Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches
Crisp-chewy pistachio meringue gives way to cold creamy ice cream for an absurdly delightful contrast of textures. Think of it as an ice cream sandwich with a French pâtisserie glow up!
The idea for Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches came from an accidental discovery a few months ago. A late-night freezer rummage in search of something sweet turned up a tub of vanilla ice cream and a few abandoned pieces of dacquoise from a failed recipe (a dacquoise and buttercream sandwich of sorts. RIP). Out of curiosity, I sandwiched the ice cream between two pieces and with the first bite, immediately clocked that I just stumbled on something totally epic. The frozen dacquoise keeps its crisp-chewy texture remarkably well without turning hard and, paired with creamy ice cream, the combination is insane.
Unlike standard meringue, the finely ground pistachios in the dacquoise give them a subtle nutty chew. And unlike a typical ice cream sandwich with cakey outsides, it’s all about the beautiful textural contrast when it comes to these Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches. Everyone swooned over them. My family asked me to make it again before they even finished eating their first ones. I reckon that’s a pretty good testimonial!
🎥 Watch video for Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches
Why you’ll love this recipe:
The texture combination is unreal — crisp, chewy, creamy all at once.
Pistachio can pair well with so many different ice cream flavours — cookies and cream (what I used), vanilla, cherry, coffee, chocolate, raspberry, mango, pistachio to amp up that flavour even more.
The dacquoise layers retain their crisp-chewy texture well even after freezing. They don’t get hard.
Not your same-old ice cream sandwiches — these are a beloved frozen treat with a French pâtisserie glow-up.
You can make the dacquoise and the assembled sandwiches days ahead.
Use store-bought ice cream or make your own — it would conveniently use some or all of the orphaned egg yolks.
This ice cream sandwich happens to be gluten-free so more friends can enjoy :)
If you make these Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches, let me know how it went in the comments. And if you have any questions about the recipe, I’m happy to help!
Eat well and be well,
Sonia x
What you’ll need:
Ingredients for Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches
Scroll down to recipe card for full printable recipe with measurements.
Egg whites — Whipped into a glossy meringue which forms the structure of the dacquoise layers.
Superfine sugar — Although it’s perfectly fine to use granulated sugar in meringues, I prefer using superfine sugar simply because it dissolves quicker and lowers the risk of over-whipping the meringue. If granulated is all you have, feel free to use that in the same quantity (by weight or volume).
Pistachios — They bring richness and the signature nutty flavour to the dacquoise.
Cream of tartar — a powder with an acidic pH that stabilizes whipped egg whites so the meringue holds its volume. If you don’t have it, substitute with another acid such as lemon juice or white vinegar.
Fine sea salt — omit if using salted pistachios
1 L (4 cups) ice cream — in a flavour of your choice. Tip: Block-style ice cream is easiest for clean assembly and sharp layers.
Steps at a glance:
How to make Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches
Scroll down to recipe card for full printable recipe with measurements.
Toast pistachios in 250°F (120°C) oven to deepen flavour and remove excess moisture before grinding.
Pulse cooled pistachios into a coarse crumb while being careful not to turn them into pistachio butter. Set aside.
Beat egg whites to soft peak.
Add cream of tartar. And while machine is running, add sugar by the tablespoon.
After all sugar has been added, scrap the bowl and whip on high into a glossy meringue and holds a stiff peak.
Add ground pistachios in 3 or 4 additions and fold into meringue. Try not to deflate the meringue but it is normal for the mixture to get looser once the nut has been added.
Trace six 3.5” x 4.75” rectangles on the underside of the parchment papers, three on each. Flip parchment over.
Pipe along insides of rectangle outline and fill in the middles. Smooth tops and straighten edges as needed.
Place baking sheets in 250°F (120°C) oven and close door. IMMEDIATELY TURN DOWN TO 225°F (110°C). Bake 90 minutes or whenever dry and lifts easily off the parchment.
Cool gradually in the turned-off oven at least 2 hours up to overnight.
The dacquoise puff up, then flatten and expand during baking, and will look like the above. That’s normal.
Trim and cut dacquoise using a combination of a microplane and serrated knife with gentle sawing motions.
Use a long ruler to assist in trimming back to the original intended size.
Cut 1” slabs of ice cream from the block. Sandwich it between 2 dacquoise pieces. I used a bench scraper to lift the ice cream easily.
Wrap and freeze to harden before cutting further into 3 bars, for a total of 9 sandwiches.
