🍪 August 2 – Ice Cream Sandwich Day: Because Sometimes Happiness Is Squished Between Two Cookies 🍦
Today’s forecast? 100% chance of sticky fingers, melted hearts, and approximately seven brain freezes. That's right—it’s National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, and if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that everything tastes better when it’s smooshed between two cookies. Or waffles. Or Pop-Tarts. (More on that chaos later.)
Whether you like yours classic (vanilla between two chocolate wafers) or couture (matcha gelato in a macaron shell, anyone?), there’s no wrong way to celebrate this handheld hero of the dessert world. Let’s get into the creamy details.
Affiliate Disclosure
Just so you know, this post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click through and buy something, I might earn a tiny commission—enough to keep the lights on and maybe snag a celebratory cupcake. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, pinky promise.
🥄 A Short (but Sweet) History of the Ice Cream Sandwich
Way back in the early 1900s, on the sticky streets of New York City, a genius ice cream vendor did what no one had officially done before: he took a scoop of vanilla ice cream, plopped it between two thin graham crackers, and sold the whole glorious thing for a penny. ONE. CENT. Honestly, the only thing more shocking than the price is that no one thought of it sooner.
By the 1940s and ‘50s, the ice cream sandwich started showing up in grocery stores across America, with that now-iconic rectangular chocolate wafer design. From there, it got a total glow-up: today you’ll find artisanal, gourmet, vegan, gluten-free, or just straight-up over-the-top versions in every hipster market and ice cream truck worth its salt (or sprinkles).
And the rest, as they say, is melty, delicious history.
🧊 Fun (and Frosty) Facts You Can Whip Out at Parties
Americans consume over 100 million ice cream sandwiches per year. That’s a whole lotta sticky napkins.
The world's largest ice cream sandwich weighed over 2,400 pounds. That’s about the size of a small car. A delicious, cold, drippy car.
In Australia, they’re known as “cream between.” Which sounds vaguely scandalous and we’re very here for it.
The ice cream sandwich has cousins around the globe: Italy has the brioche con gelato, and Vietnam slaps a scoop of ice cream on a baguette. Yes, really.
🍦 13 Delightfully Unhinged Ways to Celebrate Ice Cream Sandwich Day
Because you deserve a celebration that’s just as extra as you are.
1. Host a DIY Ice Cream Sandwich Bar
Cookies, brownies, rice crispy treats, donuts, frozen waffles—if it’s flat and delicious, it can hold ice cream. Throw in weird toppings (potato chips? Hot honey?) and let your guests go wild. Yes, even the kids. (But maybe hose them off after.)
2. Invent the Next Great Combo
Challenge yourself to make the most bizarre-but-delicious pairing possible. Think: lemon shortbread + blueberry cheesecake ice cream. Or ginger molasses cookies with Thai tea gelato. Don’t knock it 'til you try it.
3. Do a Taste Test Tour of Your Local Freezer Aisle
Buy one of every kind of ice cream sandwich you can find—from the budget-friendly classics to that one vegan oat milk version in compostable wrapping—and rate them like the judgmental dessert connoisseur you are.
4. Throw an Ice Cream Sandwich Showdown
Invite friends to build their own outrageous creations and compete in categories like “Most Likely to Melt in 10 Seconds,” “Best Cookie-to-Ice Cream Ratio,” and “Least Instagrammable but Surprisingly Delicious.”
5. Mini-fy Everything
Use tiny cookies (or even macaron shells!) and make bite-sized treats that look adorable and taste even better. Serve with espresso for peak bougie snack vibes.
6. Go International
Try global versions: mochi ice cream "sandwiches" from Japan, churro + horchata combos, brioche gelato buns, or even that Vietnamese ice cream baguette. You're not just eating—you're traveling (kind of).
7. Get a Little Unhinged
Pop-Tarts as sandwich bread? Fried chicken and maple ice cream? We’re not saying you should, but we’re not saying you shouldn’t.
8. Build a Sandwich Tower
Stack 'em like a dessert Jenga. Take pics. Then destroy your masterpiece in the most delicious way possible.
9. Turn Breakfast Into Dessert (Or Vice Versa)
Who says ice cream sandwiches are only for dessert? Try chocolate chip pancakes with vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. Your inner child will weep with joy.
