The only thing better than a homemade brownie? A homemade brownie ice cream sandwich!
It’s hard to beat a frosty scoop squished between two homemade brownies, and my army of taste testers came out of the woodwork for this one! But my brownie ice cream sandwich recipe also happens to be a pure joy to make.
- The brownie batter is fuss-free.
- Assembly is simple, no tricky bits here.
- These homemade ice cream sandwiches slice beautifully (and the brownies remain soft to the bite in the freezer.)
- They can be made ahead so stock your freezer.
- I can’t stop thinking about new combinations ~ how about coffee, butter pecan, black raspberry, mint chip…
brownie ice cream sandwich recipe highlights
- This is a classic brownie recipe baked in a quarter sheet pan instead of a regular 9×9 pan. We reduce the baking time so that they don’t get overdone.
- The brownies freeze beautifully without getting too hard because there is not a lot of water content in the batter.
- Simply slice your brownie slab in half and layer it up!
- Use any kind of store-bought ice cream you like. Let it soften up a bit on the counter first.
- Take time to spread the ice cream evenly over the brownies and smoosh the layers together so you get a nice even filling.
- Let the whole bar chill for 2-4 hours before slicing for the neatest slices.
- You’ll want to keep them airtight in the freezer after slicing for best results. A freezer-safe zip lock bag works great.
- You can also individually wrap them in waxed paper for a cute presentation!
TIP: Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to easily portion out ice cream across the surface of your brownie!
brownie ice cream sandwiches | the gourmet version!
A homemade ice cream filling would take this recipe over the top. Luckily I’ve got plenty of inspiration in my ice cream recipe archives.
- Black Raspberry Ice Cream
- Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream
- Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- Black Coffee Ice Cream
- Maple Walnut Ice Cream
- Coffee Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- No Churn Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- No Churn Baileys Ice Cream
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Homemade brownie ice cream sandwiches are a new family favorite.
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
- 1 quarter sheet pan (9×13) this is the one I use
Ingredients
for the brownies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, or chopped bar chocolate (3 ounces)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)
for the filling
- 1 pint strawberry ice cream (or ice cream flavor of your choice), slightly softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a quarter sheet pan (9×13) with a piece of parchment paper and butter the sides. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan on the stovetop, melt the 1/2 cup unsalted butter. Remove from the heat and add the 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth and then set aside to partially cool.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together the 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together the 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until well combined.
- Slowly add the partially cooled chocolate mixture to the wet ingredients, whisking to combine.
- Finally, fold in the flour mixture. Mix just until there are no dry streaks of flour left.
- Spread the batter evenly into your prepared baking pan. Take a minute to get the batter all the way to the corners and make it as even as possible.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until done but still soft to the touch – the brownies will firm up as they cool. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while still warm if desired.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature on the countertop. Then cover them and place them in the fridge to chill (a few hours to overnight).
- Once the brownies are completely firm and chilled, take a sharp knife and cut them in half, width-wise to make two rectangles. Gently peel each half off of the parchment paper.
- Place a fresh sheet of parchment paper on your baking sheet and lay one of the rectangles face down on on the parchment paper.
- Using a spoon or a small 1-inch cookie scoop, cover the surface of the brownie with the softened ice cream. Use a butterknife or an offset spatula to gently smoosh the ice cream together and spread it out into an even layer.
- Take the other brownie half and lay it face up on top of the ice cream layer. Press it firmly but gently into the ice cream so everything adheres well. You may need to clean up the edges with a butterknife if some ice cream squishes out.
- Return the brownie sandwich to the freezer for a few hours (at least 2 hours) to fully chill before slicing.
- Slice the slab into 12 small squares.
- If you'll be serving the ice cream sandwiches soon after cutting them, I'd simply return them to the freezer on the sheet pan until ready to eat. If you want to keep them overnight or for a few days longer, keep them in an airtight freezer-safe container.
Notes
*A small rectangular baking pan that measures approximately 9 x 13 inches. It’s one-quarter the size of a standard full sheet pan used in commercial kitchens.
Nutrition
Calories: 304 kcal · Carbohydrates: 42 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 14 g · Saturated Fat: 9 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 0.3 g · Cholesterol: 59 mg · Sodium: 95 mg · Potassium: 193 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 20 g · Vitamin A: 403 IU · Vitamin C: 3 mg · Calcium: 92 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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I almost didn’t make this because I didn’t have strawberry ice cream but OMG I’ll be making this with coffee ice cream all summer Thank you!!
100%
Can’t wait to try this. If cooking for a crowd, could we simply double the recipe and make it in a full sheet pan?
So a half sheet pan would be double the size of a quarter sheet pan, so you would use that. The only issue is wrangling such large sections of brownie to get them layered. But if you let it chill thoroughly it should work! (Don’t forget the parchment paper.)