These Rocky Road Ice Cream Sandwiches with Chocolate Macarons are crisp, chewy, creamy, and full of classic chocolate-almond-marshmallow rocky road flavor.
A fun take on a classic
Taking the kids to get ice cream is a classic family treat. But when you up the ante with delicious Blue Bunny® ice cream from Walmart and homemade chocolate macaron cookies, you have a delicious update on the classic!
These chocolate almond cookies filled with fluffy marshmallow and cold, creamy Blue Bunny® Rockin’ Rocky Road™ ice cream are perfection.
Macaron cookies are such a great way to incorporate classic flavors into a new dessert! Just like with these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Macarons and these Fruity Pebbles Cereal Milk Macarons.
Macarons are not the most simple of cookies to bake, but trust me, if you have the right method and tools, you can make them perfect every time!
Ingredients
- Almond flour (or almond meal)
- Powdered sugar
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Marshmallow crème
- Rocky Road ice cream
- Chopped almonds
Tools
- candy thermometer
- kitchen scale that measures grams
- ½″ round piping tip
- piping bag
- silicone baking liner or parchment paper
- stand mixer
Step by step instructions
- The day before you plan to assemble your ice cream sandwich, freeze and cut ice cream rounds. Begin by thawing ice cream until soft enough to easily scoop and freezing a baking sheet. Once soft scoop ice cream on frozen baking sheet and smooth flat with a frosting spatula or butter knife.
- Place baking sheet with ice cream back in freezer for 6 hours or until completely firm. Then cut rounds using a large biscuit cutter or rim of a round glass and place on baking sheet to freeze again until firm and ready to assemble, at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prep all macaron ingredients with the kitchen scale, line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, fit piping bag with round tip, and pre heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine powdered sugar and almond flour and pulse in a food processor about 15 times.
- Pour into a large bowl, and whisk in cocoa powder, breaking up any remaining lumps.
- Make a well in the center of the almond mix and pour the 82 grams of egg whites into the center. Fold until well blended into a thick paste.
- Heat granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side.
- Once the temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit place the remaining 90 grams of egg whites in the stand mixer and whisk on medium speed (it’s easiest to place the mixer close to the stove so you can watch both at the same time). Whisk until soft peaks form, then turn to low speed to keep the whites moving and prevent them from separating.
- Continue heating syrup to 248 degrees Fahreinheit. I find the it gets to 200 degrees fairly quickly then lulls for a long time before it starts climbing again. This is normal, just be patient and keep watching.
- As soon as the syrup reaches 248 degrees, increase the mixer speed to medium and begin slowly pouring syrup down the side of mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Then increase the speed to medium high and whisk sugar and egg whites together until glossy and stiff peaks form. This takes a while, usually about 15 minutes of whisking. If you need a reference on meringue stages, the Kitchn has my favorite visual reference guide.
- Once Italian meringue has reached stiff peaks, gently fold into the almond/powdered sugar paste in thirds, until completely smooth and thick ribbons run off your spatula.
- Place prepped piping bag in a large glass to hold it upright and transfer batter into the piping bag. Holding the piping bag directly above the prepped baking sheet, pipe 1 ½″ rounds about 1″ apart.
- Once all the rounds are piped, give the sheet a couple good whacks on the counter to help release air bubbles, then allow them to rest at room temperature until a skin has formed. This depends on the humidity of your kitchen and how large your cookies are amongst other factors, but it’s usually around 15-30 minutes. You know they’re ready when you can touch them without batter sticking to your finger.
- Once the skin has formed, place macarons in the middle rack of the oven, reduce heat to 325 degrees, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Repeat the same steps until all the batter is gone, increasing the oven back to 350 degrees and allowing the skin to form on all batches.
- Once completely cool, set out rocky road ice cream sandwich ingredients and assemble.
- Fill with marshmallow crème over one (or both) macaron cookies and place a frozen ice cream round in the middle.
- Roll in chopped almonds.
- Place assembled rocky road ice cream sandwiches back on pre-frozen baking sheet and return to freezer until completely set, at least 1 hour.
- Enjoy!
How to store
To save macaron ice cream sandwiches for later wrap each frozen macaron treat in plastic wrap, or parchment. Then store in freezer and freeze for up to a month before enjoying.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 46 fluid ounce container Blue Bunny® Rockin’ Rocky Road™ ice cream
- 1 7 ounce container marshmallow creme
- 1 cup chopped almonds
chocolate macarons
- 187 grams almond flour or almond meal (about 2 cups)
- 212 grams powdered sugar (about 2 ¼ cups)
- 25 grams dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 82 grams egg whites room temperature
- 90 grams egg whites room temperature
- 236 grams granulated sugar (about 1 ¼ cups)
- 158 grams water (about ⅔ cup)
Instructions
ice cream rounds
- The day before you plan to assemble your ice cream sandwich, freeze and cut ice cream rounds by placing a plastic-wrap covered baking sheet in the freezer and setting ice cream on counter until it’s soft enough to easily scoop.
