The Ultimate Ice Cream Sandwich Taste Test: Here Are Our Favorites
Whether there’s a full-scale blizzard outside or the sun is beating down in July, there’s one treat we can never get enough of—ice cream sandwiches. Sure, they’re at their peak in the summer, when Chipwiches are a standard poolside snack and kids clamor around ice cream trucks to grab their favorites. But there’s absolutely no reason why they can’t be eaten all year-round, and we were curious to see which of the ice cream sandwiches, when pitted against each other, would come out on top. Would it be Trader Joe’s Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls? The classic Klondike chocolate and vanilla sandwiches? One of many Chipwich variations? There was only one way to find out.
We sent out a call for samples and ended up with a few varieties from six popular brands—Klondike, Chipwich, Nestlé Toll House, Trader Joe’s, Turkey Hill, and Coolhaus, which are all available in grocery stores. After laying out each respective sandwich in a line (cut into bite-sized pieces), our editors taste-tested every single one, noting the flavor and texture of the sandwiches, as well as how well the ice cream paired with its respective cookie counterpart. Three or four samples in, we definitely experienced a sugar overload—but in the end, there were more than a few sandwiches we’d gladly eat over and over again. Check out our findings below:
The Classic: Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwich
Of the all-chocolate cookie and vanilla ice cream sandwiches we tried, Turkey Hill was our favorite. Editors praised the authentic vanilla taste of the ice cream, and said it was a simple classic, soft and creamy.
“Wowza! Honestly amazing, great tasting ice cream and perfect cookie to ice cream ratio,” one editor wrote.
The Polarizer: Klondike Classic Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich
Although this sandwich also touted vanilla ice cream, interestingly, several of our editors found the flavor more akin to Cool Whip—which resulted in split camps. Some enjoyed it and compared it to a classic “ice cream truck-style sandwich,” while others liked the cookie wafers, but weren’t as sure about the ice cream itself.
“A classic! What’s not to love,” an editor said. “Filling is more whipped cream than ice cream, but I’m cool with it.”
The Oreo Crowd-Pleaser: Klondike Oreo Sandwich
The classic combination of Oreos and cookies-n-cream ice cream won over several of our editors—one declared “Klondike meets Oreo equals heaven.” Some wished for more Oreo taste, or a higher ice cream ratio, but overall, the feedback was positive.
“Delicious riff on a classic. Oreo cookie tastes great,” one editor said.
The Collab: Klondike Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich
Our favorite part of this sandwich was the cookie, which paired well with the crunchy chocolate chips ringed around the ice cream. The taste was sweet, and reminded one editor of Chips Ahoy paired with vanilla ice cream.
“The chocolate chips are crunchy and the cookie has a good integrity,” an editor wrote. “Very sweet.”
The O.G.: Chipwich
The classic Chipwich, so touted as “The Original Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich,” brought back a lot of fond childhood memories for us, and definitely came out as one of the top contenders. The generous amount of chocolate chips was a treat; the texture of the cookie was also praised.
“Cookie is sweet, perfect ratio of chocolate chips in the coating,” one editor said. “The vanilla flavor from the ice cream is strong, in a good way.”
The New Classic: Trader Joe’s Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
In the chocolate chip cookie sandwich category, Trader Joe’s riff received overwhelmingly positive reviews. The tiny chocolate chips were delicious and crunchy, the structure of the sandwich was great, and the cookie itself was also well-executed.
“Of the chocolate chip cookie versions we tested, this is my favorite,” one editor wrote.
The Tasty Snack: Trader Joe’s Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls
These mint ice cream sandwiches received a lot of praise for their size—ideal for snacking and popping into your mouth—as well as the subtle minty flavor. Fans of York Peppermint Patties would definitely enjoy them.
“So good. Like a Thin Mint that’s also an Oreo and ice cream,” an editor said. “The perfect size, too. I love these—never had them before, but will be buying them!”
The Best Cookie: Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich
Unsurprisingly, Nestlé’s chocolate chip cookies received the highest praise out of the cookie sandwich bunch. We found them to be rich and have good texture; however, in sandwich form, it ended up being too big for some of us to finish. Still, some editors really enjoyed the sandwich.
“Incredible. Used to eat these too much in college,” an editor noted. “The big chips totally make them—love the texture.”
The New Wave: Coolhaus S’Mores Ice Cream Sammie
This Coolhaus ice cream sandwich is made with S’Mores cookie butter swirl ice cream, which is then sandwiched between graham toasted marshmallow chocolate chip cookies. We found the flavor to have strong notes of cinnamon and ginger—very reminiscent of desserts you’d eat around the holidays.
“This tastes like Christmas,” one editor wrote.
