Dear friends, I’ve been hit with the Christmas spirit! Perhaps a little slow on the uptake, this recipe was the absolute magic that knocked me sideways, and it’s better late than never. Especially in this case. To keep this level of deliciousness to myself would be decidedly Scrooge-like indeed.
Two treats come to my mind when I think about Christmas: gingersnaps and eggnog. I thought about just posting a raw vegan egg nog ice cream or just gingersnap cookies, but then I realized that combining these two things would be utterly insane in the best way possible. So I did just that, and the first bite I took actually caused me to laugh out loud. These ice cream sandwiches are so delectable that I beg you to make them.
This ice cream is everything. It’s super rich, creamy, decadent with plenty of warming nutmeg spiciness to conjure up egg nog memories without any egg to speak of. Or cream. Or milk. It’s vegan and raw believe it or not, but you tastebuds won’t know that – they will only thank the dear heavens for being born in a body that gets to eat this gorgeous stuff.
The Gingersnap cookies are also vegan, gluten-free, and delicious on their own, or embracing a giant scoop of egg nog ice cream (obviously). They cleverly employ rolled oats that are turned into flour right in your food processor, creating a satisfyingly-textured treat that I’m sure you will make over and over again. The brown rice syrup is worth finding if you’re into a super crisp cookie, where the barley malt syrup can be used in its place but the results will be chewier.
Because the flavours in this recipe rely heavily on spices, I thought the following reminder would be helpful. Most people assume that spices are just inanimate powders that they can keep forever, but they are actually very delicate creatures that change both flavour-wise and nutritionally over time. Buying spices whole will ensure that they will keep their taste and nutritional potency for up to twelve months, while ground spices will last for only six months. If you’re like my mom and have had the same dusty jar of chile powder kicking around since 1992, do yourself a favour and discard it, buy some fresh, and enjoy. Life is too short for stale spices!
There are times when ground spices are appropriate, especially for convenience sake. Cinnamon, ginger, paprika, cayenne, turmeric, cumin and cardamom are the ones I usually have ground since I go through quite a lot of each of these over the course of half a year. Spices that I always keep whole include nutmeg, clove, allspice, coriander, fenugreek, star anise and peppercorns.
Although it is commonplace for people to store spices next to the stove for easy access, this is not the best place. Spices should be kept away from heat and light and be tightly sealed in a glass or ceramic container. Metal canisters may contain compounds that can interfere with the spices chemically, while plastic containers encourage condensation, which leads to spoilage. Keep spices in a cool, dark place, and put a date label on the jar to remind yourself when to toss any remaining product after it has expired.
The Eggnog Ice Cream recipe calls for nutmeg, which I will implore you to grate fresh, because it is a revelation! Ground nutmeg loses its flavour very quickly that the results of this recipe will be completely different. If pre-ground nutmeg is all you have then you may need to increase the amounts I’ve called for. And in that case, ask for a couple whole nutmegs for Christmas.
Ingredients: Directions: 2. Blend on high until completely smooth. Taste and adjust spices to suit your taste. 3. Pour mixture into a metal or glass container and place in the freezer to set, for at least 4 hours. Once frozen, place plastic wrap directly on top of ice cream to prevent it from absorbing any other flavours in the freezer. Let thaw 15-20 minutes before serving so that it is easy to scoop. Enjoy! Gingersnap Cookies Ingredients: Directions: 2. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, melt coconut oil. Whisk in brown rice syrup, water and vanilla. Remove from heat and set aside. 3. In a food processor blend oats until you have a rough flour. Add to a large bowl with all other dry ingredients. Stir to combine. 4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold to combine. 5. Spoon out dough into balls onto a lined baking sheet – give them plenty of room because they spread a lot! (I use at 2-3 baking sheets to bake the whole batch) Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, let sit for five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in a tightly sealed container for 5 days. Assembly 2. Scoop a generous ball of ice cream and place on top of a cookie. Add another cookie to the top and press to set. Enjoy immediately, or wrap sandwiches in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until ready to eat. Assembled ice cream sandwiches will keep for 1 month in the freezer.