10. Whip Up Homemade Ones
Bake your favorite cookies (or cheat with store-bought—we won’t tell), let the ice cream soften, squish it all together, wrap in parchment, and freeze. Insta-worthy and dangerously good.
11. Dress Like an Ice Cream Sandwich
Because nothing says “I’m committed to the bit” like brown pants, a white shirt, and a frosty attitude.
12. Write a Sonnet About Your Favorite Flavor Combo
Don’t just eat it. Honor it. Bonus points if you read it aloud with dramatic flair and sprinkles in hand.
13. Freeze One for Future You
Wrap one up and stick it in the freezer with a sticky note that says, “You’re doing amazing, sweetie.” Because Future You will need this.
Theme: “Two Cookies Walk Into a Freezer...”
🍽️ Dinner Menu: “Sweet & Savory Sandwich Night”
🥪 Main Course: Savory Ice Cream Sandwich–Inspired Sliders
(No, not cold. Just vibing with the idea.)
Ingredients:
Mini brioche buns (sweet and buttery like cookie dough’s cousin)
Seared chicken thighs or mushroom medallions
Smoked gouda or brie
Quick pickle red onions
Arugula tossed in lemon oil
Honey mustard or fig jam (your sweet "ice cream" layer)
✨ Stack it all: warm bun base, cheese, hot filling, sweet layer, greens, top bun. It’s giving: “If an ice cream sandwich had a savory alter ego.”
🥗 Side: Chilled Corn & Peach Salad
Bright, sweet, and juicy like summer on a plate.
Grilled corn
Sliced peaches
Cherry tomatoes
Basil ribbons
Crumbled feta
Drizzle of lime and olive oil
Optional: Add crushed tortilla chips for crunch. Or don't. I'm not the salad police.
🍨 Dessert: DIY Ice Cream Sandwich Bar
Go full chaos or keep it classic. Here’s your setup:
Cookies: Chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, brownie rounds, or even stroopwafels
Ice cream: Vanilla bean, strawberry, mint chip, lemon sorbet
Toppings (to roll the edges in): Crushed pistachios, rainbow sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut
Pro tip: pre-scoop the ice cream onto a baking tray and freeze it into discs for easy sandwiching.
🍹 Drink: Cream Soda Floats
Retro. Refreshing. Slightly ridiculous.
Cream soda
Scoop of vanilla or cherry ice cream
Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a paper straw if you’re dramatic (you are)
🕯 Bonus Vibe
Lay out a striped tablecloth, play some 1950s diner tunes, and hand out paper napkins like you're running a boardwalk stand. Extra points if you refer to your guests as “kiddo” or “sport.”
🍪 ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM IDEA: “Design-A-Delight” – Build Your Own Ice Cream Sandwich Character
🎯 Focus: Creative Writing + Art + SEL
🎨 Grades: K–5
⏰ Time: 45–60 minutes
🧁 Activity Overview:
Students will invent their very own ice cream sandwich character, giving it a name, personality, flavor combo, and more. They'll then illustrate their character and write a mini-story or profile about it. This is the perfect mix of creativity, descriptive writing, and SEL through imaginative play!
🍦 Materials:
Printable “Design-A-Delight” worksheet (see below ✨)
Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
Optional: construction paper, scissors, glue
Chart paper or whiteboard
Ice Cream Character Name Generator (on board or printed)
📋 Steps:
Set the Scene (5–10 min)
Start with a read-aloud of a short, sweet ice cream-themed story (e.g., Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems or Groovy Joe: Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin). Then ask:
“What if your favorite treat had a life of its own?”Flavorful Brainstorming (10 min)
On the board, build a brainstorm chart:Ice cream flavors 🍓
Types of cookies 🍪
Personality traits 😎
Names like “Captain Cookie-Chip” or “Sassy Strawberry Swirl”
Create Your Character (20–30 min)
Hand out the worksheet. Students will:Draw their Ice Cream Sandwich Buddy
Name them and describe their flavor & cookie type
Write a few sentences: What do they like to do? What’s their superpower? Who are their best friends?
Gallery Walk or Share Circle (10 min)
Let students do a “cool treat parade” and share their creation, or display them around the room for a chill gallery walk.
🧁 Printable Worksheet Includes:
Ice Cream Sandwich template to decorate
Prompts: “Name,” “Flavor,” “Superpower,” “Best friend,” “Hobby,” “Motto”
🧊 Extension Idea: Add a sensory element—use cotton balls or pom-poms to create “fluffy” whipped toppings!
