Homemade brownie ice cream sandwiches are a terrific treat, and super easy to make at home. You simply sandwich store-bought vanilla ice cream between two layers of rich and chewy brownie — et voila! I jazzed up the vanilla ice cream a little by adding a swirl of homemade strawberry balsamic sauce (optional). For easy assembly, watch the video tutorial! Recipe yields 6 ice cream sandwiches.
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Table of contents
Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe for brownie ice cream sandwiches with you! I shot these just before we left to come back home, and so they were the very best snack to have stashed in my freezer to have while we were packing and had no other food in the house. I love having ice cream sandwiches as a quick and easy dessert - these Classic chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches are another favourite.
These Brownie ice cream sandwiches are super easy, and also happen to be small batch - the brownie is baked in one layer in a 9" square pan, then the sandwiches are assembled in a loaf pan, giving you six perfect ice cream sandwiches!
The brownie layer is super rich and chewy, then the ice cream layer is made from softened ice cream, which I jazzed up a little by adding a homemade strawberry sauce. They are super, super good and really easy to make. Using store bought ice cream with a fun mix in is the perfect short cut to super delicious brownie ice cream sandwiches. I hope you give them a go this summer to fill your freezer with some treats!
How to assemble ice cream sandwiches
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches are super easy to make - using store bought ice cream means that they come together relatively fast. You do need to account for time for the strawberry sauce to cool down and the ice cream sandwiches to freeze, but I promise you it is all worth it.
- Make the strawberry balsamic sauce - the strawberry sauce does not take long to make, but it does need some time to cool down. I used fresh berries here but I am sure that frozen would also work great if berries aren't in season.
- Make the brownie layer - this brownie is based on the small batch brownie recipe I did earlier this year and also happens to be a dairy free brownie! It comes together fast, and is spread thin in a 9" square pan. Bake the brownie until it is only just baked - you want it to be nice and chewy when you're assembling the brownie ice cream sandwiches.
- Trim down the brownie - The brownie is baked in a 9" pan so needs to be trimmed down into two pieces to fit in the pan.
- Assemble the brownie ice cream sandwiches - this step is super easy - softened ice cream goes into a bowl and then you add the cooled strawberry sauce and mix in to make a strawberry swirl. The first piece of brownie is snuggled into the loaf pan, topped with the ice cream, then topped with the second piece of brownie.
- Freeze the brownie ice cream sandwiches - The ice cream sandwiches go into the freezer until set, then you are ready to serve!
How to make strawberry sauce
Making strawberry sauce is the perfect use for slightly tired strawberries (or any berries). This balsamic strawberry sauce is super easy. It is the perfect way to jazz up a store bought vanilla ice cream.
I added some Filippo Berio Balsamic Vinegar into the strawberry sauce - I love how balsamic vinegar plays against berries. It cuts through the sweetness and provides an amazing depth of flavour. I always have some Filippo Berio Balsamic in the cupboard. It's great in baking but also makes a bomb salad dressing.
Strawberries sneakily have a lot of water in them (almost the same amount as watermelon). Water can cause ice crystals in ice cream. The way around this is to cook down the strawberries, then strain them. You then reduce down the strained strawberry sauce until it is a thick, syrupy strawberry balsamic ice cream sauce. You get all the flavour of strawberry balsamic, but none of the actual chunks of fruit which could cause ice crystals.
This strawberry sauce can be made up to a week ahead and is super good just spooned over ice cream. I often make some if I have some sad strawberries to use up!
Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches
Because of the nature of the brownie in this recipe, and because we lean on store bought ice cream, this small batch brownie ice cream sandwich recipe can easily be made into dairy and / or gluten free ice cream sandwiches.
- To make gluten free brownie: Replace the flour in the recipe 1:1 by weight with a gluten free flour blend. The brownies don't rely on the gluten, and have a relatively low flour content, so a gluten free brownie works great here.
- To make Dairy Free Brownie Ice Cream sandwiches: The Brownies in this recipe are already dairy free, as is the strawberry balsamic sauce. All you need to do to make this recipe dairy free is to use your favourite dairy free ice cream in the recipe. Easy easy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best type of ice cream to use for ice cream sandwiches?
I just used a good quality vanilla ice cream - grab what you like!
How long do homemade ice cream sandwiches last?
Ice Cream sandwiches are best the day or the day after they are made, but can be enjoyed up to a week after - just store them in an airtight container in the freezer.
How do you soften ice cream for ice cream sandwiches?
I leave my ice cream out at room temperature until it has just softened enough to be used - you don't want it to be too melty.
Can I use frozen Strawberries to make strawberry sauce?
I haven't tried it but I think it should be fine as you are reducing down the fruit anyway. I would defrost them first then just roughly chop before proceeding. Keep the liquid that thaws with the fruit.
