Ultra-rich homemade fudge brownies and your favorite flavor of ice cream sandwiched together to create the perfect Summer treat! These Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches are fudgy, creamy, sweet, and oh so indulgent! If you love these, you will also love these Cosmic Brownies, Mug Brownies, Turtle Brownies, and Mississippi Mud Brownies.
I don’t trust anyone who claims they don’t love ice cream. How could you possibly make it through sweltering Summers without that ice-cold, refreshing, drip-down-your-hand goodness? The flavor varieties and textures are endless, which means there truly is something for everyone. If you don’t like ice cream, you probably just haven’t found the right one yet! Or maybe that’s just what I need to tell myself.
Today, I’m offering up one of my favorite options: Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches! Here we have chewy, soft-baked brownie layers with smooth ice cream for a decadent dessert. Seriously, y’all gotta give this recipe a try before the warm-weather (sadly) eludes us again.
HOW TO MAKE BROWNIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
The most difficult part of testing these sandwiches was finding the perfect brownie recipe. Before diving in, I knew I needed a brownie that would be soft, tasty, and thin, without being crisp or fragile. A tall order, but I started with my Fudgy Chewy Brownies and built on that base.
From there, here’s how it went down:
- Make Homemade Brownie Batter. I prepared my homemade brownie recipe as I normally do, then separated the batter in half. By baking the layers individually we avoid having to manually cut the entire thing in half- it’s difficult and unnecessary.
- Bake in Two 8×8 Pans or One Layer at a Time. To save time, I’d recommend baking both layers at the same time. But, if you don’t own two of these pans, it’s perfectly fine to bake them one at a time. Just be sure to cover the second half of batter as the first half bakes. Once out of the oven, use the parchment paper to carefully lift the layer out of the pan, then wipe it clean. Line the pan with more paper and bake the second half.
- Completely Cool the Layers. Before piling on the ice cream, allow both layers to come to room temperature. If you try to immediately add the ice cream, it will start to melt and make a total mess.
- Scoop on the Ice Cream. While the brownies are cooling, remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it thaw for a bit. Run a large spoon under hot water, then spoon the ice cream onto the bottom layer of brownie. Smooth the ice cream with the back of the spoon (or a spatula) until it’s all in one even layer.
- Place the Second Square of Brownie On Top. Gently press the second layer on top of the ice cream, making sure that it’s snug.
- Cover and Freeze. Use aluminum foil to tightly cover the pan and freeze the whole thing for at least 12 hours. Overnight is best!
- Cut and Serve. Carefully use the parchment paper to lift the entire block out of the pan. Run a knife under hot water, then slice into eight evenly sized squares. You’re gonna need to use a little arm muscle! If the ice cream begins to melt too quickly, place the whole thing back in the freezer, wait 5 minutes, then try again.
CAN I USE ANY KIND OF ICE CREAM?
Yes! This recipe is totally customizable! Feel free to use your favorite ice cream flavor, just about anything goes here. Some of my favorite flavors include:
- Blackberry
- Chocolate Chip
- Vanilla Fudge Swirl
- Cherry Garcia
- Coffee
- Cookies and Cream
Let me know what ice cream you chose in the comments below!
STORING HOMEMADE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
Wrap each leftover sandwich individually and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. They get a little harder the longer they sit in the freezer– if they’re super solid, let them sit out for a few minutes before enjoying. I’d recommend using both plastic wrap and aluminum foil to avoid freezer burn.
GRANDBABY CAKES’ BEST ICE CREAM RECIPES
There’s no such thing as Summer without bucket loads of ice cream! If you’re as crazy about this creamy-cool confection as I am, try out a few more of Grandbaby Cakes’ most refreshing flavors!
- NO-CHURN BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM
- OREO RED VELVET ICE CREAM
- BERRY RIPPLE ICE CREAM
- BANANA NICE CREAM WITH RASPBERRIES
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 qts chocolate chip ice cream or whatever your fave is
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8x8 pans with butter or baking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving about 4-6” of paper hanging over the sides.
- In a medium sized bowl, add melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix with your hand mixer on medium speed.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition to incorporate. Mix well! This will create the crackled top we all love in brownies.
- Mix in oil and vanilla extract.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Reduce speed of mixer.
- In intervals, add flour mixture to wet mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Add half the brownie batter to each pan and use a rubber spatula to gently spread it.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out just barely clean. Don’t overbake.
- Remove from the oven. Allow brownies to cool for 10 minutes.
- Use parchment paper to carefully lift the brownies out onto a cooling rack. Only peel the parchment off one of the halves. Cool until they reach room temperature.
- Thaw the ice cream for 5-10 minutes.
- Return the first half of the brownie to the pan (the one with the parchment paper on it). Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to spread all the ice cream over the top.
- Invert the second half of the brownie and place it over the top. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours. Overnight is best.
- When ready to cut, remove from the freezer and thaw for 5-10 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the entire block out, then use a sharp knife to cut into 8 even squares. Serve and enjoy!
Can I make with Duncan’s Hines brownie mix
You should definitely try the brownie recipe since it is super easy and better than the box any day of the week.
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
You can make these pretty far in advance and just keep in your freezer.
This looks so good! What a a great recipe to make with kids!
This looks so good! What a fun treat to make with kids!
Made these today! So easy and better than store bough any day!
bought*
Yum! Brownies and ice cream is a perfect combination, they were made for each other. Such a perfect summer dessert.
These are going to be such a hit here and devoured so fast! Excited to make this with my daughter soon. Perfect for summertime!
So much better than anything you’d find in the store. I’m drooling just thinking about these.
Oh, my — these look unbelievably decadent! I can’t think of a more perfect dessert for the summer. Making these ASAP!
These were fantastic! Thanks for another great recipe!