Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe Video

Complete with 8-ingredient homemade brownies, these brownie ice cream sandwiches are inspired by the store-bought version we all know and love. In addition to letting the assembled brownies freeze overnight, I recommend slightly under-baking the thin sheets of brownies so they aren’t rock solid after freezing. What a difference it makes! I have a full list of success tips, as well as a video tutorial and step-by-step photos, so make sure you browse this post before getting started. I can’t wait for you to try these at home!

These Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches Are:

Fun to make Inspired by the store-bought version Made with extra rich homemade brownies Awesome with vanilla ice cream, but you must try coffee or strawberry! Like my ice cream cake or these chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, they’re a wonderful make-ahead treat Great in the freezer for up to 1 month

**Though the full detailed instructions are written below, let me walk you through the process so you understand what you’re doing.

Overview: How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

I found this recipe idea on Tasty and was thrilled to try it with homemade brownies. The most difficult part of recipe testing was finding the perfect brownie recipe that would (1) be thin enough (2) be soft enough and (3) taste good enough. A hard code to crack, but I started with my seriously fudgy homemade brownies and built on that foundation.

Make homemade brownie batter. Using my homemade brownies as the base, I increased the butter, left out the melted chocolate, and added a bit of baking powder. I left out the chocolate so these brownies could be softer and, well, more convenient. (They’re made with only cocoa powder, so if you ever need a 9×13-inch pan of brownies that uses just cocoa powder, here’s your recipe—and you can use the same baking/cooling instructions as my homemade brownies. I don’t recommend a 9×13-inch baking pan for making these ice cream sandwiches, though. See next step.) I also added butter to make up for the loss of liquid chocolate and added baking powder to give the brownies a little lift and extra softness. Bake in two 9-inch baking pans. Use 2 9-inch square baking pans for the correct thickness. I only have one 9-inch square baking pan, so I bake the batter in batches. I do not recommend one 9×13-inch pan for this recipe. Though the brownie batter will fit and you could cut the cooled sheet of brownies in half, the “sandwich” will still be too thick. An 8-inch pan is too small. You could try two 9-inch round pans of brownies, but you won’t have even ice cream sandwich squares. Before baking, place a piece of parchment directly on top of the batter—this helps the brownies stay flat and prevents the brownies from puffing up too much. Under-bake. A quick 15-16 minutes per thin square sheet of brownies. As the brownies cool for a few minutes, remove your ice cream from the freezer so it slightly softens. Scoop ice cream on top of one layer of brownies. Carefully spread into an even layer. Place 2nd square sheet of brownies on top. Freeze. Place the whole pan in the freezer for at least 12 hours. I find 12-18 hours is the perfect amount of time. Any less and the ice cream will still be pretty soft and squish out when you try to cut them. The longer after 18 hours, the harder the sandwiches are to cut. Cut. Use a very sharp knife and some arm muscle!

Step-by-Step Photos:

The brownie batter is thick, so do your best to spread it into your lined pan(s). Lining with parchment paper is imperative so you can easily lift the brownie square out of the pan as a whole. Bake with parchment paper directly on top, too. This prevents the brownies from puffing up too much. You’ll have two square sheets of super thin and soft brownies. Soften ice cream, then spread it on top. Cover with 2nd square sheet of brownies. Freeze, then cut into squares or rectangles.

Success Tips (Follow These Closely)

These are always so much fun to serve when the weather begins to warm up, especially for pool parties, Father’s Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and every gathering in between! For more summer dessert inspiration, see my roundups of favorite Memorial Day recipes and BBQ cookout dessert recipes.