doesn’t love vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies and then dipped in chocolate. Hello!!? And if you have no idea what an It’s It is, check out the video of the original It’s Its below. My husband had never heard of them either, so maybe it was those few years I spent living as a youngster living in the San Francisco Bay Area that I have to thank for the inspiration of these sandwiches!?
The It’s It I enjoyed in my youth is a gluten, dairy and refined sugar laden bomb just waiting to go off in your body, leaving many of us with a sugar crash and tummy ache to follow. But not my version! My version is made with simple, pure ingredients, to help fuel you through the day!
Nom. Nom. Nom. Not an ice cream bomb.
Ice Cream Sandwich (paleo/vegan)
Servings: 10
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Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients:
12 oz can full fat coconut milk* (or RAW version, see below)
1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup (or other sweetner)
Pinch sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract**
a little fresh grated nutmeg**
Optional: 1 to 2 Tablespoons rum or vodka (alcohol makes a softer ice cream)**
Directions:
Make ice cream first, so it can churn while you make the cookie layers.
Blend ingredients on high.
Pour into an ice cream maker, and follow manufactures instructions. Most ice cream machines take 20 to 30 minutes to make a batch of ice cream.
See below to start making the cookie layers.
*(For the RAW Version of Coconut Ice Cream – use 1.5 cups fresh Young Thai Coconut Meat + 1/2 Cup Coconut Water – I have made it both ways. And both ways raw or not are amazing!!)
**This recipe is AIP (Auto-Immune Paleo) friendly, just omit the vanilla, vodka, nutmeg, and cacao if you are on AIP. It will still be an amazing treat without these added ingredients!
Raw Vegan Cookie Dough Recipe:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw coconut butter
1/2 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
1 cup dates, (pits removed)
1 tsp vanilla extract**
pinch sea salt
optional: 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Process the dried coconut flakes and coconut butter in the food processor into a fine crumble.
Then add in vanilla, sea salt and dates and process into a “raw” cookie dough batter.
Mash 1/2 of the cookie mixture into the bottom of a bread pan or small casserole dish.
Line the pan or casserole dish with parchment paper or saran wrap for easy removal!!
Spoon on the ice cream and set in the freezer for another hour or 2, until firm.
Mash the remaining 1/2 cookie mixture on top of the ice cream, return to freezer to firm up, or you can cut them and serve.
Lift up on the parchment paper to remove the ice cream bar from the pan/dish.
Slice into ice cream sandwiches. Makes about 10.
I garnished the sandwiches with: toasted coconut flakes, crumbled freeze dried strawberries, cacao nibs, and raw chocolate sauce. See here for chocolate sauce recipe.
NOTE: For a thicker cookie, make 1 1/2 times the ingredients above, or use a smaller casserole dish. I made it both ways, and decided I like a thinner cookie best!