Wrap in plastic or parchment and freeze until solid, 2 to 3 hours. Store in freezer bag or container for up to 2 months.
Tips & FAQs
Special equipment
I will always espouse the virtues of a Kitchen Scale for weighing ingredients for meringue because egg-to-sugar ratio is plays a role and weight measurements make it more fool proof. You’ll also need a stand mixer (or electric hand mixer) to whisk the meringue.
Grinding nuts into nut flour
Most any nut can be turned into nut flour. Place toasted/cooled nuts into a food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse repeatedly until desired texture is achieved, making sure to stop and scrape the processor bowl frequently to ensure even grinding and avoid heating the blade. Stop before the nuts turn into nut butter.
Meringue tips
If you’re new to making meringues, don’t be intimidated! As long as you know the basic tips to avoid pitfalls, it’s actually quite easy. It’ll take 30 minutes of active prep time and the rest is done in the oven. I can make meringues blindfolded at this point. Take a look at my pavlova recipe post for my “10 Tips for Meringue Success”!
What is dacquoise?
The word “dacquoise” is the name for both a French dessert component made from nut meringue layers and for the composed cake made with them. Egg whites are whipped with sugar into a glossy meringue, then folded with finely ground nuts before baking. Unlike a pavlova or standard meringue cookies, dacquoise has a slightly chewier texture and more richness from the nuts. It is often layered with buttercream, ganache or whipped cream in classic French cakes such as my Dacquoise with Chocolate and Praline Cream and as we now know, make an incredible shell for ice cream sandwiches.
What ice cream flavours work best?
Almost anything honestly. Pistachio pairs especially well with vanilla, cookies & cream (what I used in the photos), chocolate, coffee, cherry, raspberry, honey and black sesame, to name a bunch. Using block-style ice cream (or ice cream frozen into a block) makes assembly super easy because you can cut clean slabs to fit the rectangles. See also below “What if I can’t find block ice cream”.
What if I can’t find “block” ice cream?
For ice cream scooped out of a tub, soften slightly at room temperature until spreadable. Fill the sandwiches directly or re-freeze in a square or rectangular baking pan to make your own block. Alternatively, make round ice cream sandwiches! Pipe dacquoise into circles and fill with scoops of ice cream - no straight lines needed!
Homemade ice cream to use orphaned egg yolks
This recipe uses 6 egg whites. A wonderful way to use the orphaned egg yolks is making homemade ice cream to fill these sandwiches. Find a recipe that uses egg yolks (versus whole eggs).
Storage
Wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap or parchment once assembled and freeze until solid (2 to 3 hours). Transfer into freezer bags to retain freshness, up to 2 months. The dacquoise layers themselves also keep well in an airtight container in a cool dry place for several days before assembly or frozen up to 2 months.
You may also like these recipes:
Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches
Pistachio Dacquoise Ice Cream Sandwiches
Crisp-chewy pistachio meringue gives way to cold creamy ice cream for a contrast of textures that is incredible and addictive and different from the same old, same old. Think ice cream sandwich with a French pâtisserie glow up!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Check if baking sheets fit side by side in your oven. If so, set one middle rack. If not, set a middle rack and lower rack and rotate the trays midway through baking.
- Toast pistachios: Spread pistachios on one sheet pan and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring once midway. Set aside to cool. (1C or 110g de-shelled unsalted pistachios)
- Separate the egg whites: Meanwhile, separate whites cleanly from yolks, making sure there are no traces of yolks. Do one at a time into a small bowl first then transfer uncontaminated egg white into stand mixer bowl. Allow egg whites to sit at room temperature for now. (180g egg whites, from 6 large eggs)
- Draw rectangle outlines on parchment: Trace six rectangles measuring approximately 3.5” x 4.75” on the underside of the parchment papers, three on each evenly spaced apart. Flip parchment over so pencil is on the underside. Tip: Make a rectangle template from a cardboard box or thick cardstock and use it as a template for quicker work.
