Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Is there anything better than ice cream sandwiches? Seriously... 

I mean you take two delicious things and sandwich a third delicious thing in the middle.... basically heaven, am I right? 

These bad boys only take about an hour to whip up, if your using store bought ice cream, and are sure to be a big hit with friends and family! Use any flavor ice cream you like - I went with vanilla and chocolate, but I imagine salted caramel, maple walnut, mint chocolate chip or pretty much anything would be delicious as well. 

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients

Brownie Cookies

8 oz chocolate chips (about 1 1/3 cup)

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

salt

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Filling

Ice Cream

Directions

Make cookies - In a microwave safe bowl (or on the stove top), melt the chocolate chips and butter, whisking until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs for 2 minutes. Beat in sugars, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the melted chocolate until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. 

Add in flour, cocoa powder, and walnuts, stirring until just combined. Chill batter for 30 minutes. (Do not skip this step!) 

When batter is chilled, preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop batter about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. They will spread. 

Bake at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes, until tops are crackled. Don't over bake or cookies will be crispy not chewy. If you make the cookies smaller then your cooking time will vary. 

Cool completely on wire racks before filling with ice cream. 

Let ice cream soften on the counter for about 10 - 15 minutes before scooping onto the flat side of one cookie. Flatten gently with a spoon before topping with another cookie. You need to work fairly quickly as the ice cream will start to melt and get very messy!

Store in freezer. 

You can wrap them individually to make storage easier. 

FYI - these go great at bake sales if you have a cooler with ice to keep them in! 

I made some with brownie cookies, some with chocolate chip cookies, some with vanilla ice cream and some with chocolate ice cream and they all sold in about 5 seconds! 

These are, as the little one Sue babysits would say, deeeeeeeeelicious. 

Click HERE if you want to make brownie ice cream sandwiches that are gluten and dairy free. 

Bourbon Bacon Marshmallow Macadamia Nut Brownies

If you ever want to be pushed into coming up with recipes you normally wouldn't think of then I recommend hosting a Chopped-type contest. You give your participants 2 mystery ingredients that they have to use to create a recipe. I have been hosting a Chopped: Quarantine Edition contest for just over a month now and it has been so much fun. It definitely has been helping me think outside the box when developing recipes.

I came up with this recipe when I chose bacon and brown sugar as the 2 mystery ingredients. I went a little crazy and threw in some bourbon and marshmallows and macadamia nuts because... why not? Some people say less is more, but when we are talking brownies: more is more. 

Bourbon Bacon Marshmallow Macadamia Nut Brownies

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp instant coffee

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs + 1 yolk

3 Tbsp bourbon + 4 Tbsp of bourbon

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup macadamia nuts

1/2 cup bacon bits (divided)

1 jar marshmallow creme

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 10 inch pan with parchment paper, set aside.

Stir together flour, instant coffee, and salt. Set aside. 

In the top of a double boiler, cook and stir butter, cocoa powder, and sugars for 8 minutes. 

Add in eggs and yolk, bourbon, and vanilla. Stir to combine well. Remove from heat and stir in flour mixture, macadamia nuts, and half of the bacon bits. 

Pour into prepared pan.

Drop the marshmallow creme by the spoonful on top. Swirl in with a butter knife. Top with the other half of the bacon bits. 

Bake at 350 for approx 30 - 40 minutes. Do not over bake or brownie will be dry.

Remove from heat and, using a pastry or basting brush, brush the 4 Tbsp of bourbon over the top of the brownie. 

Let cool completely. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and use parchment paper to help remove the brownie from the pan. Cut into 16 pieces. 

Can I just say.... these are perfect with a little bourbon on the side too. 

Father's Day is coming and I'm pretty sure a lot of dad's out there that would enjoy this!

A glass of milk would work too. Just sayin'

The bacon adds a salty crunch and the macadamia nuts have a wonderful crunchy yet not too crunchy texture. The marshmallow gets nice and toasty on top which is a whole other layer of flavor and texture. 

So. Much. Going. On. 

Rich and gooey and chocolaty. Everything a brownie should be. 

