Love brownies? Love mint chip ice cream? You are going to really love these Mint Chip Brownie Ice Cream Squares!
Of course when you layer brownies, ice cream, chocolate fudge and whipped cream… there is really no way it’s going to be bad! =)
I think I can safely say I often make tasty things… but this is seriously the best thing I’ve made all summer!
Not only is this frozen pie delicious, this dessert is quite easy to make, can be made up to a couple days in advance, and both kids and adults LOVE it!
My mom used to make ice cream “cakes” in the summer and I’d almost forgotten how much I love this kind of dessert!
Certainly the combinations are almost limitless… in fact, don’t be surprised if I make another one or two before summer is over!
How to Make Mint Chip Brownie Ice Cream Squares
Mint Chip Brownie Ice Cream Squares
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
- 18 oz brownie box mix Choose a boxed mix designed for a 9"x9" pan. I used Ghirardelli Fudge Brownies.
Ice Cream Layer
- 1.5 quarts mint chip ice cream 1 carton
Chocolate Layer
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- -OR- use good quality hot fudge sauce 1 to 1 1/2 cups
Whipped Cream Layer
- 8 oz whipped topping 1 tub of Cool Whip
- -OR- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Garnish/Toppings
- Chopped Andes Mints mini chocolate chips, chocolate pearls, etc.
Instructions
Brownie Layer
- Line a 9"x13" pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare brownies according to package, then spread batter into pan.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Cool Brownies.
Ice Cream Layer
- Allow a carton of ice cream to sit out at room temperature about 20 minutes, until soft enough to spread over the cooled brownies.
- Once the ice cream has been evenly spread, place the entire pan in the freezer to allow the ice cream to re-freeze.
Chocolate Layer
- Heat the cream in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until hot (watch it so it does not boil). Add chocolate chips to the hot cream and set aside (undisturbed) about 3 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. After 3 minutes, stir the chocolate until the cream and chocolate are fully combined.
- Set aside and allow to cool to about room temperature.
- Once cool, pour the chocolate over the ice cream layer, and spread evenly.
- -OR- Heat a jar of good quality hot fudge until just warm enough to spread, and spread on top of frozen ice cream layer.
- Return pan to freezer.
Whipped Cream Layer
- Thaw 1 small tub of Cool Whip at room temperature until spreadable,
- -OR- whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla together in an electric mixer.
- Spread whipped topping over chilled chocolate layer.
Garnish
- Garnish the whipped cream layer with toppings of your choice. I used a bit of everything I had on hand... a few chopped Andes Mints, mini chocolate chips and chocolate pearls.
Prepare
- Return pan to freezer and FREEZE AT LEAST 3 HOURS before serving.
- The entire dessert can be made ahead, and kept in the freezer (covered) up to 3 days in advance.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe for Mint Chip Brownie Ice Cream Squares is kind-of the summer cousin to one of my favorite recipes, Fudge Mint Brownies.
Love cool summer treats? Be sure to follow along on Pinterest where I’ve been pinning lots of yummy Frozen Treats.
This looks delicious. I realized after I baked the brownies, I had forgotten the parchment paper. Do you think this will turn out okay?
I’m making this for guests. I’m thinking I will add whip cream and garnishes on each piece as I serve it instead of freezing the whipped cream layer. Any thoughts on that?
Just found this on Pinterest. When it’s frozen is th brownie not frozen solid too? It seems like it would be rock solid and hard to eat?
Hi Rachael, Because baked brownies have very little moisture, they do not freeze super hard. The brownie portion of this dessert will be firm, but not rock hard. This recipe is definitely a summer favorite in our house, I hope you give it a try!
Do you use the oven temp on the brownie box or did you adjust it for the thinner layer?
Yes, the oven temp can remain the same (as listed on the box), but the total baking time will likely be less.
I want to make this a little thicker for wow factor. have you ever layered it a 2nd time where there are 2 brownie, ice crean and chocolate layers, then top with whip cream?
Hi, I’d like to try this for my son’s birthday cake using a circular cake pan. Do you think I need to modify the amounts? Thanks!
If you don’t want to wait as long for the ice cream to freeze, take it out of the container while still frozen and slice
thin, lay slices on top of brownie layer…this also creates spots where the fudge seeps down in.
Hi! This looks delicious. Wondering if you’d ever tried to make this with cookies instead of brownies… Do you think it would work the same? My husband isn’t much a brownie fan (what?!), but would love to try this! Thanks!
So sorry to hear you didn’t have success! Oddly, the only other non-positive reviews I’ve ever gotten on this recipe were from readers saying that after several hours in the freezer it wasn’t firm enough. So… needless to say, every freezer is a bit different. Without being in the kitchen with you it’s difficult to guess what went wrong… but I’m guessing the brownies were baked a bit longer than needed, and/or the dessert simply needed to thaw a bit longer. Very sorry you didn’t enjoy it as much as my family does.