Donut Ice Cream Sandwiches need no introduction. The recipe itself is even self-explanatory. Donuts and ice cream put together into a sandwich isn’t rocket science, but the genius of its simplicity makes this an all-star treat. I’ve used vanilla ice cream here, but there’s no obligation to limit yourself to just one flavor. Strawberry or chocolate would be equally as good, a kind of choose-your-own adventure with the ice cream flavor!

Are they messy? Yes. Are they sweet? Also, yes. Are they fun and festive and maybe a little bit crazy? Another yes. A donut ice cream sandwich is one of those rare treats that comes out on the most special of occasions, like for a summer birthday extravaganza. But there’s no reason why these tasty sweet sandwiches can’t come up on a fun summer afternoon, too. Talk about creating core memories! How could one forget when they were served something so sweet, rich, and wild?

I like to serve these with a glass of water and a box of baby wipes nearby to help manage the chaos, but it’s the messiness that makes a donut ice cream sandwich so great. It’s a summertime grand slam, a treat that you almost want to say no to but suddenly find yourself saying YES! I can’t think of a better way to surprise the kids this summer than with a treat so grand and so silly that you’ll need to run through the sprinkler to clean it off.