At some point I need to admit that I haven’t lived on the West Coast since I was 19. Yet habit and nostalgia make me still say I’m “from Seattle.” Living in New York for eight years often feels like a long detour rather than home.
To avoid fully adopting a New Yorker identity, I’ve chosen a partner from Berkeley whose affection for the West Coast matches my own. Between our shared supply of “going out” fleeces, the number of burritos we polish off each week, and conversations peppered with the word “hella,” you’d never guess we’ve lived in New York for years.
Still, our West Coast roots show up in small ways here in the 718/212/646/347/917. I keep a list of nostalgic Seattle foods—smoked salmon, Tim’s Cascade Potato Chips, Aplets & Cotlets—but nothing inspired the kind of regional pride I saw when I first met an IT’S-IT in Berkeley a few summers back.
An IT’S-IT is, at its simplest, an oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich dipped in chocolate. To me—and perhaps to you—that’s a delight. To the Bay Area it’s far more: hometown pride, childhood memory, a piece of a tradition that dates back to 1928.
And yes, it’s also just a very good ice cream sandwich.
Of course, attempting to recreate a regional classic—especially in a miniature form—invites skepticism from those who grew up with the original. Comparing my version to the real thing is like craving peanut butter in France or pizza in Mexico: why bother trying to reproduce something that’s beloved in its native setting?
Despite the doubt, my mini IT’S-ITs earned approval from someone who’s been enjoying the originals for decades. That endorsement felt hella good.
Mini IT’S-IT Ice Cream Sandwiches
Makes about 2 dozen tiny (1 1/2-inch diameter) sandwiches
Inspired by The Original. The cookie and coating techniques draw on classic recipes adapted for a mini format.
For the cookies:
1 3/4 cup (160 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup (94 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon (3 grams) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
10 tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (75 grams) packed brown sugar
1/3 cup (72 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
For the coating:
14 ounces (400 grams) dark chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons (60 grams) coconut oil
pinch of salt
1 pint high-quality ice cream (I used peppermint chocolate chip)
Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter an 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment, and butter the parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a larger bowl, cream the butter with both sugars until smooth. Add the egg, oil, and vanilla, mixing until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients until evenly distributed.
Spread the dough very thinly and evenly in the prepared pan using an offset spatula; it will feel like a small amount of dough but keep spreading until the bottom is covered. Bake 8–10 minutes until the cookie is lightly browned and set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Lift the cookie sheet out using the parchment and transfer to a cutting board. Stamp out as many 1 1/2-inch rounds as possible with a small biscuit cutter. Place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and freeze until cold, about 30 minutes. Have a small scoop ready for the ice cream.
Assemble the ice cream sandwiches (Part 1): Working with two frozen cookies at a time, scoop a small amount of ice cream onto the bottom side of one cookie, then press another cookie on top to form a sandwich. Smooth the ice cream flush with the cookie edges and return the sandwiches to the freezer. Repeat until all sandwiches are made, then chill for at least an hour so they are very cold before coating.
Prepare the coating: Combine the chopped dark chocolate, coconut oil, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until the mixture is melted and glossy.
Assemble the ice cream sandwiches (Part 2): For dipping, work quickly: remove one sandwich from the freezer, lower it into the melted chocolate, spoon chocolate over the top and sides, let excess drip off, and return the coated sandwich to the freezer to firm up. The first few may look imperfect but will taste great. A flat cheese grater placed beneath the sandwich helps chocolate drip through while you spoon and lift; a slotted spoon or spatula can serve the same purpose.
If you prefer a simpler method, melt half the coating and spoon a generous drizzle of chocolate over each sandwich so it runs down the sides—still delicious and less involved.