Try a nontraditional approach to dessert this Thanksgiving with these super yummy, easy-to-make Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so that means it’s time to pull out Grandma’s recipe box and old church cookbooks and stock up on cans of puréed pumpkin. My family enjoys pumpkin pie, bars, and bread just as much as the next family, but my Pinterest boards were full of not-so-typical pumpkin treats: ice cream, popsicles, and cinnamon rolls, and I decided it was time to be untraditional.

No-churn pumpkin ice cream was whipped up quickly and graham-cracker cookies gave it a delicious base that reminded me of a frozen cheesecake. Even Grandma gave them a big thumbs up, and she decided to leave her cookbooks on the shelf until next year.

Ingredients: No-Churn Pump­kin Ice Cream

• 1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups heavy cream, cold
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves

In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed milk, pumpkin, vanilla, and spices. In a large bowl of a standing mixer, beat the cream on high until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Whisk one third of the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture, until completely combined. Fold remaining the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until incorporated. Pour into a regular sized loaf pan (a Pullman pan works nicely, too), and freeze until firm, about 6 hours (or, covered, up to 1 week).

Ingredients: Graham Cracker Cookies

• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter, soft
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar, minus 1 tablespoon
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon bourbon, optional
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt (see note)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 and place an oven rack in the middle-low position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, graham-cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt together, and set aside. In a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg, vanilla, and bourbon (if using) and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix the batter until just combined. Use a scoop or spoons to form balls (I used a tablespoon to make smaller cookies). Fill a small bowl with more graham cracker crumbs, and roll each dough ball into the crumbs.

Place on a baking sheet (if using a tablespoon of dough, 12 should fit on one sheet) and bake the sheets one at a time. About 5 minutes into baking, rotate the pan. Bake a few more minutes (depending on the size of your cookies—anywhere from 3 to 5 more minutes), and when the sides of the cookies begin to set and lightly brown, remove the sheets from the oven (the center will still be a bit underdone) and let cool on a wire rack.

How To Assemble
Place a cookie bottom side up and top with a scoop or two of ice cream (a melon baller worked great for small cookies). Top with another cookie, and serve!

Enjoy!