Give Ice Cream Sandwiches A Sweet And Salty Twist With This Boring Pantry Staple

There's nothing quite like a great homemade ice cream sandwich. The combination of chewy, crunchy, and creamy textures all in a convenient handheld format is truly spectacular. However, full-size two-cookie ice cream sammies can easily leave you in a sugar coma. If you're looking for a lighter, sweet-and-salty twist on this classic summer dessert, consider swapping the cookies for saltines. These petite, crunchy crackers are bland on their own, but when combined with ice cream you get an effect that's similar to an ice cream cone in sandwich format; not too sweet, with a lovely balance of salty, crunchy, and creamy.

Saltine ice cream sammies are refreshingly quick and easy to make. Line a sheet pan or baking dish with plastic wrap and cover with a roughly ½-inch layer of your favorite ice cream. Freeze until hard, then slice into saltine-sized squares. Finally, assemble the sandwiches and enjoy. You can store any leftover sammies in the freezer, as saltines hold up fairly well to freezing. The cherry on top? The pint-size ice cream sandwiches are endlessly customizable and easy to upgrade.

You can make these sweet and salty saltine sandwiches with any flavor of ice cream, from classic vanilla to loaded moose tracks, but they pair particularly well with caramel- and dulce de leche-infused varieties (salted caramel is popular for a reason). To take this basic idea to the next level, upgrade your saltine ice cream sammies with a chocolate coating. Just cover a parchment paper-lined pan with a layer of saltines, add your ice cream, top it off with more saltines, then cover everything with a layer of melted chocolate or chocolate sauce and a sprinkle of chopped nuts before freezing.

If you're feeling extra ambitious, you can add a layer of chewy brownie goodness to the mix. Make your favorite boxed brownie mix as directed, but line the pan with parchment paper and a layer of saltines before adding the batter and baking. Let it cool, spread with a ½-inch layer of ice cream, and top it off with another layer of saltines. Freeze until hard, cut, and enjoy. No matter how you slice it, saltine ice cream sandwiches are a simple and creative way to satisfy your sweet tooth all summer long. If you're hungry for more ways to level up your cracker game, turn saltines into the star of your charcuterie board with a simple upgrade.