These Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwiches are a fun twist on traditional ice cream sandwiches! Rich cream cheese ice cream is sandwiched between homemade cinnamon rolls to make a treat that’s entirely delicious.
Here’s a tidbit you might not know about SugarHero headquarters: I live in an apartment building with a teensy apartment kitchen. My 1970s-era oven is not-so-affectionately known as The SugarVillain, because its life mission is to burn my baked goods with surprising 50-degree temperature spikes when I least expect it. The flooring is boring linoleum, the cabinets are cheap wood, and the counter space is nonexistent… in short, it is NOT my dream kitchen.
I make it work, and most days I try to focus on the parts of our apartment and city that I love. But it doesn’t stop me from dreaming about what my ideal kitchen would be! Every time I have to toss a batch of cookies into the trash because of an unexpected hot flash in the oven, or every time I have to put frozen goods in an ice chest to make room in the freezer for a big project, I close my eyes, mentally pin a few more images to the Dream House inspiration board in my mind, and whisper, “Someday…”
My dream kitchen upgrades were heavy on my mind as I was making these cinnamon roll ice cream sandwiches. I made the cinnamon rolls three different times—the first re-do was to tweak the recipe, but the second was because The SugarVillain struck again and my poor rolls were scorched by sneak-attack 450 F temps.
Fortunately, I was a cinnamon roll-makin’ machine by the third batch, and they came together quickly. These rolls are big, fat yeasted rolls, stuffed with swirls of cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. They’re moist and have that signature gooey center that contrasts perfectly with the crispy edges. They’re almost perfect just as they are… almost.
If you’d asked me a few weeks ago, I’d have said that there’s nothing better than a fresh cinnamon roll, but I’ve since discovered that there are four little words that make them waaaaay better: cream cheese ice cream.
Yep, it turns out that toasting cinnamon roll halves and then sandwiching some cream cheese ice cream between them is the ultimate cinnamon roll experience. The ice cream is rich and creamy, with a wonderful sweet-and-tangy flavor that comes from both cream cheese and crème fraiche. It’s so good, it made me forget all the acrobatics I had to do to cram the ice cream maker into the freezer.
This recipe does take a few hours, so I’ve included some suggestions for substitutions to speed the process up down below. But if you have the time, I really recommend that you make it all from scratch—rolls from a cardboard tube or store-bought ice cream just can’t compare. If you’re tired of the same old ice cream sandwich options this summer, you have to give these Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwiches a try!
💜More Ice Cream Sandwich Recipes
- Croissant Salted Honey Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Brownie Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cinnamon Puff Pastry Twists
Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies
Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Cream Cheese Ice Cream:
- 1 lb full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 lb crème fraiche, can substitute full-fat sour cream
- 1 ¼ cup half and half
- 11.66 oz granulated sugar, (1 ⅔ cups)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- 8 oz milk, (1 cup)
- 1 packet active dry yeast, (.25 oz or 2 ¼ tsp)
- 2.5 oz unsalted butter, (5 tbsp), at room temperature
- 19.13 oz all purpose flour, (4 ¼ cups)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3.5 oz granulated sugar, (½ cup)
To Fill the Cinnamon Rolls:
- 3 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
To Assemble:
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar, optional, for icing
Instructions
To Make the Cream Cheese Ice Cream:
- Combine the cream cheese, crème fraiche or sour cream, half and half, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, satiny, and free of lumps.
- Pour it into a 2-quart ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions, until it is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. (If your ice cream maker is smaller, you may want to do it in batches so it doesn’t overflow.)
- For the cinnamon swirl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread about a third of the ice cream in the bottom of a 9×5-inch loaf pan or freezer ice cream storage container. Drizzle half of the cinnamon sauce over the ice cream, then top it with half the remaining ice cream, spreading it into an even layer. Add the remaining cinnamon sauce, and finish by covering it with the rest of the ice cream. (If you’re omitting the cinnamon swirls, simply spread all of the ice cream into the loaf pan.) Press a layer of cling wrap on top and freeze the pan until the ice cream is firm, at least 2 hours.
To Make the Cinnamon Rolls:
- Heat the milk in the microwave until it is warm but not hot—you’re looking for 100-110 degrees F. Depending on your microwave and starting milk temperature, this may take 30-90 seconds. Add the yeast, stir briefly, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast mixture is foamy. If your yeast hasn’t changed at all, it’s dead and you should start with a new batch.
- Combine the milk-yeast mixture with the remaining cinnamon roll ingredients in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Mix everything together with the paddle attachment, and once everything is mixed, switch to the dough hook. Knead on medium speed with the dough hook for 5-7 minutes, until it’s smooth and not too sticky. (It will be a very soft dough.)
