Ok, ok, ok!!! Stop what you’re doing, put everything on hold, and head immediately into your kitchen to pre-heat the oven.
Yes, you’ve got to do it, and I don’t care how hot it is outside because you NEED these ice cream sandwiches in your life.
They’re chocolatey in the most extra way possible.
They’re soft and chewy and rich.
They’re refreshing and creamy and loaded with the best of all ice cream, brownie, and cookie worlds.
They deserve their own spot in your freezer for ever and ever.
This means I’d also suggest making extra batches and buying chocolate in bulk so that you never ever run out because these babies go FAST.
Fork in the Kitchen’s Birthday
If you’re new here (or over on Instagram), welcome! I’m glad you’re here and now I bet you are too because you get to enjoy things like decadent ice cream sandwiches.
If you’ve been here for a while, first, let me say thank you. And second, I’m so dang sorry it took me so dang long to post this recipe.
You see, Fork in the Kitchen had its FIFTH birthday in March. March 22nd, to be exact. And if you haven’t yet successfully blocked out a greater part of 2020, then you’d remember that was about one week into being safer at home.
So, like many of you, some things went on the back burner and the priority became about self-care, staying at home, and adjusting to a new normal.
And quite frankly, a new normal that I appreciated. Since FITK’s last birthday, it had been a priority of mine to focus on slowing down, take care of myself, and find a balance between the hustle of work, work, and more work.
Which is what the past year has been about.
As I look forward to the next year of Fork in the Kitchen, I am SO giddy with excitement. We’re going full time, amping it up, and continuing to bring you elevated yet easy recipes. Ones that are approachable yet impressive. Ones that are inviting, and delectable.
So thank you for being here, new or seasoned friends. Thank you for your support, your comments, your engagement, and for enjoying delicious recipes with me.
And not only am I giddy with excitement for the next year, but it’s bursting now because we’re going to dig into these cookie dough ice cream sandwiches made with BROOKIES!
What is a Brookie?
If you haven’t heard of, or enjoyed, a brookie before, prepare for your world to be rocked.
This somewhat silly name is the marriage of two of the greatest desserts ever known to us: the brownie and the cookie. A chocolate chip cookie, that is. They’re baked together into one delectable dessert bar. I couldn’t stop just there though.
Since these are brookie ice cream sandwiches, this means that a thick layer of cookie dough ice cream is sandwiched between not just a cookie, and not just a brownie, but a brownie AND a cookie. And with that cookie dough ice cream? Well just forget about it… it’s over the top amazing.
How to Make Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
The goal here was to create an elaborate, indulgent, decadent ice cream sandwich that wasn’t too time-consuming or difficult. Both the brownies and cookie dough are made in one bowl, and quite frankly the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for them to freeze.
I used an adapted version of my brownie recipe, and my soft cookie recipe… needless to say, they both hit the mark 100%. Not overbaking the brookies keeps them soft enough that even after their time in the freezer, they remain chewy, soft, and extra delish. So let’s get to baking!
Start by mixing together the cookie dough and brownie batter in separate bowls. Once the brownie batter is combined, spread the batter evenly in a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper. It will seem like there’s just not enough batter, but there is! Because the cookie dough goes on top, it becomes thicker so never fear! Spread it out the best you can.
Baking tip: make sure the parchment paper has an overhang so you can easily remove the bars for sandwich assembly! You can use metal clips to hold it down if needed, just be sure they’re not plastic or they will melt in the oven.
Once the brownie batter is spread in the pan, on goes the cookie dough. Dollop the cookie dough around the top of the brownie batter evenly spaced out, as you would when baking cookies. Then, use your fingers to gently push it down to flatten the dollops out into rounds like cookies. Now you’re ready to bake!
The key is to not over-bake the brookies. Because they’re going into the freezer for our ice cream sandwiches, they will harden up throughout the process. Baking them just slightly under-baked keeps them chewy, fudgy, and extra bite-able! Once they’re baked to perfection, let them cool completely.
Now that they’re cool, you’ll gently lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper flaps. If you didn’t use parchment paper, be sure you’ve greased the pan, and gently flip the pan over to release the bars.
With the brookies out of the pan, cut the entire sheet of bars in half down the middle, leaving you with two equal halves of the bars. Make them as even as possible because further on we want them to line up as best as possible.
Flip one-half of the bars upside down so the cookie side is face down. Place it back into the corner of your 9×13 pan. This will be the “bottom” side of your sandwiches. It will look like this:
Then, you’ll spread slightly softened cookie dough ice cream on top of the half in the pan. It’s important that you’ve let the ice cream softened a little so it’s easier to spread. I have a few pointers for you.
Tips for Spreading the Ice Cream
- Make sure your ice cream is slightly softened (but not too runny, it’s a fine balance!).
- Dollop little scoops across the bars instead of large scoops, this makes it easier to spread.
- Once you spread (or “pushed down”) the scoops, there will likely be spaces between them – fill this in with extra bits of ice cream.