Can this recipe be doubled?
It sure can! Just make the brownie recipe twice and bake in two 9" square pans, then assemble in a 9" pan.
What is the best pan to use for ice cream sandwiches?
I used a pullman pan to assemble these in as it has super square sides (I have a few recipes with them and they make amazing bread so are a great investment), but something this size would work great too. Try and get one with straight ish sides if you can so the sandwiches have straight edges! No worries at all if not though 🙂
Can I bake the brownie in two layers?
Yes, if you have two 9"x5" pans the same size this would work I think! I haven't tried it but it should be fine.
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 12 hours
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade brownie ice cream sandwiches are a terrific treat, and super easy to make at home. You simply sandwich store-bought vanilla ice cream between two layers of rich and chewy brownie — et voila! I jazzed up the vanilla ice cream a little by adding a swirl of homemade strawberry balsamic sauce (optional). For easy assembly, watch the video tutorial! Recipe yields 6 ice cream sandwiches.
Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce
- 450g chopped strawberries (weight is of cut fruit)
- 100g granulated sugar
- 30g water
- 30g Filippo Berio Balsamic Vinegar
For the Brownie
- 65g brown sugar
- 125g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 yolk
- 15g water
- 95g neutral oil - I used Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract or paste
- ½ tsp salt
- 40g dutch process cocoa
- 70g flour
For Assembly
- 400g of your favourite vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
- All of the strawberry sauce
Instructions
STRAWBERRY SAUCE
- Cut the tops off the strawberries, and cut them into quarters. Place in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add the sugar, water, and balsamic vinegar.
- Heat over a medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking down the strawberries with the spoon as you stir. Continue to cook until the fruit has mostly broken down.
- Remove from the heat. Pass the fruit through a sieve, pressing down with the back of a spoon to squeeze as much juice out as possible. Discard the solids.
- Clean the pot, and return to the stove. Add the strained juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and syrupy, about 3-5 minutes. You should be able to draw a line through your sauce where you can see the bottom of the saucepan briefly before it closes up again. Mine reduced down to about 180g of sauce. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge until completely chilled.
BROWNIE
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Grease and line a 9” (23cm) baking pan with parchment, leaving the edges overhanging. Secure with metal binder clips if desired.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, white sugar, egg, and egg yolk until thickened and lightened in color. Add the water, oil and vanilla and mix to combine. Sift in the salt, cocoa powder and flour, and mix to incorporate with a spatula.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread out gently. Bang on the counter multiple times to get rid of any big bubbles. Bake for 15-18 minutes, checking after 15 - you want the brownie to be just set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
ASSEMBLY
- Remove the brownie from the pan using the overhang, and place on a cutting board.
- Line a Pullman pan (9x4x4 / 23x10x10cm) or a 9"x5" (23x13cm) loaf pan with two pieces of parchment paper.
- Using the loaf pan as a template, trim the brownie into two pieces. If your pan is square they can be the same size, if your pan slopes slightly the piece that is going to be the top of the brownie will have to be slightly larger. Test them in the pan to see if you can get them as snug as possible.
- Place the first piece of brownie into the pan, baked side up (you want the side that was on the bottom of the pan facing out to give a smooth edge, so the bottom one will be 'right side up' and the top piece upside down to give a flat top).
- Place the ice cream into a bowl. Add the strawberry sauce, and mix well to incorporate.
- Transfer the ice cream into the loaf pan, and spread down with a spoon or an offset spatula, getting it as flat as you can.
- Top with the second piece of brownie, placing it upside down. Press down lightly.
- Cover the whole pan in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer.
- Freeze at least 6 hours and up to overnight, until the ice cream has totally solidified.
- Remove from the pan using the parchment paper overhang and transfer to a cutting board.
- Cut the brownie ice cream sandwiches into slices using a sharp knife, wiping between slices.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer.
Notes
To make these brownie ice cream sandwiches dairy free, use a vegan ice cream.
Keywords: Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich, Ice cream sandwich, brownies
Comments
Love that these are small batch!
★★★★★
I've only made the strawberry balsamic sauce from this recipe but wow is it good! Rich and intensely strawberry rather than sweet. I have an allotment which gives me huge crops of strawberries, far too many to eat fresh. This balsamic reduction sauce has become my go to recipe to use up the surplus. I freeze it in small containers then thaw to use stirred into yoghurt or as a pour over dessert sauce. Super yummy!
★★★★★
These are soooooo delish!!!!
★★★★★
Just made these for a Christmas gathering, and they are so good! I tripled the recipe and just monitored the bake time. The brownies are chewy and delicioussss!
This was so delicious! I was tempted to sub the oil for melted butter but I trusted the recipe and the brownies were delicious and soft, perfect for cutting when frozen. Highly highly recommend!
★★★★★