- Scoop rounds on frozen baking sheet and smooth with a frosting spatula or butter knife. Place ice cream lined baking sheet back in freezer for 6 hours or until completely firm.
- Place another baking sheet in the freezer and using a large biscuit cutter or rim of a round glass cut ice cream rounds and place on frozen baking sheet to freeze until firm and ready to assemble, at least 1 hour.
chocolate macarons
- Prep by measuring all ingredients with the kitchen scale, lining baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, fitting your piping bag with the round tip, and pre heating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor and pulse into very fine, about 15 times.
- Pour into a large bowl, and whisk in cocoa powder and break up any remaining lumps.
- Make a well in the center of the almond mix and pour the 82 grams of egg whites into the center. Fold until well blended into a thick paste and set aside.
- Heat granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side.
- Once the temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit place the remaining 90 grams of egg whites in the stand mixer and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, then turn to low speed only to keep the whites moving and prevent them from separating.
- Continue heating your syrup until it reaches 248 degrees Fahreinheit.
- As soon as the syrup reaches 248 degrees, increase the mixer speed to medium and begin slowly pouring the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl until thoroughly combined then increase the speed to medium high and whisk sugar and egg whites together until glossy and stiff peaks form.
- Once your Italian meringue has reached stiff peaks, gently fold into the almond/powdered sugar paste in thirds, until completely smooth and thick ribbons run off your spatula.
- Place prepped piping bag in a large glass to hold it upright and transfer batter into the piping bag.
- Holding the piping bag directly above the prepped baking sheet, pipe 1 ½″ rounds about 1″ apart. Once all the rounds are piped, give the sheet a couple good whacks on the counter to help release any air bubbles, then allow them to rest at room temperature until a skin has formed. This depends on the humidity of your kitchen and how large your cookies are amongst other factors, but it’s usually around 15-30 minutes. You know they’re ready when you can touch them and no batter sticks to your finger.
- Once the skin has formed, place macarons in the middle rack of the oven, reduce heat to 325 degrees, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Repeat the same steps until all the batter is gone, increasing the oven back to 350 degrees and allowing the skin to form on all batches.
rocky road ice cream sandwiches
- Once completely cool and ready to assemble, smooth marshmallow crème over one (or both) macaron cookies and place a frozen ice cream round in the middle before topping with other macaron to form a sandwich.
- Roll in chopped almonds and place a dab of marshmallow crème on the top of the sandwich and add more chopped almonds (optional).
- Place assembled rocky road ice cream sandwiches on pre-frozen baking sheet and return to the freezer until completely set, at least 1 hour. Either serve or wrap in plastic wrap, or parchment and store in freezer.
Renee
These look amazing!!! And I agree, this winter has been way too long. Bring on the ICE CREAM.
Tristin Rieken
and SUNSHINE! and VACATIONS ahhhhhh…..
Amber Edwards
My mouth is absolutely watering looking at these! Rockin’ Rocky Road™ is one of my absolute favorites! I must make this recipe! #Client
Tristin Rieken
Thank you Amber! Let me know how they turn out!
Rachel
Delicious!
Tristin Rieken
Thank you!
Charity
I need these in my life!!! Look delicious!!!
Tristin Rieken
They are!! So good!
Nichole
These look amazing!! ???
Tristin Rieken
Thank you! You could totally make them!
Nick
Can’t wait to try these!
Renee burton
One Armed Mama….I love your posts thanks for sharing!
Tristin Rieken
Thanks Renee!
Crissy
So these look amazing!! I can’t wait to try them!!
Tristin Rieken
Yes, and gluten free!
Joy
Gorgeous AND they look delicious!
Ashley
I love ice cream + cookie sandwiches! They are one of our favorite desserts during the summer. I’m not a huge fan of marshmallow with ice cream but I love the idea of it smoothed on to the cookie rather than chunks of marshmallow in the ice cream.
Tristin Rieken
Thanks Ashley! I’m a big ice cream cookie sandwich lover too! My favorite part is a good crunchy cookie with the ice cream.. fyi- Blue Bunny Rockin Rocky Road doesn’t have marshmallow chunks either.. they use a marshmallow swirl instead.