These lemon zucchini cookie ice cream sandwiches are the perfect treat to enjoy in the summer!
As much as I complained while we were in the middle of the ridiculously strenuous hikes my brother planned for every.single.day of our vacation a couple of weeks ago, it was really the perfect way to kick off the summer.
There’s nothing I love more than being outside in the hot summer air (and it was VERY hot in Utah and Arizona). When you spend 6 months of the year hibernating and literally shaking from the cold winters in New York, you pretty much welcome the sweat dripping off your face when you’re just standing still kind of heat in the summer with open arms.
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Blue Bunny Ice Cream for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
The other thing that trip kicked off was the summertime nightly ice cream routine.
Of course, when you’re hiking 10+ miles every day in that kind of heat, ice cream calories don’t count. That = fact.
However, when you get home and still want to continue that lovely summer ice cream ritual but you’re sitting behind a computer screen instead of hiking all day long, those calories magically seem to reappear. Why we can’t crave this stuff in the middle of winter when bikinis are waaaaay in the back of the dresser drawer, I’ll never understand…
But I don’t plan on letting that stop me from making every summer moment count and getting my ice cream fix in as much as possible.
The Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom line with no sugar added is perfect for those hot summer night ice cream cravings. While the banana split, bunny tracks and butter pecan have all been sampled and thoroughly enjoyed (and Ulysses has polished off an entire box of the snack sized cones), to me, nothing beats classic vanilla.
Especially when sandwiched between two lemon zucchini cookies for the perfect summer ice cream sandwich.
And since there’s technically vegetables in your dessert, you can eat two. I said so.
These cookies epitomize summer to me. They’re light and bright thanks to the lemon and the zucchini is a fun addition. You don’t taste the vegetable, just like it’s not prominent in most sweet zucchini baked goods or chocolate zucchini bread and you can use frozen zucchini just as easily as fresh so they’re easy to whip up at any time.
Sandwiched with creamy vanilla ice cream in the middle, I can’t think of a better summer treat.
Lemon Zucchini Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 cup whole wheat white flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 egg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Combine the flour, cornmeal baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat the sugar and butter for about 2 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue beating until incorporated.
- Slowly add the flour to the mixer on medium-low speed until the batter is well combined.
- Turn the mixer off and spoon the batter onto the baking sheet in about 2 tablespoon scoops spacing the cookies out by at least 1 inch.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until they’re set.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Once cooled, place one heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom of one cookie and sandwich with another, pressing together gently.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Gina – this is BRILLIANT!! I’m so in love with this recipe.
Nice combination, looks tasty!
Pic of Zion? Had to ask ias it’s my favorite national park, native of Utah…living in New England and the pic made me envious! ha!
Oh my gosh, these look incredible! I have all of the ingredients for the cookies, so I will have to make these ASAP!
These look and sounds amazing Gina! Love the freshness of lemon and citrus in summer!
https://youtube.com/addalittlefood
Baking with zucchini is something I am still planning to do. These cookies look yumy!
I love the flavor of these cookies! Perfect for ice cream sandwiches!