These brownie ice cream sandwiches are the perfect summer dessert for all your outdoor festivities. Your favorite ice cream is sandwiched between chewy, chocolatey brownies for a frozen treat that is sure to be hit with both kids and adults!
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Who doesn’t love refreshing ice cream on a sweltering summer day? Our brains associate food with various memories, whether its special holiday dishes, Grandma’s Sunday meatballs, or seasonal foods we look forward to. Melted ice cream with sticky hands, beach days, and BBQs are some of my beloved memories of summer. I wanted to share these homemade brownie ice cream sandwiches because they’re an extra special treat for summer. And let’s face it, brownies are just better with ice cream!
Life Is About Balance
I know, I know…I’m a dietitian promoting this decadent dessert. I subscribe to the philosophy that life is all about balance. Food should not only nourish our bodies but be delicious and enjoyed. Allowing indulgent foods is not only important, but also crucial to maintaining a healthy relationship with food and a healthy lifestyle.
Great Dessert For July 4th Weekend!
These brownie ice cream sandwiches are a delicious treat to make this fourth of July weekend or to bring with you to any summer BBQ or party. You absolutely need to give these brownie ice cream sandwiches a try before the summer ends. Also, if you need more summer recipe ideas, I’m linking some of my favorite recipes below!
Ingredients To Make These Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
These brownie ice cream sandwiches are easy to make. The great thing is you can put as much homemade effort into them as you want. You can make your own brownies and ice cream from scratch or for convenience, you can use box brownies and a carton of ice cream.
- Brownies- I use box brownies for convenience but make your favorite homemade recipe or even buy store bought.
- Ice cream- I chose vanilla ice cream for the classic combination. However, you can put any flavor ice cream into these brownie sandwiches. Some options include: strawberry, chocolate chip, coffee, caramel swirl, cherry Garcia, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, and more!
- Extras for decorating- be as creative as you want with decorating. I put the M&M’s on top of the brownies before baking but you can also roll the sides to decorate the ice cream with any of the following: sprinkles, M&M’s, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips, crushed oreos, and more.
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How To Store Ice cream Sandwiches
You can store the brownie ice cream sandwiches in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap individually. Just be sure the ice cream is completely frozen before wrapping. To enjoy from frozen, I recommend letting the sandwiches sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly so they’re easier to enjoy!
Looking for more recipe ideas for this holiday weekend? Check out some of my favorite summer recipes below.
Grilled Zucchini-Corn Salad is the perfect summer side dish to accompany any barbecue or summer meal. In addition, it is simple to toss together and is full of fresh summer flavors.
This peach caprese salad is a sweet twist on traditional caprese salad. It’s layered with sweet peaches, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, and then topped with a drizzle of white balsamic glaze and honey. It’s all the best flavors of summer combined into one!
This pesto pasta salad is bursting with juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and is all tossed in a flavorful homemade pesto. It’s the perfect quick and tasty side dish for all your summer cookouts and gatherings!
This black bean corn salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, and a tangy vinaigrette is easy to make and full of flavor. It’s great for all your summer cookouts, picnics, or anywhere you need a colorful, healthy side dish!
This sweet potato salad is a flavorful twist on classic potato salad. It’s light, healthy, refreshing and also the perfect side dish for BBQs, potlucks, or to feed a crowd.
Chicken Burgers with Spinach and Feta
These Chicken Burgers with Spinach and Feta are so flavorful and juicy! Serve these chicken burgers at your next gathering and they are sure to be a hit!
This strawberry salad dressing is sweet, tangy and a delicious accompaniment to any salad. It is ready in only a couple of minutes, and is perfect drizzled over leafy greens.
Watermelon, Arugula, and Feta Salad
I love the flavor combination in this simple watermelon, arugula, and feta salad. It is a cool, crisp summer salad and is perfect to serve with anything you are grilling.
Brownie Ice cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 Box of your favorite brownie mix
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream or favorite flavor
- M&M’s or sprinkles for decorating optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 (8-inch) square baking pans with parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
- Prepare brownie batter according to the package directions. Divide the batter evenly among the two pans and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula into an even layer. If you are decorating or adding any other candies (i.e. M&M’s or sprinkles) to the brownies, sprinkle on one pan evenly. See notes for alternative methods for decorating!
- Bake both pans in the oven on a middle rack and cook for about 18-22 minutes. Visually the edges will start to form a crust and the middle should look matte, no longer shiny. if you stick a tooth pick in the center, it should not look wet and underdone but some crumbs may stick, which means they are done baking. You don’t want to over cook them. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Place brownies in pans, uncovered, into the freezer until completely cool, 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you make the brownies ahead of time (before you plan on assembling) you can let them cool at room temperature. When you do go to assemble, I still suggest freezing for 20-30 minutes to make it easier to lift out of the pans without them breaking.
- When just about ready to assemble take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften slightly, 5-10 minutes.
- Once ice cream is soft, spread in an even layer over the top of 1 cooled brownie pan. If you added candy to one brownie pan use that as the top layer. Remove brownie from the second pan and gently peel the parchment paper off the back. Place the second brownie on ice cream layer, top side up, lightly pressing down to seal. Freeze until firm, about 1-4 hours pending the kind of ice cream you purchased.
- Once firm, run a knife along the edges to loosen the ice cream sandwiches. Using the parchment paper as handles, remove the sandwiches from the pan and place on a cutting board.
- Trim away excess ice cream that may have oozed out. Cut brownies into rectangles or squares. They are very rich so small sizes are best. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container and place back in the freezer until ready to eat. You can also wrap each sandwich individually with plastic wrap to keep them more fresh.
Nutrition Facts
248 Calories, 11 gram fat, 3 gram protein, 33 gram total carbohydrate, 0 grams of fiber, 25 grams sugar, 109 mg sodium Notes
You can make your brownies from scratch using your favorite brownie recipe or for convenience use box mix. I chose vanilla ice cream for the classic combination. However, you can put any flavor of ice creams into these brownie sandwiches. Some options include: strawberry, chocolate chip, coffee, caramel swirl, cherry Garcia, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, and more! Add as much or as little ice cream to the middle as you want. the brownies are rich so I like a decent amount of ice cream to cut the richness. I chose to put M&M’s in the brownie batter, but you can also decorate the exposed ice cream with various toppings to make them fun! Here are some ideas: roll exposed edges of ice cream in sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, crushed Oreos, and more If you want the brownie to be thinner, try baking larger (13x9) pans but be mindful the time will be reduced because it will be thinner. So be sure to keep an eye on them so they don't get over cooked.
What’s your favorite BBQ recipe? Share in the comments below. I love to try out your recommendations, and maybe other readers will love your ideas, too! Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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