Welcome to the land of fancy ice cream sandwiches, where donuts, brownies, puff pastries are just some of the anything-but-boring bookends for sweet (and sometimes spicy) cold fillings. From east to west, fine dining restaurants to humble service counter windows, the after-dinner treat is being remade with innovative flavors and haute techniques. Your inner kid would go gangbusters for one of these ten. Summer diet be dammed.
-- By Hilary Sheinbaum
See All of the Top 10 Outlandish Ice Cream Sandwiches to Eat this Summer
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The Ainsworth in Hoboken, New Jersey
See More of the Top 10 Outlandish Ice Cream Sandwiches to Eat this Summer
This New York offshoot fulfills both sugar and caffeine needs in one delicious dessert. The casual sit-down restaurant takes glazed chocolate donuts, cuts them in half, and fills the inside with cookies and cream. The coup de grâce: a caramel drizzle, sprinkle of espresso, and side of caramel popcorn. $9.
Photo: © Ainsworth Hoboken
This New York offshoot fulfills both sugar and caffeine needs in one delicious dessert. The casual sit-down restaurant takes glazed chocolate donuts, cuts them in half, and fills the inside with cookies and cream. The coup de grâce: a caramel drizzle, sprinkle of espresso, and side of caramel popcorn. $9.
Photo: © Ainsworth Hoboken
Stan's Donuts & Coffee in Chicago
See More of the Top 10 Outlandish Ice Cream Sandwiches to Eat this Summer
Customize your journey to sugar coma at this retro-counter shop. Start by choosing a donut casing, either classic (glazed, sprinkled), jazzed up (Boston cream, blueberry old-fashioned), or gluten-free (pistachio lemon, chocolate orange), then pick from an assortment of gelatos for the core. Our favorites? Hazelnut, mint chip, and dreamsicle. $4.99.
Photo: © Stan's Donuts & Coffee
Customize your journey to sugar coma at this retro-counter shop. Start by choosing a donut casing, either classic (glazed, sprinkled), jazzed up (Boston cream, blueberry old-fashioned), or gluten-free (pistachio lemon, chocolate orange), then pick from an assortment of gelatos for the core. Our favorites? Hazelnut, mint chip, and dreamsicle. $4.99.
Photo: © Stan's Donuts & Coffee
db Brasserie in Las Vegas
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Springtime inspired Pastry Chef Robyn Lucas’s latest creation, housemade strawberry gelato inside a vanilla pâte à choux, all of which gets a tableside chocolate sauce pour-over. While the flavors change seasonally, the elegant ambiance of Daniel Boulud’s brasserie inside the Venetian is perennial. $13.
Photo: © db Brasserie at The Venetian
Springtime inspired Pastry Chef Robyn Lucas’s latest creation, housemade strawberry gelato inside a vanilla pâte à choux, all of which gets a tableside chocolate sauce pour-over. While the flavors change seasonally, the elegant ambiance of Daniel Boulud’s brasserie inside the Venetian is perennial. $13.
Photo: © db Brasserie at The Venetian
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Miss Shirley’s Café in Baltimore
See More of the Top 10 Outlandish Ice Cream Sandwiches to Eat this Summer
This family-friendly eatery alternates its wackadoodle waffle/ice cream combos monthly. On the lineup this summer: fried green tomato ice cream sandwiched between Cajun-spiced mini waffles, served with a fried green tomato and pickled relish (June); Bloody Mary ice cream with jalapeno-smoked bacon and mini waffles (July); and sweet-tea lemon-and-mint ice cream with lemon scented waffles (August). $11.99.
Photo: © Miss Shirley's Cafe
This family-friendly eatery alternates its wackadoodle waffle/ice cream combos monthly. On the lineup this summer: fried green tomato ice cream sandwiched between Cajun-spiced mini waffles, served with a fried green tomato and pickled relish (June); Bloody Mary ice cream with jalapeno-smoked bacon and mini waffles (July); and sweet-tea lemon-and-mint ice cream with lemon scented waffles (August). $11.99.
Photo: © Miss Shirley's Cafe
Coppelia in New York City
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The Latin-inspired flavors at this 24-hour luncheonette are a taste-bud fiesta. As if the Fresca Mexicana (strawberry-Mexican sour cream) or the Tepache-nopal (fermented pineapple cactus) weren’t mouthwatering enough, just wait until you put them in between a chipotle brownie. Other mix-and-match options include spicy tomatillo, horchata de quinoa, elote-corn and dulce de leche. We’ll have tres, porfavor. $5.50.
Photo: © Chef Felix Castro
The Latin-inspired flavors at this 24-hour luncheonette are a taste-bud fiesta. As if the Fresca Mexicana (strawberry-Mexican sour cream) or the Tepache-nopal (fermented pineapple cactus) weren’t mouthwatering enough, just wait until you put them in between a chipotle brownie. Other mix-and-match options include spicy tomatillo, horchata de quinoa, elote-corn and dulce de leche. We’ll have tres, porfavor. $5.50.
Photo: © Chef Felix Castro
IT’S IT Ice Cream Factory Shop on Singapore Airlines
See More of the Top 10 Outlandish Ice Cream Sandwiches to Eat this Summer
Pillow, check. Blanket, check. IT’S IT Ice Cream sandwich, check. The vanilla ice cream and oatmeal cookie paring is dipped into dark chocolate and served on flights from San Francisco to Seoul. When vanilla isn’t on the menu, cappuccino and strawberry are. The store in California has even more options like mint, chocolate, and pumpkin. From $22; complimentary on Singapore Airlines
Photo: © IT'S-IT Ice Cream Co.
Pillow, check. Blanket, check. IT’S IT Ice Cream sandwich, check. The vanilla ice cream and oatmeal cookie paring is dipped into dark chocolate and served on flights from San Francisco to Seoul. When vanilla isn’t on the menu, cappuccino and strawberry are. The store in California has even more options like mint, chocolate, and pumpkin. From $22; complimentary on Singapore Airlines
Photo: © IT'S-IT Ice Cream Co.
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Sugarmill in Denver
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Elvis is alive—at least in ice-cream-sandwich form. Sugarmill’s tribute to the King: banana ice cream with bacon bits, held within a peanut butter or chocolate fudge cookie. Created in honor of the rock-and-roll god’s birthday, only 10 are made every day. $5.50.
Photo: © Sugarmill
Elvis is alive—at least in ice-cream-sandwich form. Sugarmill’s tribute to the King: banana ice cream with bacon bits, held within a peanut butter or chocolate fudge cookie. Created in honor of the rock-and-roll god’s birthday, only 10 are made every day. $5.50.
Photo: © Sugarmill