These custard cream ice cream sandwiches are a no-bake, no-churn frozen dessert that makes 10 generous sandwiches from a creamy vanilla custard ice cream base sandwiched between custard cream biscuits (cookies). The ice cream is made by whisking together vanilla custard, double cream (heavy cream), vanilla extract and condensed milk until smooth, pouring it over a layer of custard creams lining a 20cm square tin, topping with a second layer of custard creams and freezing until solid. The condensed milk keeps the ice cream perfectly smooth and scoopable rather than icy, the extra vanilla deepens the custardy flavour, and the custard creams soften slightly against the ice cream into something that tastes unmistakably and brilliantly like the biscuit that inspired them.

Why I Created This Recipe

Sundays are for baking, but it is too hot to turn the oven on. During what has felt like a seemingly never-ending heatwave, I have been looking for ways to scratch the baking itch without generating any heat whatsoever, and custard cream ice cream sandwiches turned out to be exactly the answer.

A couple of weeks ago I shared my 2 ingredient ice cream recipe — vanilla custard and double cream (heavy cream), frozen in an ice cube tray, blended until smooth and refrozen into a perfectly creamy no-churn ice cream. That recipe is the starting point for this one, but I have developed it slightly for the sandwich format. The 2:1 ratio of custard to cream remains the same, but I have added a little extra vanilla extract for a deeper, more pronounced custardy vanilla flavour, and condensed milk for two reasons: it adds an extra layer of milky, creamy sweetness that is very reminiscent of an actual custard cream biscuit, and it acts as a no-churn ice cream hack — the sugar in condensed milk lowers the freezing point of the mixture, which means the ice cream stays smoother and softer rather than freezing into a solid, icy block.

The hardest part of the whole recipe, I will be honest, is trying not to break or eat the custard creams before they make it into the tin. I did not do particularly well at that.

About the Ice Cream Base — A Development of the 2 Ingredient Recipe

If you have already made the 2 ingredient ice cream, you will recognise the foundation of this recipe immediately — vanilla custard and double cream (heavy cream) in a 2:1 ratio, whisked together until smooth. That recipe is brilliant in its simplicity, and it is the jumping-off point for this one.

For the sandwich format, the base has been developed in two ways. First, two teaspoons of vanilla extract are added to deepen and intensify the vanilla flavour — the custard creams have a very distinctive, almost artificial vanilla sweetness that the extra extract helps to echo and complement. Second, condensed milk is added, which does two things simultaneously: it adds a rich, milky sweetness and creaminess that makes the finished ice cream taste more like the inside of a custard cream biscuit than a plain vanilla ice cream, and it acts as a natural no-churn stabiliser, keeping the ice cream smooth and soft throughout freezing without the need for a blender step or an ice cream churner.

The result is an ice cream that is richer, creamier and more stable than the original two ingredient version — and one that pairs perfectly with the biscuits surrounding it.

Why You'll Want to Make This Recipe

No Oven, No Churn, No Fuss

This is a genuinely effortless dessert — no baking, no churning, no blending, no cooking of any kind. Whisk, layer, freeze, slice. The oven stays off and the kitchen stays cool, which during a heatwave is precisely what you want.

Tastes Like a Custard Cream, But Better

The combination of the vanilla custard ice cream and the softened custard cream biscuits (cookies) is extraordinarily good — the biscuits absorb just enough of the ice cream to soften slightly while retaining their shape, and the flavour of the whole thing is unmistakably custard cream, just elevated into something altogether more exciting.

Makes Ten — Perfect for Sharing

This recipe makes ten ice cream sandwiches from a single 20cm square tin, which makes it brilliant for gatherings, garden parties, picnics or simply stocking the freezer with something to reach for throughout the week. Individually wrapped in baking paper (parchment paper), they keep well for up to a month.

The Condensed Milk Hack

Adding condensed milk to a no-churn ice cream is one of the best tricks in frozen dessert making — the sugar content lowers the freezing point of the mixture and prevents the large ice crystals from forming that make homemade ice cream hard and icy. The result is a scoopable, smooth, creamy ice cream that behaves far more like the commercial kind than a simple freeze-and-blend recipe.

A Note on Condensed Milk in No-Churn Ice Cream

Condensed milk is a staple ingredient in no-churn ice cream recipes, and understanding why it works makes it easier to use confidently across other frozen desserts too.

Standard ice cream gets its smooth, creamy texture from two things: the churning process, which incorporates air and breaks up ice crystals as the mixture freezes, and stabilisers, which are added commercially to keep it scoopable straight from the freezer. Home cooks without an ice cream churner have to find other ways to achieve a similar result, and condensed milk is one of the most effective.

Condensed milk is whole milk that has had around 60% of its water content removed and a significant amount of sugar added — the resulting product is thick, very sweet and highly concentrated. In an ice cream base, the high sugar concentration lowers the freezing point of the mixture, which means it freezes more slowly and at a lower temperature than it would otherwise. This slower freezing process gives smaller, finer ice crystals, which translates directly into a smoother, softer, creamier finished ice cream.

It also adds a very distinctive milky sweetness — the particular flavour of condensed milk is warm, slightly caramelised and deeply creamy, which in this recipe reinforces the custard cream flavour beautifully. It is doing double duty: improving the texture and deepening the flavour at the same time.