Raw Vegan Eggnog Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart / 1 liter
2 heaping cups / 300g cashews
2 ripe bananas
1 vanilla bean
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup / 125ml maple syrup
1 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, to taste
1. Soak cashews for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse well and place in a blender (a high-speed blender is recommended) with all other ingredients.
Makes 20 cookies
2 1/2 cups / 250g rolled oats
1/2 cup / 75g coconut sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup / 80 ml coconut oil
1/3 cup / 80 ml brown rice syrup or barley malt
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
1. Remove Eggnog Ice Cream from the freezer at least 15-20 minutes before serving.
I wish all of you out there a delicious, magical, safe, healthy, and abundant holiday. And I want to thank each and every one of you for your love and support this year in making my dreams a reality. From the blog, to my cookbook and the My New Roots app, your ongoing enthusiasm for what I’m doing really motivates me to keep going. Big love to you all.
Peace, blessings, and happy holidays!
Sarah B.
Show me your ice cream sandwiches on Instagram: #MNRicecreamsandwiches
What a Fantastic Post!! Love your work.
Hi Sarah- absolutely LOVE your site and your recipes are glorious! I have one hickup happening with these cookies….. they don’t spread at all- not sure what i am doing wrong. I have been using date sugar instead of coconut sugar- could that be the problem? It’s quite frustrating as yours look so slim and crunchy but mine are hard and thick…. help! xxxx
Hi! I’m having the same issues. The photo looks like the cookie has rolled oats instead of oat flour, I wonder if that makes the difference? I just made a batch and they’re in the oven. Not spreading at all. The dough tasted fantastic though! Sarah’s recipes never fail me, so I’m curious what’s going ?
Hi Rachael,
Sorry to hear that! The “oat flour” in the post is just ground up rolled oats, as it calls for in the recipe. The flour is quite coarse, but it’s a great texture for the cookies. Are you using brown rice syrup or a substitute? That ingredient is really what causes them to spread out. Maybe try flattening them before you bake? I hope that helps!
Much love,
Sarah B
They looks so delicious~ My family is a fan of ice cream sandwiches and we won’t miss this gingersnap ice-cream sandwiches ^^ Thank you for sharing!
I love simple recipes. This looks crunchy and tasty !
I am dying to try them. I have just had a spice cupboard clear out, they do go out of date surprisingly quickly. http://www.snapbackcapsstore.de
yummy food.. and veg is always best
Hmm.. Looks crunchy and tasty.. Yeah it’s ice cream and I love it..
These ice cream sandwiches are so good and I find myself returning to this recipe again and again.
I recently got this chai spice blend off of etsy and have been including 1 tsp of it into the recipe and it really puts them over the top! I would highly recommend it!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/263470098/medicinal-masala-chai-blend
Thank you for this recipe… seriously so yummy!
Dear Sarah,
I have a major technique question!
How do you make your ice-cream look so smooth and creamy without an ice-cream maker?? (’cause seeing the cake mold, you don’t seem to use one).
I have tried a couple of times to make ice-cream by folding it several time during the process of freezing and it has always been a disappointment.
Thanks in advance…
Take care!
It goes almost without saying that these look incredible! I am dying to try them. I have just had a spice cupboard clear out, they do go out of date surprisingly quickly. Luckily I have a great asian store where they sell every spice available so there is no excuse not to replenish!
I have some chai spices brewing in the fridge, think I will use these to flavour ice cream. Can’t wait too try them.
Hi Sarah! I recently bought your cookbook and have been loving trying out the recipes. I have a question for you… What are your thoughts about honey, maple syrup, and other raw sugars versus processed sugar? I just ran across this topic in a nutrition book, and it said that honey and the like are not more nutritious than table sugar. It went on to explain the breakdown of sucrose into glucose and fructose, and mentioned that honey is almost identical to sucrose. In your experience, what are the benefits of honey and maple syrup over table sugar?
I was not a fan of the ice-cream, but I am in love with the ginger cookies! I have made them 3 or 4 times. It is my new favorite recipe. I have made it as written and also with maple syrup instead of brown rice syrup. They spread less with maple syrup and are just as delicious. I have a batch in the oven now…..I left out the ginger and cinnamon and added dark chocolate chips. So excited to try these!!!! Thanks for the wholesome, yummy, gluten free recipe!
