Blackberry-swirled cashew milk ice cream sandwiched between two crisp oatmeal cookies — a frozen treat that captures all the cozy flavors of a summer blackberry crisp.
Growing up, wild blackberries were everywhere in summer. We picked them as fast as we could eat them. My mother often made blackberry pie, but a pan of warm blackberry crisp was the real family favorite. Sweet, bubbling blackberries topped with a crunchy oatmeal crumble, always served warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Those moments became summer memories I still treasure.
Inspired by that dessert, I transformed the flavors into an ice cream sandwich. I pressed a gluten-free oatmeal crisp mixture into two 8×8 pans and baked until golden. Once cooled, I spread creamy cashew milk vanilla ice cream over one layer and swirled in a homemade seedless blackberry sauce. After topping with the second oatmeal layer and freezing until firm, the result is a sliceable, elegant ice cream sandwich that tastes like blackberry crisp in handheld form.
This recipe was created as an entry in the Raise a Pint Recipe Contest, featuring dairy-free frozen desserts. Many bloggers contributed creative, dairy-free ice cream treats using coconut or cashew milk bases. This sandwich is one of my entries alongside gluten-free vegan cherry limeade ice cream cupcakes.
Want to make these sandwiches at home? When my daughter tried one, she declared them the best ice cream sandwiches she’d ever had. That pretty much says it all.
- Oatmeal crisp
- 1 cup Sarah’s gluten free flour blend
- 1 cup certified gluten free rolled oats
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 5 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening* (such as Nutiva)
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- Blackberry ice cream
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 2 pints very vanilla cashew milk ice cream
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two 8×8-inch square baking pans with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, oats, almond flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the shortening with a fork until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Add the maple syrup and almond or coconut milk, stirring until just combined.
- Divide the oat mixture between the two prepared pans and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then lift the baked layers from the pans using the parchment overhang. Cool completely.
- For the blackberry sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil, then simmer gently for 5–10 minutes, stirring, until the berries break down and the juices thicken.
- Press the cookedberries through a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl to remove seeds, using the back of a spoon. Chill the seedless sauce until completely cool.
- To assemble, line an 8×8-inch pan with plastic wrap or parchment. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Scoop into a large bowl and stir until smooth with no large chunks.
- Place one cooled oatmeal crisp layer in the bottom of the prepared pan, then spread the softened ice cream evenly over it.
- Drizzle the chilled blackberry sauce over the ice cream and use a butter knife to swirl it through.
- Top with the remaining oatmeal crisp layer, top side up. Freeze for 4–5 hours, until fully set.
- When firm, lift the assembly from the pan using the parchment or plastic wrap. Use a large sharp knife to slice into sandwiches. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Check out the other talented bloggers who joined the Raise a Pint recipe contest — they contributed many inventive dairy-free frozen treats.
This post was sponsored by Go Dairy Free and So Delicious Dairy Free. All opinions are my own.