- Prepare pistachio flour: Place fully cooled pistachios (and sea salt if using) into a small food processor. Pulse in short bursts to grind into a fine consistency (but coarser than sand, for example), stopping to stir and scrape often for even grinding and prevent the blade from getting warm. Be careful not to take it too far or it will turn into pistachio butter. If necessary, sift out large pieces and re-grind. (cooled pistachios from above, ½ tsp fine sea salt –omit if using saltedpistachios)
- Prepare meringue: Whisk egg whites on medium high (level 6 of 10 on KitchenAid stand mixer) until soft peaks i.e. peaks just starting to form but falls back onto itself when whisk is turned upside down, 2-3 minutes. Add cream of tartar (or vinegar/lemon juice). Turn mixer to high speed (level 8) and add sugar by the tablespoon while machine is running, waiting 3 seconds before adding the next. After all sugar is in, stop mixer to scrape bowl down once. Turn to high speed (level 8) and continue beating 3-4 minutes or until thick and glossy, and sugar is dissolved. Do a final check by rubbing a bit of meringue between your fingers to confirm little to no sugar granules. If there are a lot, whisk 1 minute longer but do not over whip as this can deflate the meringue. The meringue should be stiff and glossy, with a stiff peak that points straight up when you pull out the whisk and invert it. (egg whites from above, ⅛ tsp cream of tartar OR 1 tsp vinegar/lemon juice)
- Form dacquoise: In 3 to 4 additions, sprinkle pistachio on top and fold gently to incorporate, taking care not to deflate the mixture (that said it will become a little bit looser regardless). Transfer into large piping bag with ½” opening cut at the tip. Dab a bit of meringue under four corners of the parchments to prevent shifting. Pipe on parchment along the inside edges of the drawn rectangles, then fill in the centers until all the meringue mixture is used up. Use a small offset spatula to smooth the tops and square off the corners as needed.
- Bake and cool: Place baking sheets in the oven and close oven door. **IMMEDIATELY TURN OVEN DOWN TO 225°F (110°C)**. Bake about 90 minutes. Oven true temperature varies so the exact time can vary too. They will first puff up then flatten and expand a bit during baking. Check that the tops no longer feels tacky and confirm bottoms are dry by gently lifting one off the parchment – it should lift fairly easily. Turn oven off, close oven door and allow dacquoise to gradually cool, at least 2 hours preferably longer up to overnight. If in a hurry, it’s possible to cool out of the oven on a wire rack.
- Cut and trim dacquoise rectangles: Carefully lift dacquoise off the parchment. For nice straight edges, trim with gentle sawing motion using a combination of a microplane and a serrated knife. Use a ruler to trim them back to original 3.5” x 4.75” size. You might be surprised how well the microplane works in trimming and smoothing the edges. For any trims over 10mm (1cm), first cut 5-7mm with a serrated knife then microplane the rest for a smooth finish. They are delicate but sturdy enough for cutting and microplanning. I have never broken a piece in the process but if it does happen, you can still use large pieces by sticking them to the ice cream during assembly. Meringues keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (away from humidity) for at least a week. Freeze if storing longer.
- Assemble ice cream sandwiches: If using block ice cream, use a hot knife to cut 1” thick slabs that match dacquoise rectangle size. If using tub ice cream, allow it to soften enough so it can be scooped and shaped. Since dacquoise are delicate, I suggest shaping the ice cream on a clean surface (like a baking sheet) into roughly the right shape and use a bench scraper to transfer it onto the dacquoise. Work quickly obviously! Immediately wrap each sandwich in plastic or parchment and freeze, at least 2 to 3 hours. Once frozen solid, cut the 3 sandwiches further into 3 even pieces with a serrated knife (Tip: Use a sawing motion for the dacquoise layers and, once you hit the bottom dacquoise, flip the sandwich over to cut the second dacquoise – I find this trick prevents any breakage.
Notes
- Why I recommend weighing egg whites on a scale for meringue: On average, the amount of egg whites from one large egg is 30g (in Canada and US) but it can actually range from 30g to 35g depending on the brand, how they were raised (pastured or not) and who knows what else. For 180g of egg whites called for in this recipe, in reality it can end up somewhere between 5 and 6 large egg whites. If you don't have a scale, use 6 egg whites if your eggs look average in size.
- Rectangular ice cream block: Ice cream that come in a rectangular block makes filling the sandwiches super easy. I used Chapman’s Cookies & Cream Ice Cream 2L box (measures 7” x 4.75” x 3.5”), cut the block in half and used one half which perfectly cut into the 3 slabs needed. For tub ice cream, soften it a bit until spreadable to fill the sandwiches or re-freeze in a square or rectangular baking pan to make your own block.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
303Fat
13 gSat. Fat
5 gCarbs
41 gFiber
2 gNet carbs
39 gSugar
37 gProtein
7 gSodium
213 mgCholesterol
27 mgDisclaimer: Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be used as approximations. Figures are stated per serving.
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