The Clever Reason You Need To Slice Pints Of Ice Cream

Can you really ever get tired of ice cream? The average American single-handedly puts away 20 pounds of the stuff every year. But if you're looking for a fresh, original way to shake up your ice cream game, we have just the avant-garde tip to get the job done: slice your pints.

Carving into that smooth, brand new pint might seem like sacrilege to diehard ice cream fans, but hear us out. Pint slices are your one-way ticket to aesthetically pleasing ice cream treats all summer long. To do it, grab a large, sharp chef's knife and a cutting board. Then, simply lay your pint on its side and carefully cut the whole thing into slices, cardboard container included. You can easily pop the ice cream out of the cardboard ring post-cut.

To help your frosty slices stay structurally sound, start by chilling your treat to a colder temperature to ensure your slice won't melt too quickly. (That means storing your pint at the rear center of the freezer, where it's the coldest.) Depending on your preferred thickness, you should be able to get three or four slices out of each pint.

To help stoke your sweet tooth (and your culinary creativity), we've rounded up some ideas for putting those pretty pucks to good use. For starters, perhaps most obviously, pint slices are the quickest way to a tidy, mess-free ice cream sandwich with clean edges (Bonus points if you roll them in toppings like candy, pretzels, or toffee bits). But, cookies are just the beginning. You could even craft an ice cream sammy out of cinnamon rolls or waffles. 

For foodies with a summer birthday, you could make a layered ice cream cake out of pint slices and a cut-up sheet cake. Use a pint slice as an over-the-top (in the best way) milkshake garnish, or layer that slice with graham crackers and chocolate for an elevated s'more. Pint slices make a great portable dessert option if you're at a tailgate or backyard barbecue and don't have spoons — or you want to keep one hand free for holding a cold drink. They're also a surefire way to satisfy a sugar craving if you don't have the appetite to finish that entire pint in one sitting. (Next time.)

Pint slices are the luxurious, homemade Insomnia Cookies dupe for the ages (or, at minimum, for the summer). Ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's even makes a version of pint slices (aptly called "Pint Slices") for just these purposes, but you could easily DIY them yourself for a quick and inventive cold treat on a hot night.