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Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches

Macaron ice cream sandwiches with perfectly ruffled French macaron shells—crisp outside and chewy within—sandwiching matching flavored ice cream. The crisp feet and dry-skin tops come from a precise rest, then freezing for a clean, jewel-bright frozen treat.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
resting + freezing 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the macarons
  • 1.75 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup almond flour sift and discard large almond pieces
  • 3 egg whites aged at room temperature
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 gel food coloring as desired
Ice cream filling
  • 0.5 gallon ice cream matching the macaron flavor (strawberry with pink, pistachio with green, etc.)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Make the macaron batter
  1. Sift powdered sugar and almond flour into a bowl, discarding large almond pieces to keep the shells smooth.
  2. Add egg whites and cream of tartar to a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks.
  3. With the mixer running, add granulated sugar gradually and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  4. Add gel food coloring and mix just until the batter is evenly colored.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue using macaronage until the batter flows like lava.
Pipe, rest, and bake
  1. Transfer batter to a piping bag and pipe 1.5-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
  2. Bang the sheet pan firmly on the counter to release air bubbles.
  3. Rest 30-60 minutes until the tops form a dry skin that does not look wet or tacky.
  4. Bake at 300F for 14-16 minutes, until the shells set with their characteristic feet.
  5. Cool completely before assembling.
Assemble and freeze
  1. Match shells by size and sandwich a generous disc of matching ice cream between two shells.
  2. Freeze for 2 hours, then serve straight from the freezer.

Notes

Pro tip: let the piped shells rest until a true dry skin forms—if batter smears when lightly touched, bake won’t develop proper feet. Store assembled sandwiches in the freezer, covered, for up to 2 weeks; freeze yes (best texture after 24 hours). For a nut-allergy-friendly swap, replace almond flour with a 1:1 nut-free macaron-style flour blend, noting texture and ruffle may vary.