King’s Hawaiian Ube Ice Cream Sandwiches

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This King’s Hawaiian ice cream sandwich turns buttery, toasted sweet rolls into a dreamy summer dessert. You brulee juicy pineapple, pile in scoops of coconut ice cream, and drizzle everything with a quick homemade ube icing. It comes together in about 15 minutes, with no ice cream maker and no real baking skills required.

I think my life peaked a little the day I made these. I got lucky and grabbed a pack of the limited-edition King’s Hawaiian Ube Coconut rolls, and instead of eating them straight out of the bag (tempting), I decided to go a little wild and build a full-on summer dessert around them.

The buns come out buttery, warm, and crispy at the edges. The pineapple is bright and bruleed. The coconut ice cream is rich and cold. And that ube icing ties the whole thing together with its sweet, vanilla-meets-purple-yam flavor. If you could not snag the ube rolls, do not stress, regular King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls taste amazing here too.

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This one earned a spot in 36 Easy Asian Desserts too.

What Makes This King’s Hawaiian Ice Cream Sandwich So Good

It is all about contrast. Warm, toasty, buttery rolls against cold coconut ice cream is the kind of hot-and-cold combo that makes a dessert feel special without any effort. The bruleed pineapple adds a little caramelized tang, and the ube drizzle brings color plus that soft, nutty-vanilla sweetness ube is known for.

It also checks the same box as my copycat Dole Whip when I want that tropical, pineapple-forward summer vibe, just in handheld sandwich form. If you are an ube fan like me, it sits right alongside my ube coconut rice pudding, which leans into the exact same ube and coconut pairing.

Is Ube Ice Cream Filipino?

Ube itself is Filipino. Ube (pronounced OO-beh) is a purple yam that is a staple in Filipino desserts, from halaya jam to ice cream to cakes. It has a mild, sweet, vanilla-and-pistachio-like flavor and that famous vibrant purple color. Here we use ube extract in the icing to get that flavor and color without any fuss. You can read a great primer on ube, the Filipino purple yam, if you want the full backstory.

What Toppings Go Well With Ube?

Ube loves coconut, pineapple, white chocolate, and toasted nuts, which is exactly why this sandwich works. The coconut ice cream and bruleed pineapple both play off ube’s soft, sweet flavor without overpowering it. If you want to go further, a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes or crushed pistachios on top of the icing is dreamy. I lean on that same ube-and-coconut magic in my ube Dubai chocolate bar with toasted coconut.

Can You Use Regular King’s Hawaiian Rolls?

Yes. The limited-edition Ube Coconut rolls are a fun bonus, but classic King’s Hawaiian Original Sweet Rolls work just as well and are available year-round. They are already soft, buttery, and lightly sweet, so they toast up beautifully and pair perfectly with the ube icing doing the flavor work. It is the same reason I love them in savory-sweet builds like my King’s Hawaiian roll cream cheese danishes.

Tips for the Best Ice Cream Sandwiches

1. Toast the rolls, do not fully bake them

Ten minutes at 350F is plenty. You want the outside crisp and warm, not dried out. Butter the cut side first so it toasts into a golden, buttery crust that holds up against the melting ice cream.

2. Pat the pineapple dry before torching

Wet pineapple will steam instead of brulee. Blot the chunks well with a paper towel, then push them together on a fire-safe metal pan (never nonstick) before hitting them with the kitchen torch so the sugar can actually caramelize.

3. Work fast once the ice cream is in

This is a hot-and-cold dessert, so it is best eaten right away. Have your icing whisked and pineapple ready before you scoop, then assemble and serve so the ice cream stays scoopable and the rolls stay warm.

4. Adjust the ube icing to taste

Start with a quarter teaspoon of ube extract and add more a drop at a time. Extracts vary in strength, and a little goes a long way for both color and flavor. Add a splash more water if you want a thinner drizzle.

Storage & Leftovers

These are made to eat fresh, right after assembling, so I do not recommend storing a fully built sandwich (the ice cream melts and the roll goes soggy). If you want to prep ahead, toast the rolls and whisk the icing in advance, keep them at room temp, and only add the ice cream and pineapple right before serving. Leftover ube icing keeps in the fridge for up to a week and is great drizzled over pancakes or oatmeal.

Equipment

• baking pan
• kitchen torch
• mixing bowls

Ingredients

• 4 King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls (or limited-edition Ube Coconut rolls)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 can Dole pineapple chunks (about 1 cup)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (optional, for brulee)
• 4 scoops coconut ice cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tsp water
• 1/4 tsp ube extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Use a serrated bread knife to slice each roll through the middle into a top and bottom layer. Butter the bottom layers, put the tops back on, place them on a parchment-lined baking pan, and toast for 10 minutes.
2. While they toast, use a fork to remove half the pineapple chunks from the can and pat them dry on a paper towel. To brulee, push the chunks together on a fire-safe metal pan (not nonstick), sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top, and torch until the sugar browns and bubbles.
3. When the rolls are done, remove the tops and let them cool for a couple minutes. Meanwhile, make the icing: whisk the powdered sugar and water in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk in the ube extract until the color is even.
4. Spoon the pineapple onto the bottom layers, then add a scoop of coconut ice cream to each. Drizzle half the ube icing over the ice cream.
5. Place the toasted tops back on and drizzle the rest of the icing over the top. Serve immediately.

If this scratches your ube itch, you will love my flaky 3-ingredient ube croissants next. And for another easy, no-churn frozen treat to keep in your back pocket all summer, try my chocolate-dipped ice cream pint popsicles. Want a version with the rolls as the star? King’s Hawaiian has their own ice cream slider recipe worth a peek.

If you make these King’s Hawaiian ice cream sandwiches, leave a star rating on the recipe card below and drop a comment to tell me how they turned out. I always love hearing which ice cream flavor you paired with the ube.

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