Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches
Need an afternoon pick me up? Grab one of these Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches! Filled with no-churn mocha ice cream, these tasty treats are sure to be a hit!
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“Aw, do I have to go to bed now?” “Yes, Robbie, it’s bedtime.”
The other night, I was having my nightly conversation with Robbie about bedtime and it made me wonder. At what point does it switch from “having to go to bed” to “getting to go to bed?” We have to coax and cajole Robbie into bed each night. If he had his way, he’d stay up and play ’til the cows came home. Me on the other hand? I run towards the bed where I stop about 5 feet away and gracefully slide the rest of the way on my socks. (Ok, graceful might be a bit of a stretch, but you get the point.) Bedtime is a celebration for 2 out of 3 of us in this house. (And if you count Ethel, our 10-pound chihuahua mutt, then bedtime becomes a celebration for 3 out of 4 of us.)
The same thing is true the next morning, too. I’ve always been a morning person, but somehow Robbie manages to beat me at my own game. Get this, though. I have to wake that little bugger up on preschool mornings. He groans at me like a stubborn donkey. But on the weekend? He’s up and at ’em by 6am at the latest. How does he know!?
On these early weekend mornings, Dad’s cup of strongly brewed coffee is an absolute requirement. Don’t get me wrong here. I absolutely love spending time with Robbie at this age (3 years old already). But I still need my cup of morning coffee. And sometimes a cup of afternoon coffee, too.
Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches
Mocha Ice Cream Brownie SandwichesKeeping with the coffee vibe, I decided to make these Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches for dessert recently. Coffee and chocolate pair quite well together, and this dessert was a huge hit. Ice cream sandwiches were a staple of my childhood, and I remember eating them with my sister while watching Hey, Dude and Saved by the Bell. (I’m not gonna lie. I just spent the last 10 minutes of my life googling the cast of Hey, Dude to see where they are these days. Did you know that Joe Torres – Danny in the show – hasn’t been seen or heard from in years? He totally went rogue.)
Back to ice cream sandwiches! For some reason, the outer cookie portion of ice cream sandwiches always got kinda sticky. Do you remember that? Well, these Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches fix that problem! Instead of a gummy cookie, I used my go-to brownie recipe. I baked those brownies in a smaller (8″x8″ instead of 9″x13″) pan and then just sliced ’em in half horizontally once they cooled. All that was needed then was a good mocha ice cream to fill those sandwiches.
You could totally use a store-bought coffee ice cream here. These Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches would still be delicious. However, I opted to make an easy no-churn mocha ice cream here at home. I’m not afraid of pulling out the ice cream maker, but I decided to go the easy route here. I used whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk to create a quick and easy no-churn ice cream. The only downside here is you’ve gotta make the ice cream in advance so that it can freeze. But with a little advance planning, these Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches could be sitting on your kitchen counter! Enjoy, friends!
Did you make a batch of these Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Looking for more coffee-flavored desserts? Check out these other favorites:
Mocha Mississippi Mud Pie
Rudesheim Coffee
Traditional Coffee Ice Cream
Peppermint Mocha Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Spice Mocha Hot Chocolate
Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Mocha Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1½ Tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp espresso powder or 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate
For the Brownies
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 oz. chopped unsweetened chocolate
- 1¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips divided
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
For the Mocha Ice Cream
- Using a large bowl and an electric mixer, add heavy cream and whip until soft peaks form. Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, vanilla extract and condensed milk; stir lightly until well combined.
- Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold in chopped chocolate.
- Transfer mixture into freezer-safe container and press wax paper to top of surface. Freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
For the Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8” square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2” of overhang on all sides. Set pan aside.
- Using a medium saucepan, add the butter, unsweetened chocolate and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Place over medium-low heat, stirring often, until butter and chocolate have fully melted; set pan aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir the egg mixture into the warm (not hot!) chocolate mixture.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture.
- Stir the remaining ¾ cup of chocolate chips into the batter.
- Transfer batter into prepared baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into brownies comes out mostly clean.
- Let entire pan cool completely. (Tip: If you refrigerate these brownies, they’ll be easier to slice.)
To Assemble
- Using the parchment paper, life the entire (unsliced) brownie from pan and place on large cutting board. Use a serrated knife to slice the brownie in half horizontally. Place the base of the brownie back into the baking pan. (Tip: Reuse the parchment paper as it will make it easier to remove bars from pan later.)
- Spread the ice cream evenly over brownie base. (Tip: If necessary, let the ice cream soften a bit until it is spreadable.)
- Place the top of the brownie on top of ice cream and press lightly. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours, or overnight.
- Lift the bars from the pan and cut into squares. Serve immediately.
My kids were always early risers until the tween years. Everything changed and now they can sleep till noon! These mocha ice cream sandwiches look amazing! They are a perfect treat for summertime! Can’t wait to try them!