Wow these sound sooo delicious
I was thrilled to see this vegan ice cream. Sarah cooks as I do, and I was hoping that her inspiration would become my newest treasure. But I am afraid that I am still searching for a delicious non-dairy dessert. While the cashews create creaminess, the texture (pasty) and flavor (banana) were both off, certainly not representative of eggnog. This recipe was a disappointment, but I have not given up hope.
Hi Sarah! Hope you are fine. I always pray for your happy life. I know you through your blog and the recipes you have shared with us. I like the recipes very much which add many new recipes in my account. This recipe also look so delicious and yummy. I will try this soon. Take care and Good bye.
wow, it doesn’t get much better than this 🙂 I love how simple yet delicious all your recipes are. Amazing work xx
Sarah! Your dishes are always so beautifully prepared, and this one recipe sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it. They definitely seem like they would be very nice sweets to make for friends and loved ones and might have to make it into my next big dinner spread. Thank you for always sharing your beautiful and yummy recipes! Wishing you much love xoxo 🙂
This looks amazing! Thank you for all your recipes. I have all of the ingredients for the ice cream, so I think I’ll try to make that today. Sadly I’ll have to wait to try the cookies
Thank you very much for the recipies. They are great.Especially ilove the live changing bread.
I don`like to eat any other bread..
best regards from germany
I must admit…. as a ginger fan, these are MARVELOUS! Wow, nice one! 😀
These look fantastic! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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these cookies are totally amazing, and i made them with maple syrup instead of the brown rice syrup and it worked great! they didn’t spread much, perhaps because of the sweetener swap? we used a vegan cashew ice cream for the centers and they were the best christmas eve treat yet! thanks for another great recipe and inspiration, sarah!
I’ve always used COTTON and tin packed spices bought from various markets and have never thought much about using fresh spices. It’s time to clear out the cupboard and buy a fresh collection I think
thanx a
Can I just say…..I think I love you! Haha! I love that you wanted to share a super yummy recipe with us! I loooove a good eggnog–got some from Whole Foods a couple months ago and it was just sooo dreamy. Don’t know if I’ll get a chance to try this version but best wishes for a wonderful new year to you, Sarah, one of the most creative and talented foodies I’ve seen! ~ Sabira
I was really excited to make this recipe. The cookies are so delicious, however the icecream tasted a bit too much like banana. Overall, loved to try your recipe!
How dreamy!
Nourishing Amelia | Food, Health and Lifestyle Blogger
I just made the ice cream (with ginger snaps but used a different recipe) and have to report that though it technically qualifies for ice cream in that it is cold and creamy, the consistency and taste makes it an entirely different thing. I was much looking forward trying out a ‘healthier’ treat but would not dare to serve this to my friends as I had planned. Its not really sweet, the cashews make it a very filling treat, and the consistency is just weird probably because it lacks all the airiness of typical ice cream, or to be precise, it tastes how one would imagine cooled ground cashew paste with spices might taste like.
I follow your recipes for years and really like your approach but have to report back that unfortunately this is not a keeper for me ;( Best wishes for the New Year!
It looks tasty. I’m off over Christmas and New Year, it will be perfect to make these recipes and eat them together with my husband.
Hey how did you know about my bottle of chile powder!? I’ve had it since before my 13 year old was born. I use it quite a bit and drag it with me camping and on holiday. Maybe my priority should be the flavour of my meals, rather than being able to say I finished the whole bottle. Sure, it took me 20 years and your meals have been flavourless, but I finished what I started. Haha. It’s on the shopping list.
This sounds amazing! Will make it for New Years! Thank you!
Hi Sarah, all I can say is yum! Although Christmas has passed, I have not had a single thing egg nog yet this year. I have had my fair share of gingies however, they are my favorite. Your egg nog ice cream sounds so interesting I have to try it. I love the taste of egg nog but find it too rich so I can only have a couple sips and then I’ve had enough. Your ice cream sounds lighter and I am intrigued now to give it a whirl. Thanks for sharing and I’m glad I found your blog! Hugs and cheers, Bita
These look so incredible! I am always so inspired by your work <3
going to try these immediately but wondering if i can substitute maple syrup for the brown rice syrup?