Keto Mocha Brownie Cheesecake

Maybe it's just me, but I find a LOT of keto friendly desserts just terrible. I mean.... they have that weird sugar-substitute aftertaste that seems chemically to me. Ooooor.... the texture is off because you've subbed out ingredients with low carb ingredients (ie: flour for almond or cocout flour). 

This cheesecake though.... none of the above. 

It's as cheesecake-y as cheesecake can be. Even the brownie bottom is very brownie-y. I was very excited that it turned out so tasty after only 2 tries at tweaking my recipe. It makes 4 servings but can be doubled easily. FYI - you can freeze pieces of this very well for a later date so you are not tempted to eat it all at once! Although, for only 3.3 net carbs per serving, you'd have nothing to feel bad about if you did! 

Keto Mocha Brownie Cheesecake

Ingredients

Brownie Base

3 Tbsp butter, melted

3 Tbsp baking cocoa powder

3 Tbsp almond flour

3 Tbsp powdered Swerve

1 tsp instant coffee granules

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp walnuts

Cheesecake

8 oz cream cheese, room temp

3 Tbsp powdered Swerve

2 Tbsp sour cream

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 325. Spray the sides and bottom of a 7 inch spring-form pan with cooking spray, set aside. 

Prepare brownie base - stir together the melted butter, cocoa, almond flour. Stir in Swerve, coffee granules, egg, vanilla, and walnuts. 

Spread into the prepared 7 inch spring-form pan. Place in preheated 325 oven while you prepare the cheesecake layer. Bake for 8 minutes.

Prepare cheesecake layer - Beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in Swerve, sour cream, vanilla, and egg until smooth. Gently spread evenly over the brownie layer.

Place back in oven, reduce heat to 300, and bake 30 minutes more (until cheesecake is set). Turn off the oven and crack open the door a little. Leave cheesecake in the oven another 30  minutes to cool gradually. This will help prevent it from cracking.

When cheesecake has cooled completely, run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the sides of the pan. 

Chill at least 3 hours before serving, up to overnight. 

Cut into 4 pieces. 

Serve as is or add your own favorite toppings. 

I went with a little whipped cream and a strawberry to keep the carb count pretty much at 3.3 net per piece.

I love the simplicity of this recipe and that, other than the Swerve and almond flour, the ingredients are all "regular" baking ingredients. I was able to find the powdered Swerve online and am so happy I did! It definitely makes a difference what sugar substitute you use. I don't find the powdered Swerve nearly as chemical tasting as some of the others out there. The texture is bang on too. Just like icing sugar. 

Do you have a favorite keto dessert that you swear by? We'd love to hear about it! Drop us a comment below so we can check it out! :) 

Cream Cheese Brownies

You can't go wrong with brownies. I mean... fudgey, chocolaty, ooey gooey brownies warm, with ice cream and caramel sauce....*droooool*. When they bury me it's going to be written on my tombstone: "The brownies finally got her."

I'm okay with that. 

This recipe is a bit of a cheat. We started with a mix and made some additions and ended up with a totally decadent dessert that will impress all your chocolate loving guests. If you are anti-cheat, then by all means you can use your favorite basic brownie recipe to start with!

Cream Cheese Brownies

Ingredients

1 box brownie mix (We used Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie) 

Ingredients on box to prepare brownie

Cream Cheese Swirl

4 oz cream cheese (1/2 a brick), room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Extras

vanilla ice cream

caramel sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 10 inch pan with parchment paper, set aside. (NOTE - can use a 9 inch pan but you will need to adjust cooking time.)

Prepare brownie as per box instructions and spread into the prepared 10 inch pan.

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth, scraping bowl as needed. Drop by spoonfuls over the brownie in the pan.

Swirl the cream cheese mixture through the brownie mixture with a butter knife. 

Bake at 350 until toothpick inserted near center comes out with only a few moist crumbs and top looks "dry"- about 30 - 35 minutes. The cream cheese part will be browned. 

Let cool on wire rack. Use the parchment paper to remove the brownie from the pan OR serve directly from the pan. 

You can serve warm or room temp.... or even chilled if that's your thing. There is no wrong way to serve a rich and creamy cheesecakey brownie.

Ice cream always makes things better, of course. But wait, there's more...

Caramel sauce on top is just the bomb. 

