Homemade peanut butter ice cream sandwiched between salty, crunchy Ritz crackers. Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches are a heavenly treat!
Earlier this week, I shared the recipe for homemade peanut butter ice cream.
Let’s take that delicious ice cream a step further.
Pair it with Ritz crackers and melted chocolate for a quick sweet treat!
Ritz Crackers Ice Cream Sandwiches
Growing up, peanut butter Ritz bits was one of my favorite afternoon snacks.
The sweet and creamy peanut butter with the salty and crunchy cracker was a parade in my mouth.
Quick and easy ice cream sandwiches
These ice cream sandwiches are super simple to make.
If you don’t have the time to make homemade peanut butter ice cream, any store-bought ice cream will do.
Plus, there are all sorts of peanut butter ice cream variations out there- peanut butter swirl, chocolate peanut butter, Reese’s peanut butter ice cream.
Let the ice cream sit out for 5 minutes or so to soften before scooping. Hard ice cream is difficult to scoop, plus hard ice cream causes broken sandwiches when you try to press the two crackers together.
While you can totally use a tablespoon to scoop the ice cream, I used this handy little ice cream scooper to get the perfect size.
(It’s a size 40. Ever wonder what the sizes of scoops mean? It refers to how many scoops it will take to fill a quart. Interesting, huh? That’s a little culinary school knowledge.)
Ritz crackers are the perfect compliment to the ice cream. The salty and crunchy cracker just makes the ice cream taste creamier, richer, and sweeter.
If you’re feeling adventurous, why not make homemade Ritz crackers!
While you could stop at this point and enjoy the ice cream sandwiches as is, there is one more crucial step that makes a world of a difference.
You have to dip the ice cream sandwich into a bowl of melted dark chocolate. I can’t imagine a more perfect treat!
Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 48 Ritz Crackers
- 5 oz dark chocolate, melted
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Ice Cream:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter (no sugar added)*
- pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Arrange 24 crackers on a parchment line baking sheet. Using a small cookie scoop place a mound of peanut butter ice cream on each cracker. Top with remaining crackers and gently press together.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 15 minutes. While ice cream sandwiches are setting up, melt chocolate. Melt chocolate over a bain-marie (double boiler) or at half-power 20 second intervals in the microwave.
- Remove ice cream sandwiches from freezer. Dip sandwich half way into melted chocolate. Let any excess chocolate run off and then place ice cream sandwich back on parchment line baking sheet. Continue with remaining ice cream sandwiches. If dipping chocolate cools too fast and starts to thicken, reheat to loosen.
- Freeze chocolate dipped peanut butter ice cream sandwiches for at least 15 minutes before serving. Keep sandwiches stored in an airtight container or wrap individually in plastic wrap.
Peanut Butter Ice Cream:
- In a medium sauce pot, combine heavy cream, milk and 1 tablespoon sugar to a boil. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks. Temper hot milk into sugar yolk mixture. Slowly add hot milk about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking to distribute heat. Once all the milk has been added, transfer mixture back into the pot.
- Place pot over medium-low heat. Stir until mixture reaches nappé consistency, or 180 degrees F on a kitchen thermometer. Let mixture sit at 180-185 degrees for 5 minutes to pasteurize egg yolks. Add peanut butter and salt. Stir to combine until peanut butter has dissolved. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and allow to cool slightly.
- Strain mixture and transfer to an airtight container. Let mature in the fridge overnight.
- Freeze peanut butter mixture in ice cream maker according to your unit’s instructions.** Once the volume has increased by half and reached a soft serve consistency, transfer mixture into an airtight container and let harden in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Love this idea! My go-to after school snack was always ritz and peanut butter. I love the combo! Also, salty sweet desserts are my fave. These look so sophisticated. Pinning this!
Thanks Allison! I love salty sweet desserts, too :)
Joy the Baker makes these as weil! Various types now too, with the dipped chocolate and what not…they’re so good! Love the peanut butter addition with yours! Such a simple idea!