Once your ice cream is set and spread in place, with any holes filled, place the other half of the brookie on top of the ice cream. On this side, the cookies will face outward on the top, so the bottom of the bars goes on top of the ice cream; they’ll be “right side up” if you will.
Place the layered bars immediately back in the freezer! And keep them there. It’s so hard to wait, I KNOW! But wait you must. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mushy, melty ice cream mess when you go to cut the bars.
I highly recommend letting the bars freeze overnight. If you can’t wait that long, wait as long as possible, at least 4-6 hours.
How to Cut Ice Cream Sandwich Bars
There are two ways to go about cutting out these ice cream sandwiches.
One of the ways is a little easier, and one, well, requires a little more effort. You get to decide which route you want to go. Spoiler alert: it’s gonna be ultimately delicious either way!
As you can see in the photos, I used a 2 3/4″ biscuit cutter to cut out round ice cream sandwiches.
I opted to use a biscuit cutter because they’re cute, and a little bigger than what one might refer to as “bite-sized”. Ok, they’re pretty large when you consider the brownie and cookie and cookie dough ice cream are all packed in there, but that’s beside the point.
Using a biscuit cutter, regardless of what size, provides the ice cream sandwich shape we know and love, they’re evenly sized, and they’re adorable.
And they take a little muscle to work the biscuit cutter through the layers, but it’s totally doable if it’s worth it to you.
Note: you will have scraps left over this way, which is perfect for treating yourself. 😉 Just store the leftover pieces in a freezer-safe container for snacking.
If the little extra muscle work isn’t what you’re vibing with, no worries! You can easily just use a sharp chef’s knife and cut the bars into squares. If you cut them into squares, do so just as you would any other baked bar. I’d recommend about 2″ squares, but the beauty is, again, it’s up to you.
If using a knife, try to use one swift motion down when cutting the bars to prevent any slipping of the layers. You may also want to wipe the knife off in between slices for a clean cut.
Whichever way you slice it (pun definitely intended), Brookie Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches make all the chocolate, brownie, cookie, cookie dough, ice cream dreams come true.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! They obviously won’t be cookie dough ice cream sandwiches but you can use any ice cream you’d like for the middle.
Ah, my friend, these are brownie, cookie, and ice cream sandwiches. They are rich. If you’re someone who prefers less sweet, I would recommend cutting them into smaller bars to enjoy, because yes, they are rich.
As long as you don’t overbake the brookie layer, yes, they will stay soft in the freezer. Be careful to remove the pan from the oven when they’re still slightly underbaked, as you would any brownie or cookie, and let them cool completely before continuing. They’ll stay soft this way!
More Ice Cream Recipes to Love:
- Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream Pie (like a DQ ice cream cake!)
- Sweet Corn Caramel Ice Cream
- Mini Ice Cream Cake with Banana Creme Anglaise
- Triple Fudge Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake
Get the Recipe Brookie Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Brownie Batter:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cookie Dough:
- 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, slightly melted
- 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 cup + 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Ice Cream
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups cookie dough ice cream
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, leaving enough hang over the edges to pull up on after the bars are done baking.
- Brownies: Melt the butter with 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Whisk in the sugar until combined. Add vanilla and the eggs, whisking until incorporated. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Spread evenly in the pan.
- Cookies: Whisk together butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk together until combined. Stir in salt, baking soda, and flour – it may seem like there's too much flour at first, but keep stirring! Add in chocolate chips.
Dollop the cookie dough onto the brownie batter, pressing down on the tops of them to form more of a cookie-like shape. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are set and cookies are slightly golden brown. Be careful to not overbake! Let cool completely before continuing.- Remove ice cream from the freezer 10-15 minutes prior to spreading to soften it slightly. This makes it easier to spread, but don't leave out too long or it will be runny.
- Remove brookies from the pan using the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. Cut down the middle of the bars, creating two equal-sized halves. Flip one half over, so the top is facing down, and place it back into the pan on one side, bottom side up.
- Dollop the softened ice cream across the brookies in the pan and spread evenly, gently pressint the ice cream down in an even layer. Fill any gaps in with additional ice cream. Place the second half of the brookies on top of the ice cream, right side up.
- Place the layered bars in the freezer for at least 4 hours, preferably longer, until frozen solid.
- Once frozen solid, use a biscuit cutter (if making round sandwiches) or a chef's knife (for square bars) to cut out ice cream sandwiches to your desired size. Enjoy the bars immediately or place back in the freezer until ready to eat.
Notes
- Milk chocolate chips work in the cookies, too!
- See blog post for notes about ice cream sandwich size.
- If using a biscuit cutter, you will have scraps left over. Store them in a freezer-safe container to enjoy snacking on!
These sandwiches were amazing! They were super rich and I could only eat a little bit in a sitting. The brookie stayed super soft when frozen. I will definitely use this recipe again.
Thanks so much, Ava! They’re definitely rich 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed!