Name: Copycat It's-It Ice Cream Sandwiches
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 0.5 cup raisins; .33 cup water; 1 cup unsalted butter (softened); 1.25 cups brown sugar; .75 cups granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon fine salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 3 cups old-fashioned oats; 1 cup raisins or nuts (optional); 1 pint vanilla ice cream; 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli); 4 Tablespoons oil

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Since I couldn’t buy my favorite San Francisco treat in Iowa, I had to create my own Copycat It’s-It Ice Cream Sandwiches. Creamy vanilla ice cream surrounded by two oatmeal cookies and coated in rich chocolate that are just as delicious as the original!

Two chocolate coated ice cream sandwiches sitting on parchment paper squares.

Have you ever tried It’s-It Ice Cream Sandwiches? If you have never been to California, you probably have no clue what I am talking about. You will also not understand the disappointment when the ice cream truck showed up for the first time after we moved to Iowa, and they looked at me like I was an alien from another planet when I asked for an It’s-It! You want a what’s-a-what?

You can find It’s-It Ice Cream Sandwiches in most convenience stores, on ice cream trucks, and sold in 3 packs in the grocery stores in California. Outside of California, you are out of luck…unless you make your own! That’s where I come in. I have tried several times over the years to make a copycat version, and this is the closest that I have ever gotten to the original!!

Vanilla ice cream surrounded by two oatmeal cookies and coated in rich chocolate, cut in half and sitting on a small plate.

The cookies could be a bit thinner, but these are some seriously delicious ice cream sandwiches!

How to make Copycat It’s-It Ice Cream Sandwiches

We are going to start by placing 1/2 a cup of {California} raisins into a blender with 1/3 cup of water.

Raisins and water in a blender container.

Blend until thoroughly pureed.

Pureed raisins and water in a blender container.

Set it aside. Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl together with a hand mixer.

Butter, oats, and sugar mixed together in a large bowl with a hand mixer.

Add the eggs and continue beating until creamy.

Eggs added to the mixture and beaten until creamy.

Mix in the raisin puree and vanilla.

Raisin puree poured on top of the cookie mixture.

and then the flour, salt, and baking soda, just until thoroughly combined. Stir in the oats.

Flour, salt and baking soda stirred into the cookie mixture with a rubber spatula.

Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop dough and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Nine oatmeal cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

They will spread when they cook. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until lightly browned around the edges, but still soft in the center. They will look under-cooked, but we want these to stay soft and not get hard or crunchy.

Nine baked oatmeal cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Move cookies to a wire cooling rack, and allow to cool completely!! I made mine the night before so they would be ready.

If you are going to use homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, now would be a good time to make it.

Two scoops of vanilla ice cream in a striped bowl.

You want the ice cream to be solid enough to not smoosh out the sides, but not too hard to scoop. Mine was in the freezer for about 3 hours. If using commercial ice cream, allow to sit on the counter until it can be scooped out.

To assemble the ice cream sandwiches

Place a scoop of ice cream in the center of an Oatmeal Cookie {I used a #16 scoop}.

Three completed cookie sandwiches and on cookie with a scoop of ice cream sitting on a baking sheet.

and then top with a second cookie.

Four ice cream sandwiches on a baking sheet.

Press down just enough to push the ice cream to the edges of the cookie. Place them in the freezer for about an hour to harden. I put them in the freezer uncovered, on a baking sheet like you see above. I would suggest putting parchment paper on the baking sheet, because you will need it later.

To make the chocolate coating

Place bittersweet chocolate and sunflower oil in a bowl and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir, and microwave for an additional minute. Stir chocolate together until completely melted, placing back in the microwave in 15 second increments just until it is melted and smooth. Do not over heat the chocolate, or you will have to start over.

Melted chocolate and oil whisked together in a large bowl.

Remove the ice cream sandwiches from the freezer. Use a wire scoop {or any scoop that you have} to hold the ice cream sandwich.

A frozen ice cream sandwich in a wire strainer over a bowl of melted chocolate.

While pouring chocolate over the top with a large spoon. Smooth the top with the spoon to remove the excess chocolate.

Chocolate dipped ice cream sandwich draining excess chocolate back into the bowl.

Yes, you could use your hands and dip them into the chocolate, I just do not like sticky hands!

Place on the parchment covered baking sheet and place back in the freezer until hardened, about an hour.

Six chocolate covered ice cream sandwiches on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

I tried dipping the bottoms in chocolate while still on the wire scoop, but did not end up evenly coated. Not that they really needed any extra chocolate, but I just thought I would let you know.

Voila! Delicious Copycat Its-It Ice Cream Sandwiches to share with your family and friends…..

Three frozen, chocolate covered ice cream sandwiches on a small plate.

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Enjoy!!