- Lightly grease a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning it over to grease all the sides. Cover the bowl with a cloth and place it in a warm place to rise until doubled, 60-90 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Once the dough has doubled, lightly punch it down. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it’s a rectangle about 16×22 inches. Spread the soft butter on top of the dough, leaving a thin 1/2-inch margin along the wide end opposite you. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and spread the sugar over the butter, patting it flat into an even layer. Working from the wide end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder, and when you get to the end, brush some water on the 1/2-inch margin that’s not covered with butter and sugar. Press firmly to stick the dough together.
- You can use a sharp knife to cut the dough into rolls, but my favorite method is to use unflavored dental floss. Slide a length of floss under the roll of dough, and twist it at the top to slice through the roll. Cut off the ends of the roll, then slice the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 1 1/2-inch wide. (Yes, these are wide pieces!) Cover an 11×17-inch baking sheet with parchment and set the 12 rolls on the sheet equally spaced. Cover the rolls with a cloth and leave them to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake the rolls for 15-18 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature before assembling.
To Assemble:
- To assemble the sandwiches, carefully slice the cinnamon rolls in half. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Fry four cinnamon roll halves, cut side down, in the butter until golden and crispy. Remove them from the heat, and repeat with the remaining butter and rolls until they are all crispy.
- If you want to make the optional glaze for the cinnamon rolls, mix the powdered sugar with a few spoonsful of water until you have a glaze with a spreadable consistency. Spread a very thin layer of glaze on the top layer of each cinnamon roll, letting some of the cinnamon swirls peek through. Let the glaze set at room temperature for about 10 minutes, until it starts to crust over.
- Place a big scoop of cream cheese ice cream on the base of each cinnamon roll, smoosh it down slightly, and place the top of the roll on top of the ice cream. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
I am sure you will have your dream kitchen.. Me too..someday 😀
Well I can see you manage pretty well in your current kitchen 😀
Thanks Medeja! I make it work but it doesn’t stop me from dreaming about the future. 🙂 Mostly I’d love more storage space because I have way too much stuff!
Someday, yes…that sounds like a fab dream kitchen!
Love this idea; and cinnamon rolls are still breakfast food, right? 🙂
Totally! And cream cheese ice cream is basically just cream cheese, sooooo this is like a totally legit breakfast choice.
Can you use buttermilk instead of whole milk. They do look very yummy.
Hi Michaela, I haven’t tried it with buttermilk so I can’t say for sure. My guess is that it would work as a substitute. I hope you’ll let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
I totally feel ya on the evil oven. I deal with the same temperature issue. I love your painted tile ceiling feature. I may need to add that to my dream kitchen!
Thanks Nicole! So glad to know that I’m not the only one with major oven issues. My oven thermometer is my best friend, and my 2-minute timer is my second best friend because I basically babysit anything and everything.
So first: Your dream kitchen is my dream kitchen. Wow. You have lovely taste! Which I already knew. And second: I love the idea of Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwiches. I am all about pairing warm, crispy things with cool, smooth things (aka fried foods with ranch or cinnamon rolls with ice cream!!) BOO-yeah. Third: Please come live in Awesometown with me! It’s family-friendly, the kitchens are huge, good schools… and slightly more affordable than Pasadena. But ah, Pasadena! So lovely. I’ve heard stories about that place. Definitely THE place to be!
Fried foods with ranch? You’re speaking my language! I have such a soft spot for french fries dipped in soft-serve or milkshakes. Om nom nom. And fingers crossed we both make our dream kitchens a reality at some point!
The SugarVillain, oh how I like you Elizabeth, you crack me up! Yes … I feel like my oven is just out to get me sometimes. I love that you put homemade yeasted cinnamon rolls and homemade ice cream together in one recipe. And cream cheese ice cream, holla holla!! Pinning!
Haha, thanks Mary Frances! I’m glad I’m not the only one, but so sorry that it happens to you too.
I am in LOVE with these gorgeous cinnamon roll ice cream sandwiches. Just when you thought cinnamon rolls couldn’t get any better. Your amazing!
Thank you Jess! Maybe 2015 will be the year of the cinnamon roll!
Just when I thought there was nothing more you could do to cinnamon rolls, you made these FANTASTIC ice cream sandwiches! Need.THIS.IN.MY.LIFE! And that dream kitchen! I would never want to wake up if I could bake in that space! <3
Thanks Samina! I would die to have that kitchen, but I’ll settle for an oven that doesn’t hate me. 😀
What a genius idea! As if cinnamon rolls could’ve gotten any better?!?
Thanks Renee!
I´m with you on the open shelves and giant farmhouse Butler´s zink. I just love it!
ps.these cinnamon roll ice cream sandwiches are genius!
I’m a little scared that with a giant sink I’d just let the dishes pile up even more–but it would be worth it. Thanks Johlene!