🎓 SECONDARY CLASSROOM IDEA: “The Great Ice Cream Debate” – A Deliciously Dramatic Challenge
🎯 Focus: Persuasive Speaking + Research + Critical Thinking
🎓 Grades: 6–12
⏰ Time: 1 class period (with optional extension)
🍦 Activity Overview:
In this quirky twist on classic debate, students take on the role of ice cream sandwich flavors, advocating for why they are the superior treat. Think: Mint Chip vs. Cookie Dough—but make it theatrical.
🍪 Materials:
Flavor role cards (printable)
Debate planning sheets
Access to devices (for quick research, optional)
Rubric for light assessment (optional)
📋 Steps:
Assign Flavor Identities (5 min)
Hand out a flavor identity card (can be random or student-chosen). Examples:Classic Vanilla
Rainbow Sherbet
Peanut Butter Fudge
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Sandwich
Vegan Coconut Bliss
Craft a Case (15–20 min)
Students fill out their debate prep sheet, covering:Why they’re the best ice cream sandwich
Target audience (kids? foodies? athletes?)
Their strengths (taste, texture, nostalgia)
Counterpoints to other flavors (playful only!)
Debate Time! (20–25 min)
In pairs or small groups, students face off in a “treat tournament.” Use a lighthearted debate format:Opening statement
Rebuttal
Final scoop (closing argument)
Let the class vote or appoint a panel of “judges” to crown the “Coolest Treat.”
Reflection (5 min)
Ask students to reflect on:
“What makes something ‘the best’? How do we shape opinions with words?”
🍒 Bonus Twist: Encourage costumes, props, or a background song—yes, you can enter to “Ice Ice Baby” 🎶
🍦 Quirky in the Workplace
The Great “Ice Cream Something Sandwich” Showdown
Premise:
Each department (or team, or random crew you assemble via Slack emoji poll) must invent, name, and present their own “interpretation” of an ice cream sandwich. The only rule? It must be a sandwich. It must contain something cold. And it must mildly alarm HR.
Examples:
Mini waffles + frozen mashed potatoes = “The Brunch That Regrets You”
Pop-Tarts + ice cream + hot sauce drizzle = “Blister in the Sun-day”
Rice cakes + frozen yogurt + gummy bears = “Sad but Texturally Interesting”
Judging Categories:
Creativity (Did you use expired vending machine items? Bonus.)
Presentation (Is it on a glittery paper plate? We stan.)
Workplace Usability (Would you eat this in a meeting? Should you?)
Winner gets:
The Golden Spatula Trophy (spray-painted office ruler) and a reserved spot in the freezer until next year. Or until someone needs space for their sad desk lunch.
Tagline for the day:
“Let’s take a break from being productive and start being…deliciously unhinged.” 🍨
🎬 Movie Pick: The Sandlot (1993)
Why it fits:
This coming-of-age summer classic is dripping with nostalgia—and sweat from running bases in the sun. The gang’s baseball-fueled adventures are full of trips to the pool, sneaky snack runs, and that unspoken childhood magic where nothing beats an ice cream sandwich on a hot afternoon. It’s got the exact vibe of being a kid with sticky fingers and a melted treat in hand.
📺 TV Episode Pick: Bob’s Burgers – Ice Cream of Margie (With the Light Blue Hair (Season 7, Episode 9)
Why it fits:
In this episode, Bob gets obsessed with a food truck that sells artisan ice cream sandwiches. Yes—gourmet ice cream sandwiches are the center of the plot! Meanwhile, Linda tries to find purpose in her crafting. It’s silly, clever, and deliciously on-theme for the holiday.
🧁 Final Thought: The Joy of Handheld Happiness
The ice cream sandwich isn’t just dessert—it’s an experience. It’s that first bite when the cookie cracks just right, when the cold hits your tongue, and the drip starts to form on your wrist. It’s nostalgia in snack form. And today, you have full permission to eat one. Or three. (We don’t judge. We celebrate.)
🎉 Hashtags to Sprinkle All Over Your Feed
#IceCreamSandwichDay #SweetSandwichGoals #DessertOnTheGo #CelebrateQuirky #StickyFingersClub #CookieHugLife #FrozenJoyRide #ChillOutAndSnack #SnackwichSeason #TreatYoShelf
