Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich recipe - Fab Everyday (2024)

I’m sharing a recipe today that I’ve been wanting to make for a while: homemade brownie ice cream sandwiches! It starts with myclassic foolproof brownies recipe,so you know it has to be good. Now, one thing to consider when making these: this isn’t my typical 30-minute recipe. This is a two-day project (since they need to freeze overnight) and can be messy business at times. That being said, the results are worth it for a special treat on a hot summer day. If you’re ready to get cooking, click the Jump to Recipe button above or scroll to the bottom of this post. If you want to see some tips and step-by-step instructions with pictures, keep reading, as I have lots of good info for you for making your own ice cream sandwich with brownies.

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More brownie recipes and brownie variations

• The last brownie recipe you’ll ever need:Fab Everyday’s Classic Foolproof Brownies
• Snickers Brownies
• Fluffernutter Brownies
• Layered OREO and Biscoff Brownies
• Cookies and Cream Brownies (fudgy Oreo brownies with whipped cream)
• Cheesecake Marbled Brownies
• Caramel Coconut Brownies (Samoas brownies recipe)
• Super Easy Football Party Food Ideas (Football Brownies)
• Football Brownie Bites (and the best brownie bite recipe)
• Valentine’s Day Brownie Bites
• Mint Swirl Shamrock Brownies
• Easter Egg Brownies
• 4th of July Brownie Bites
• Black Widow Spider Brownies (Halloween brownie bites recipe)
• Candy Cane Brownies
• Instant Pot Brownie Bites

What you’ll need to make homemade brownie ice cream sandwiches

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup real, unsalted butter, melted*
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 cups vanilla ice cream*
• Optional: Sprinkles*
• One or two 8-inch square baking pans (two is ideal, but you can always work in batches if you only have one)
• Parchment paper
• Nonstick spray
• A sharp knife

*Ingredient Tips:

• It’s important to use real butter, not margarine, for this recipe. I’ve tried it with margarine and it never turns out the right consistency.
• Feel free to experiment with different ice cream flavors in place of vanilla. Some great options include chocolate chip, cookies n’ cream, coffee, strawberry, peanut butter, mint chocolate chip, or even chocolate if you want an extra fudgy treat.
• Sprinkles are optional but a fun touch if you’re serving these for a party or holiday and want to incorporate a color scheme. For example, I did these with red and blue sprinkles for the 4th of July one time (see a photo below).

Tips for making this brownie ice cream sandwich recipe

Keep in mind, as I said earlier: making homemade ice cream sandwiches can be messy business and the process is not quick. The whole project will spread out over two days, but the results are worth it!

First, make the brownie layers for the brownie ice cream sandwich. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, line two 8-inch square baking pans with parchment paper, and spray the parchment with nonstick spray. If you only have one pan you can make the brownies in two batches. Note: It is best to use two 8-inch pans for this recipe as opposed to a larger 9×13-inch pan. Yes, I know it’s frustrating to do it in two batches, but trust me on this.

Mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix butter (it’s important to use real butter and not margarine for this recipe), eggs, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir the batter until everything is well mixed. The batter will be thick.

Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans (you should have 1 1/2 cups of batter in each pan). If working in batches, separate 1 1/2 cups of batter for the second batch and pour the rest into the prepared pan. Spread the batter into an even layer with a spatula. Don’t stress about making the layer perfectly smooth as it will spread out as it bakes.

Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and center is no longer wet. This will be slightly less done than if you were just making brownies, as the brownies should be a little soft before freezing. Otherwise, you might end up with rock hard frozen brownie layers that are difficult to cut or eat. No bueno.

Remove the pans from the oven and let the brownies cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing them from the pan using the parchment paper and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely (keeping them on their parchment paper for easy moving during cooling and ice cream sandwich assembly).

While the brownies are cooling, remove the ice cream from the freezer to soften enough that it can be spread easily, but not melted and dripping. You can also feel free to experiment with different ice cream flavors in place of vanilla in this recipe. Some great options include chocolate chip, cookies n’ cream, coffee, strawberry, peanut butter, mint chocolate chip, or even chocolate if you want an extra fudgy treat. Line the cooled baking pan with parchment paper, and spread the softened ice cream into it in an even layer.* Place it in the freezer for a few minutes to hold its shape while preparing the next steps.

*Assembly Tip: Instead of spreading the ice cream into the pan separately, you can spread the ice cream directly on top of the first brownie layer. I personally like having the molded ice cream square ready to slide on top so I don’t break or smash the first brownie layer by attempting to spread ice cream on top if it, but it’s up to you if you want to save a step and spread it onto the brownie directly. Sally’s Baking Addiction has great tips in this post.

