Which frozen dessert consists of ice cream pressed between two cookies or wafers?

An ice cream sandwich consists of ice cream pressed between two cookies or wafers.

The dessert is usually eaten by hand, with the cookie layers providing a firmer exterior around the cold filling. Commercial versions commonly use rectangular chocolate-flavored wafers, while homemade and regional versions may use biscuits, sponge cake, churro-like dough, or other baked coverings.

Ice cream sandwiches have appeared in several forms and locations, so there is no single universally accepted inventor. In the United States, a documented early version was sold from pushcarts in New York City during the late 19th century. Those early sandwiches used small blocks of ice cream placed between wafers and were inexpensive street food.

The name can be confused with related desserts such as ice cream bars, which generally have a solid coating rather than two separate cookie or wafer layers. The broader idea is also distinct from an ice cream cake, where ice cream is layered with cake in a sliced dessert.