That’s crazy, Kathy! So far Robbie is falling into their footsteps as that kid is an early riser for sure. He wants to be up before the sun rises…and that’s really early in the summer!
And these ice cream sammiches are delicious. Laura saw this post roll by on Facebook last night, and she immediately asked me to make another batch. 🙂
Lol…we run for the bed now too, especially during the busy work week….it’s like, ‘woo hoo, time for cozy bed so I can get some zzz’s’, lol. I’m always in the need of an afternoon pick me up and if it comes in the form of a delicious ice cream sandwich that would make me very very happy! Now, we just need some sunshine 😉 Hope you have a lovely week, David!
Oh man, bed time is the best time of the day now! I used to question why Laura went to bed so early. I’d usually stay up and play video games or read for another hour or so. Now I’m right there leading the way to the pillow!
I’m hoping you get some summer sunshine up your way, Dawn. It’s been annoyingly chilly here, too, but I think there is some warmth heading our way soon. Either way, these ice cream sammiches are perfect for summer!
Whaaaat? I loved Hey, Dude! As soon as I hit post on this comment I’m going to go down a rabbit hole searching for poor Danny. I remember seeing Mr. Ernst on ER a few times and couldn’t take his character seriously because he’ll always be Mr. Ernst to me. . .As for bedtime, my guess is it becomes a privilege when you get your first real job–so you have a few more years of Robbie squabbles yet :). At least you have delicious ice cream sandwiches to help you deal with it!
Yes! Another Hey Dude! fan. I suspected you and I would be on the same boat there, Kelsie. 🙂 I find the whole Danny disappearance crazy. Like no one knows what happened to him. I found some thread where he’s been sighted from Montana to Vermont…but who knows if it’s actually him. Let me know if you find him, ok?
Ugh. That’s a lot of years. Haha! But at least I have lots of ice cream sandwiches stashed in the freezer. I might survive! Maybe.
Your Mocha Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches would go away very rapidly around here. A great summertime kid (and adult) pleaser.
Now about Hey, Dude and Saved by the Bell. I just Googled them to find out what they were all about. But, now I have an image of both shows forever in my mind.
Oh, these brownie sammiches disappeared quickly around here, Ron! We stashed them in the freezer, but it only took a few days before that container was empty. Guess I need to make another batch, huh?
As far as Saved by the Bell and Hey Dude, I can’t say they were the best shows. However, they were the shows of my childhood, and I still remember lots of the episodes. I stumbled across reruns recently, and they just aren’t as good as I remember. Imagine that! 🙂
My kids used to be earlybirds, too! That lasted until they were maybe 10 or 12? After that, maybe they sleep until sometime after 10 for sure, maybe even noon, or later…I love Mocha-flavored Anything! These look awesome, David! Brownies and ice cream is a family favorite here, (of course!) and I do love a no-churn ice cream- so easy! Thanks for the recipe!
Ok, so based on your comments as well as Kathy’s, I’m thinking 10 is the magical age when kids go from waking up before the sun to sleeping ’til noon. Why can’t we just compromise and get up at 8 every day? 🙂
Also, these brownie sammiches are quite delicious, Laura! The coffee + chocolate combo is insanely tasty. In fact, I’d totally eat one right now…if there were any left. Haha!
Well . . . wile my 13-yr-old actually just “goes to bed” when he’s tired, at a reasonable hour, it’s still a struggle to get my 15-yr-old to go to bed. Obviously at this age I can’t do much as far as a bedtime, but the coaxing never ends! 😀
On to the recipe. My two favorite flavors in desserts — and maybe in the world — are coffee and chocolate. So needless to say, I’m finding this dreamy! I might just need a pick-me-up all day if I had these in the freezer. Always fun to have a good no-churn ice cream recipe on hand, too. Thank you!
Umph. I totally know what you mean about coaxing for bedtime. The current trick is to reward him with a glowstick that he can keep in bed if he goes to bed without crying and whining. It’s working…for now.
As far as the recipe, I am right there with ya, Valentina! I love chocolate + coffee in desserts. Ben & Jerry’s makes a coffee ice cream with chocolate toffee bits in it. Holy cow! I’ve gotta say that these ice cream sammiches are quite tasty. And they freeze well, too…if you can keep them around long enough! Haha. Thanks so much, my friend!
Kids normally don’t appreciate this gorgeous word “sleep”, right? I wish I could be a kid again to have that awesome opportunity to have my bedtime at 8/9/10 p.m. and a long nap (or preferably two) at afternoon 🙂 I also wish to get my hands on these amazing ice cream sandwiches. Coffee is one of my favourite ice cream flavours, and combined with brownies, this is absolutely divine!