Now it’s time to assemble these babies! Remove the ice cream from the pan and replace with one of the layers of brownie along with its parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.

Slide the ice cream layer from its parchment and directly on top of the first brownie layer in the pan.

Remove the second brownie layer from its piece of parchment and press it down on top of the ice cream layer. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and/or foil and place it in the freezer for at least 12 hours (but not more than 18 hours or it will be difficult to slice).

After at least 12 hours, remove the dish from the freezer and use the parchment paper to remove the layered dessert from the pan and place it on top of a cutting board. I personally keep it right on top of the parchment for the next step, with the cutting board underneath. Use a sharp knife to slice the ice cream sandwiches into squares or rectangles (this might take some elbow grease).

You can do 9 bigger squares in rows of 3×3, or 12 thinner rectangles in 3×4.

If desired, dip the edges of the ice cream sandwich into a shallow dish of sprinkles (optional) and serve immediately. Sprinkles are optional but a fun touch if you’re serving these for a party or holiday and want to incorporate a color scheme. For example, I did these brownie ice cream sandwiches with red and blue sprinkles for the 4th of July, as you can see above.

If not serving immediately, wrap each brownie ice cream sandwich individually with plastic wrap (and an optional second layer of either foil for the individual sandwiches, or a large plastic bag for multiple sandwiches) and store in the freezer. That second layer helps to protect them from freezer burn. Depending on how long you store them, you may need to let them soften for a few minutes after removing them from the freezer before eating.

Here’s the brownie ice cream sandwich recipe! Enjoy!

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Yield: 9-12 sandwiches

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 12 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 13 hours 20 minutes

Homemade ice cream sandwiches that start with my classic foolproof brownies recipe. This brownie ice cream sandwich recipe is a delicious summertime treat.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup real, unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 cups vanilla ice cream
• Optional: Sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 8-inch square baking pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray (if you only have one pan you can make the brownies in two batches - it is best to use two 8-inch pans as opposed to a larger 9x13-inch pan).
2. Mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix butter, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl; add butter mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and stir batter until well mixed.
4. Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans (you should have 1 1/2 cups of batter in each pan) and spread into an even layer with a spatula.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and center is no longer wet. This will be slightly less done than if you were just making brownies, as the brownies should be a little soft before freezing.
6. Remove the pans from the oven and let brownies cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing them from the pan using the parchment paper and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely, keeping them on their parchment paper for easy moving during cooling and ice cream sandwich assembly.
7. While the brownies are cooling, remove the ice cream from the freezer to soften enough that it can be spread but not melted and dripping. Line the cooled baking pan with parchment paper, and spread the softened ice cream into it in an even layer. Place in the freezer for a few minutes to hold its shape while preparing the next steps.
8. Remove the ice cream from the pan and replace with one of the layers of brownie along with its parchment paper. Slide the ice cream layer from its parchment and directly on top of the first brownie layer in the pan. Remove the second brownie layer from its piece of parchment and press it down on top of the ice cream layer. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and/or foil and place in the freezer for at least 12 hours (but not more than 18 hours or it will be difficult to slice).
9. After at least 12 hours, remove the dish from the freezer and use the parchment paper to remove the layered dessert from the pan and place it on top of a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice into squares or rectangles (this might take some elbow grease).
10. If desired, dip the edges into sprinkles (optional) and serve immediately.
11. If not serving immediately, wrap each sandwich individually and store in the freezer.
    

Notes

Ingredient Tips:

• It’s important to use real butter, not margarine, for this recipe. I’ve tried it with margarine and it never turns out the right consistency.
• Feel free to experiment with different ice cream flavors in place of vanilla. Some great options include chocolate chip, cookies n' cream, coffee, strawberry, peanut butter, mint chocolate chip, or even chocolate if you want an extra fudgy treat.
• Sprinkles are optional but a fun touch if you're serving these brownie ice cream sandwiches for a party or holiday and want to incorporate a color scheme. For example, I did these with red and blue sprinkles for the 4th of July one time.
  

Assembly Tip:

• Instead of spreading the ice cream into the pan separately, you can spread the ice cream directly on top of the first brownie layer. I personally like having the molded ice cream square ready to slide on top so I don't break or smash the first brownie layer by attempting to spread ice cream on top if it, but it's up to you if you want to save a step and spread onto the brownie directly.

Recommended Products

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  Wilton Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick 8-Inch Square Cake Pans, Set of 2

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  Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa, 8-Ounce Can