My Top Tips for the Perfect Custard Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches

• Use a good quality full-fat storebought vanilla custard for the best result. The fat content is important for the creaminess of the finished ice cream — reduced-fat versions will produce a harder, less creamy result. The homemade vanilla custard from the Small Batch Bakes series is an exceptional upgrade if you want to take it to another level.
• Whisk the custard, cream, vanilla and condensed milk together until completely smooth and fully combined before pouring into the tin. Any streaks of unincorporated cream or condensed milk will freeze separately and create an uneven texture.
• Line the tin generously with baking paper (parchment paper), leaving enough overhang on all sides to lift the frozen slab out cleanly when it is time to cut. This is the most important practical step — trying to cut ice cream sandwiches from a tin without an overhang is very difficult.
• Cut the custard creams in half carefully and patiently. Custard creams have a natural seam where the two biscuit (cookie) halves meet the cream filling — use a sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion rather than snapping them, which is more likely to result in breakage. Expect a few casualties.
• Lay the first layer of custard creams cream-side up and the second layer cream-side down.
• Freeze for at least four hours, but overnight is better. A fully frozen slab cuts more cleanly than a partially frozen one, and the flavours have more time to develop and meld.
• Remove from the freezer 10–15 minutes before cutting and serving. The ice cream needs to soften very slightly to cut cleanly without shattering the biscuits. Use a sharp knife and a single downward motion rather than a sawing action — this gives the cleanest cuts.
• Wrap individual sandwiches in baking paper (parchment paper) immediately after cutting if you are not eating them straight away. They will begin to soften quickly at room temperature, so work fast and return them to the freezer promptly.

Ingredients and Tools You'll Need

Essential Ingredients

• 500g vanilla custard – full-fat storebought vanilla custard from the chilled section; or use the homemade vanilla custard for an even richer result
• 250ml double cream (heavy cream) – full-fat; maintaining the 2:1 ratio of custard to cream from the 2 ingredient ice cream base
• 2 tsp vanilla extract – deepens and intensifies the vanilla flavour to complement the custard creams; use a good quality extract rather than vanilla flavouring
• 150g condensed milk – adds creaminess, milky sweetness and keeps the ice cream smooth and soft rather than icy; see the note above on why it works
• 20 custard cream biscuits (cookies) – halved into 40 halves; 20 halves for the bottom layer and 20 for the top, making 10 sandwiches. Expect a few casualties during halving

Essential Tools

• 20cm square baking tin – the size matters here; too large and the ice cream layer will be too thin, too small and it will be too deep to freeze evenly
• Baking paper (parchment paper) – for lining the tin with overhang on all sides
• Large mixing bowl – for whisking the ice cream base
• Balloon whisk – for combining the custard, cream, vanilla and condensed milk
• Sharp knife – for halving the custard creams and cutting the frozen slab into sandwiches

Storage

Wrap individual sandwiches tightly in baking paper (parchment paper) and store in a sealed container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to one month. They are best eaten within two to three weeks for the freshest flavour and the best texture in the biscuits.

Remove from the freezer five minutes before eating — they soften quickly and are at their best when the ice cream is just beginning to yield at the edges but is still cold and firm in the centre.

Dietary Variations

Gluten-Free

Custard creams are not gluten-free as standard — however, gluten-free custard cream biscuits are available from several specialist brands and work in exactly the same way. Check the labels on your custard and condensed milk too, though both are generally gluten-free.

Different Biscuits

Custard creams are the obvious choice here and the whole recipe is built around their flavour, but the format works beautifully with other cream-filled biscuits (cookies) too. Bourbon biscuits give a chocolate version; Oreos give a darker, more intensely chocolatey result; digestive biscuits (graham crackers) with a plain ice cream base give something simpler and more classic. The method is identical whichever biscuit you choose.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop the ice cream going icy?

The condensed milk in this recipe is specifically included to prevent the ice cream from freezing icy and hard. The high sugar content lowers the freezing point of the mixture and produces smaller, finer ice crystals, giving a smoother, creamier result than a custard and cream mixture alone. Using full-fat custard and full-fat double cream (heavy cream) also contributes — lower-fat versions freeze harder and icier.

How do I cut the custard creams without breaking them?

Use a sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion along the natural seam where the two biscuit (cookie) halves meet. Do not try to snap them apart — the cream filling makes this unreliable and you will lose more than you expect. Accept that a few will break and factor this into your planning — twenty biscuits is the right amount for ten sandwiches, but having a few extras to hand is wise.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes — these are ideal for making in advance. The slab can be made up to a month ahead and stored in the freezer, either cut into sandwiches and wrapped individually or as a whole slab covered tightly in cling film (plastic wrap). Cut just before serving if possible for the cleanest edges, or cut ahead and wrap each sandwich individually.

How long do the sandwiches keep in the freezer?

Up to one month wrapped tightly in baking paper (parchment paper) and stored in a sealed container or freezer bag. For the best flavour and texture in the biscuits, eat within two to three weeks.

Is this the same as the 2 ingredient ice cream recipe?

It uses the same foundation — the 2:1 ratio of vanilla custard to double cream (heavy cream) — but it is a developed version with two additional ingredients. The vanilla extract deepens the custardy flavour and the condensed milk adds sweetness, creaminess and acts as a no-churn stabiliser to keep the ice cream smooth. If you have made the 2 ingredient ice cream already, you will recognise the base immediately — this is where it goes next.

Can I use homemade custard instead of storebought?

Yes — and the result is even better. The homemade vanilla custard from the Small Batch Bakes series gives a richer, more deeply flavoured ice cream base with a more pronounced vanilla character. Use the same quantity — 500g — and follow exactly the same method. You will need to make a slightly larger batch of the custard than the standard recipe, so scale it up proportionally.