Once again, I am in awe! We’ll definitely be making these over the holidays. Thanks for another great year of blogging and recipe book writing, Sarah! 🙂
These look so good, will make them and keep them in the freezer for ice cream sandwiches.
Oh my God. I love you. You are an amazing natural beautiful inspired foods wizard. Thank heavens for you. Now excuse me while I drool over this recipe.
THESE ARE MIND BLOWING!! I have never tasted any christmas cookie this good before and I bake a lot! Thank you soooo much for sharing!! How will I keep my hands off of them until tomorrow night’s xmas eve family dinner…..send me some strength! xo
I can’t get over how smooth and creamy the ice cream is! I never would have guessed that it’s raw 😉 Thank you for the healthy inspiration, as always!
Oh wow, these look incredible. It certainly is the season for spices, and I bet that the nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger in these sandwiches shine.
Thank you Sarah for this delightful recipe and all the others you’ve tested and shared this year! May you winter season be bright!
These sound and look amazing, and you happened to post this on my birthday, so I absolutely have to make these. Happy birthday to me!!
Yum, this looks and sounds utterly delicious. The texture of that ice cream!
Happy holidays.
Sarah,
I’m allergic to banana and find you use them in several of your dessert recipes I wish to make (I.e. Pumpkin spice cake on your app). Is there a suitable substitute and standard measure of said substitute I can use?? *please say yes…please say yes*
I think in a lot of dessert recipes bananas take the place of eggs (binder, leavener, etc.) so you could maybe use another egg replacer. Try flax ‘eggs’, pumpkin puree, apple sauce. Also, I’ve never tried these, but I hear you can also use silken tofu, coconut/soy yoghurt, or chia seeds. Good luck.
The gingersnaps sound sooooo tempting, however, I do not call a food processor my own, and therefore cannot turn the oats into flour. Would your recipe also work with rolled oats? I am aware that the texture would be different, that would not bother me – it is more that I am concerned if the ingredients would stick together…
Or should I use half rice flour and half rolled oats??
Happy Holidays to you!!
I can’t wait to make these! I just did a Blackberry Coconut Ice Cream post with coconut milk as a base. I love your cashew/banana idea with the spices. YUMMMMMM!
Such a lovely recipe! have a wonderful christmas xx
Wow! These are a must-make this holiday! Thanks Sarah!!
omg. Delicious!
Kisses from http://poshnessary.com ❤
These look AMAZING. Thank you for sharing.
These look lovely and I will defintely try them. I am just not sure about using baking powder or baking soda. I know we are talking here about ‘sugary’ treats but still I like to keep my food as clean as possible- even when making desserts.
How ‘healthy’ are these two products? Can we do without them? Would be really interested to hear your thoughts about this, Sarah.
Best from a fan:)!
Anna
So happy you decided to combine the two! Also pretty stoked with how easy the ice cream is to make as well as the cookies. Oh thanks for tips on the spices. I have ground nutmeg which I regret because I feel now the taste has been compromised. I’ll make sure to take your advice a buy whole nutmeg!
Yummy!! these look killer I would eat way to many of them!
http://xoxobella.com
Praise the Lord and HALLELUJAH! Can’t wait to make these sammiches! (Although I always have a very hard time scooping ice cream based on cashews and banana’s (like with the recipe from your cookbook), even after letting it thaw for half an hour. Weird huh?! But I’m gonna try again with this recipe. I mean, can you blame me?) Happy Holidays, dear Sarah B. xo
I’ve always used pre-packaged spices bought from various supermarkets and have never thought much about using fresh spices. It’s time to clear out the cupboard and buy a fresh collection I think!
Anyway, these gingersnaps sound wonderful and festive! I hope you have a great christmas too
That vegan eggnog ice cream sounds SO good!! Like, I love the cookies with it too but am definitely excited to try the ice cream on its own. Have a Merry Holiday girl! xx
These look delicious as ever Sarah! Thank you for sharing your wonderful kitchen delights all year long 🙂 It was lovely to get the chance to meet you this year! Much love to you and yours over the holiday season xx