Every year, Trader Joe’s challenges its stores to come up with a fascinating, new recipe using only TJ’s items. The grocer just crowned its 2025 Store Recipe Contest winner, and the flavorful dish is nothing short of unexpected. Honey Gochujang Corn Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches were created by crew members at a store in Houston, Texas, and this surprising and creative dessert took first place in the national contest.
Using just six Trader Joe’s ingredients, the cookie sandwich balances sweet, spicy, creamy, and savory in one handheld treat. The recipe beat out nearly 400 other store submissions, which included everything from savory mini pies to dairy-free mousse bites.
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A Southern-Inspired Twist with a Global Kick
At the heart of the recipe is Summer, a Trader Joe’s crew member who drew from her Louisiana roots and baking experience to develop something truly original.
“I was thinking about Couche Couche,” she said in a podcast episode of Inside Trader Joe’s, referencing the Cajun dish of cornbread with milk and syrup. “I wanted to do a sweet cornbread, and then I thought about adding miso, but we had to pivot to ingredients that are available all year.”
Her backup? Trader Joe’s Gochujang Paste, a fermented Korean chili paste typically reserved for savory dishes.
“I use gochujang in a lot of my cooking, but I thought it could be really interesting on the outside of a cookie,” she said.
The Six Ingredients That Made It Happen
Despite its complex flavor, the recipe uses only a short list of ingredients, all available at Trader Joe’s:
- 1 box Trader Joe’s Cornbread Mix
- 2 Tbsp. Trader Joe’s All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp. Trader Joe’s French Vanilla Ice Cream
- 6 Tbsp. Trader Joe’s Multi-Floral & Clover Honey
- ½ cup Trader Joe’s Unsalted Butter, softened (plus extra for scooping)
- 1 package Trader Joe’s Gochujang Paste, for rolling
To achieve the soft yet sturdy cookie texture, Summer added melted ice cream to her dough in place of traditional eggs.
“It was just an experiment,” she said. “But it worked. The fat in the ice cream helped bring everything together.”
Honey Gochujang Corn Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe
Below are the steps for making these delicious bites, courtesy of the Trader Joe’s contest winner announcement.
Making the Dough Balls
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the cornbread and flour together. Then, melt 2 Tbsp. of ice cream. In a separate bowl, use a whisk to mix the honey, butter, and melted ice cream. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a spatula to mix until incorporated.
Roll about 2 Tbsp. of dough per ball (you should have 18 dough balls total). Each ball should then be rolled in about a teaspoon of gochujang until the exterior of each dough ball is fully covered.
Space the dough balls at least two inches apart on a baking sheet, then place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 15 minutes (or until the dough balls have hardened). While the dough balls are freezing, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Assembly
Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place it in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies appear golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely (about 30 minutes). Once cooled, flip the cookies over.
To assemble ice cream sandwiches, place a heaping scoop of ice cream on top of one cookie, then press another cookie on top of the ice cream to complete the sandwich. Serve or freeze immediately.
Toward the end of mixing, when the dough begins to stick to the mixing utensil, use clean, wet hands to finish combining.
How Judging Went
“The entire room went silent,” said Tara Miller, Vice President of Marketing. “We’re never quiet—especially with food in our mouths. But everyone just stopped and kept eating.”
Each recipe was judged on taste, creativity, and use of Trader Joe’s products. Though competition was fierce, the ice cream cookie sandwich edged out the runner-up by just one point.
“It was so close,” said Miller. “But no one was surprised that this one came out on top.”
A Recipe Made for Summer
Fittingly, the dessert has serious warm-weather potential. With melty vanilla ice cream sandwiched between sweet-and-savory cookies that have just a hint of heat, it’s a fun new way to cool off with a kick.
Summer, who says she dreams of becoming a full-time recipe developer, says her creation was a team effort.
“My partner Nikki was my taste tester,” she said. “We kept tweaking it together until it was just right.”
Whether you’re baking for a party or a treat that shakes up your usual recipe rotation, the Honey Gochujang Corn Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches are worth the effort.
