I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that these all-natural healthy-ish ice cream sandwiches replace the classic vanilla ice cream plus chocolate chip cookie combo. Because sometimes a gal just needs a scoop of full-fat, full-dairy ice cream between two buttery, sugary cookies. This gal dreams of that combo daily.
But alas, this gal is almost 30, and moderation has recently joined cookies and ice cream (not to mention nachos, pizza, pork, cats, friends, family, and sunshine) in my list of life’s most important things. It’s tough out there for a five-foot tall gal with a dessert addiction and hips that don't lie. Extra cookies just have no where to hide on this short frame. And that's why sometimes we need desserts with a little less butter and a little less sugar, because I seriously eat dessert every single day. Now, that's not to say these don't have fat and sugar. But it's the good kind! 
I've made Ashlae's no-bake cookies about 6 times since she posted the recipe. I just gotta have 'em in the freezer at all times. They're rich and creamy, and taste like a grown-up version of the classic no-bake cookie from elementary school. And they're made with just 5 ingredients (plus salt), which I always have in my house. Seriously obsessed. The other day, in a moment of weakness (shortly after dipping a tortilla chip in bacon grease…genius or terrifying, I’m not sure), I topped one of these cookies with a spoonful of ice cream, and it was magical. 
I wanted to keep the natural, minimal-ingredient thing going, and what goes better with chocolate and peanut butter than banana!? So, here we have thin, creamy layers of chocolate-peanut butter-oat no bake cookies, with 2-ingredient banana ice cream in the middle. It’s basically oatmeal and a banana, so I’ve been having it for breakfast. And it’s practically a protein shake, so I’ve definitely been chowing down on these before working out. Honestly, I can’t stop eating these, and I think I have a problem. Help? Help yourself to a batch of these no-bake chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream sandwiches, is more like it!
No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cookies from Oh Lady Cakes
Plan ahead, there a few separate freezing steps, but trust me, it’s simple and worth it!
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other all natural nut butter)
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup rolled oats
3 bananas, peeled, chopped, and frozen solid
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
To make cookies: Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Add coconut oil through sea salt to a small sauce pan, and heat over medium, whisking until everything is melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in oats. Spread mixture evenly in bottom of parchment lined dish. Freeze up to two hours, until solid.
To make ice cream: Add bananas to a food processor, and blend until creamy (at first, the mixture will look crumbly, but eventually it all comes together in a smooth, creamy soft-serve), then add vanilla and blend until just combined.
To assemble: Using a sharp knife, cut frozen cookie layer in half (just lift the parchment out of the dish to a cutting board, then put half the cookie back in the dish). Top half the cookie evenly with ice cream, then gently place the other half on top and smooth the edges. Freeze at least over night, until totally solid. Cut using a sharp knife while fully frozen. They melt pretty quickly, so enjoy right out of the freezer!