Are we still saying that? Are things still "the bomb"?

Regardless.... this is and always will be. 

Do you enjoy cheesecake and brownies and ice cream and caramel in one stupidly over the top dessert? I do. I really, really do. 

Brookies

Half brownie, half cookie. 100% amazing. 

Sue and I are all about hybrid cooking. Especially when it ends with something as ridiculous as these cookies. Nanaimo Bars and Donuts are another hybrid I can get behind. (Click HERE for that!) 

But, today we are talking about cookies. Delicious, chocolaty, chewy cookies. 

I don't know about you but I love brownies. I also love chocolate chip cookies. Brookies, therefore, are my soul mate and we need to get married. 

Brookies

Ingredients

Brownie Half

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

Chocolate Chip Cookie Half

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

Prepare brownie dough - Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and stir until stiff dough forms. Chill dough while making chocolate chip cookie half.

Prepare chocolate chip dough - Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add in flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Stir until stiff dough forms. 

Using a cookie scoop (I like large for giant cookies, but medium scoops work too!), take one scoop from the chilled brownie dough and one scoop from the chocolate chip cookie dough - and press the 2 together. Gently press into a ball and flatten lightly in your hand. Set about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. 

Bake at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes (for medium scoops), 8 - 10 (for small scoops), and (12 - 18 for large scoops). They are done when the bottoms are lightly browned and cookies appear dry on top. 

Let cool for 5 minutes on cookie trays before removing to wire rack to cool completely. 

Like all cookies, they are addicting when warm and almost as equally delicious when room temp. Serve with a glass of milk, mug of coffee, or cup of tea. 

If you use small scoops (about 1 Tbsp) then you should get about 4 dz cookies. That drops to about 2 dz with medium, and 1 dz with large. The brownie side does spread a bit more than the chocolate chip so do NOT skip chilling the brownie dough.

Classic Chocolate Brownies (Big Batch)

Sometimes you just need a lot of brownies. 

Like a looooooooooooooot. Usually it'd be for a potluck or a bake sale or a school function but who am I to judge if you just really need a million brownies for a weekend wine and gab fest with some friends? 

These are classic chocolate brownies with no additions but, again, who am I to judge if you want to top with some nuts or sprinkles or chopped up chocolate bars, or marshmallows? Fill your boots. 

I have trouble cooking brownies - meaning I never can tell when they are cooked through. Brownies are supposed to be gooey but there is a fine line between gooey brownies and raw batter. These bars are a bit thinner because they are baked in a big pan so they are easier to tell when they are cooked! 

I cut them in fairly large pieces and got 4 dozen. If you were cutting them for, say a tea or the like, you would easily get 7 or 8 dozen pieces. 

Classic Chocolate Brownies (Big Batch)

Ingredients

Brownies

7 eggs

3 3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup baking cocoa

2 tsp salt

1 tsp instant coffee granules

1 Tbsp vanilla

3 cups flour

2 cups butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

Frosting

4 cups icing sugar

2/3 cup baking cocoa

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Prepare brownies - Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 12 X 17 cookie sheet with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. Set aside. (NOTE - you can also bake these in a 13 X 18 pan)

In a very large mixing bowl, beat the eggs for 1 minute.

Add in the sugar, cocoa, salt, coffee granules, and vanilla. Beat one minute.

Lastly, add in the flour, butter, and milk, and beat one more minute, scraping bowl as you go. Do not over mix. One minute of beating between each addition is plenty. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. 

Bake at 350 until brownie is set, approximately 25 minutes. 

Remove from heat and run a knife around the outside of the pan to loosen from edges. 

Let cool to room temperature. 

Once the brownie has cooled I like to gently flip it out of the pan onto another cookie sheet, peel off the parchment paper, and then flip it back onto a cutting board. 

Prepare frosting - Place all frosting ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until well combined. 

Spread the frosting on the cooled brownies. Let sit until frosting crusts a bit. 

Slice into whatever size pieces you need!

So chocolatey! As you can see from the above photo my corner pieces look a bit dry along the edge. Nothing wrong with that! They just seem more "cake like" that way.

But, if you want moist brownies then just be sure you don't over bake them. 

In case you are in need of a big batch of something delicious; look no further!