You’re telling me, Ben! Why don’t adults get afternoon naps? Say around 1pm each day? I could totally get on board with that plan! Instead, we’ll just have to “settle” for these brownie ice cream sandwiches. Haha! I love coffee desserts, and I’ve gotta say that these sandwiches are on the list of favorites around here now. 🙂
That’s such a great question: when does bed time go from ‘have to’ to ‘get to’?
I’ll tell you that you had my attention with no churn mocha ice cream before I even saw the brownies! These look awesome, David! Perfect afternoon pick me up!
Thank you so much, Marissa! This no-churn mocha ice cream is quite delicious…but sandwich it in between two brownies? Oh yeah! Now you’re talking! 🙂
oh yum david. these sound very delicious indeed. i love coffee and chocolate flavours together. a match made in heaven. and instant ice cream is such a boon to a busy kitchen, isn’t it? cheers sherry
I love coffee + chocolate when it comes to dessert, too, Sherry! The funny thing is I actually don’t like chocolate in my coffee. I prefer my coffee ‘regular’ but when it comes to desserts, I’m all about the chocolate + coffee combo! And, yes, no churn ice cream is crazy handy when you want to whip up a dessert. 🙂
Reading this whilst enjoying my weekend cup of coffee – so I am definitely loving the sound of this!
I don’t know how kids know – but they really always seem to know just when to get up early, don’t they? 😉
Oh I hear ya, Alexandra! That weekend cup of coffee is like a sacred ritual around here. I’ve even taught Robbie that he has to sit quietly (no loud toys) while we have weekend coffee! 🙂
I don’t usually click on desserts; i just don’t have a sweet tooth. But I do love good ice cream. And coffee. And what a fabulous “afternoon pick-me-up” as you call this! Really wonderful.
Yes! I remember you saying that you’re not a dessert person, Mimi. I appreciate you clicking through on this one! 🙂 It means a lot!
Coffee ice cream is a weakness for me for sure, and I’ve gotta say that these brownie sandwiches are delicious! If you like coffee ice cream, you’ve gotta give this no-churn version a shot. Cheers!
David, I love an ice cream sandwich. I love it when the ice cream is a little melty, and the cake part starts to get soft. I also love mocha. So, this is definitely for me. I haven’t made a lot of ice cream, because I’m not sure where they keep the propylene glycol at Whole Foods. I’ve looked and looked. Although, I don’t see that chemical on your ingredient list. Nonetheless, I’m starting to see ice cream making in my future.
Yes!! A slightly melty ice cream sandwich is where the party’s at these days, Jeff. I say you should get into making ice cream! I love a traditional churned ice cream (they’re surprisingly easy, although you do need to remember to freeze the ice cream maker bowl), but this no-churn version? Anyone can make this! Since this no-churn coffee ice cream has coffee in it, I think we can call it breakfast? Right?
These ice cream sandwiches sound amazing! I’ve been craving all things frozen treats lately. I think I’ve been eating some form of ice cream, sorbet, or ice pops every other day 🙂
Hey, it’s summer…ice cream is not only allowed, but required! 🙂 And these mocha ice cream brownie sandwiches have seriously raced to the top of our list of favorites! Make a batch this weekend, Nicole!
When Lil S was Robbie’s age, I had to start the day with 2 cup of coffee in the morning – AND an afternoon cup or two! And – I have no idea how kids know to sleep in during the week and wake up early on the weekends – Lil S would come into my room and prop my eyelids open!
But getting back to these – dude, these mocha ice cream sandwiches look wonderful – chocolate + coffee is such a winning combo and wow I could go for two or three of these right now! Happy weekend, my friend!
Hah! I totally hear ya, Shashi. Robbie just seems to know it’s the weekend. It doesn’t matter whether we put him to bed at the same time or let him stay up late…he’s up before the birds! That’s where the coffee comes into the picture. 🙂
Also, I love coffee + chocolate in desserts, so these brownie sandwiches are totally a huge hit here. In fact, I could go for one right now…it has coffee it in, so that means it’s ok for breakfast, right? Haha!
I am an ice-cream lover here. I am still amazed that you use brownies here. I do not like those gummy cookies in the ice cream sandwiches you get sometimes. I will definitely gonna try my hands on this david:)
Yes! Those gummy cookies in ice cream sandwiches is exactly what led me to using brownies instead. And let me tell ya…brownies are WAY better! 🙂 Definitely give these a shot, Priya. Thanks so much, my friend!
I’m thrilled that you made no churn ice cream as I don’t have an ice cream machine since we moved from New England. It was a casualty of downsizing. Your ice cream sandwiches look terrific and I know my friends will want to thank you when I make and serve these over the summer.
I totally understand what you mean about downsizing. I love my ice cream maker, but it really is a unitasker. This no-churn version is amazing, Karen! And then the brownie sandwich around the ice cream? Perfect summer dessert! 🙂 Thanks so much!