Brownie Ice-Cream Sandwich

From the kitchen of Carly

Fudgy brownies meet no-churn ice cream studded with crushed cookies, then pressed together into one indulgent sandwich. It's frozen dessert done right, needing nothing but patience and a freezer.

Brownie Ice-Cream Sandwich

Brownie layers thin and tender, ice cream built from three ingredients and whipped to peaks, held together with a spatula and frozen patience. The architecture here matters: you're stacking, not swirling. Cookie crumbles fold into the cream, brownie sheets stay flat and fudgy, and timing is what separates a sloppy mouthful from a clean, composed slice that looks like you went to culinary school.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1x My Favorite Brownie recipe
  • 3/4 cup200ml sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 1/2 cup600ml heavy cream
  • 1 tspvanilla bean paste
  • 1100g Oreos, or cookie of your choice
  • 1You will also need two or three 20x30cm brownie tins and an electric handheld whisk.

Instructions

  1. Line a 20x30cm (8x12-inch) tin with cling film and set it aside.

  2. Pour the condensed milk and heavy cream into a large bowl, add the vanilla bean paste, and beat with an electric handheld whisk until the mixture thickens and holds its shape when you lift the whisk. Seal the Oreos in a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs, or crumble them by hand if you want bigger chunks. Fold the crumbs through the cream mixture, then scrape everything into the lined tin. Smooth the top flat with a spatula and freeze for at least 2 hours, until firm.

  3. Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Prepare My Favorite Brownie recipe through step 4, stopping before the batter goes into any tin.

  4. Spread the brownie batter between two lined 20x30cm (8x12-inch) tins, using a spatula to push it right into the corners. The layers will be very thin, which is exactly what you want for the sandwich. Bake each tray for 10 minutes, then pull them from the oven and let them cool completely in the tin before moving on.

  5. Lift the brownie layers out of their tins and re-line one tin with a fresh sheet of baking parchment. Lay the first brownie layer into the tin, press the frozen ice-cream slab firmly on top, then set the second brownie layer over it. Return the whole thing to the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

  6. About 10 minutes before serving, take the slab out of the freezer to let it soften just slightly. A sharp knife or pastry cutter will slice through it cleanly, and a circular cutter gives a particularly good result.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Whip the condensed milk and cream by hand until it holds a peak like soft-serve, not stiff peaks. You're looking for mousse texture, not butter.
  • Spread brownie batter thin and evenly into the edges of your tin with a spatula before baking, so the layers bake through in ten minutes without drying out.
  • Freeze the assembled sandwich for at least 30 minutes before slicing, then let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so your knife cuts clean lines instead of smashing the brownie.

Variations

  • Swap Oreos for crushed digestive biscuits or graham crackers for a less sweet ice-cream layer.
  • Make it boozy by adding a tablespoon of Kahlua or bourbon to the whipped ice-cream mixture before freezing.
  • Use chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla bean, or skip the cookie crumbles and stir in a swirl of salted caramel.
  • Cut into rounds with a large cutter for plated dessert, or into squares for casual eating straight from the freezer.

Make ahead and storage

Wrap the whole slab in plastic wrap and freeze for up to two weeks. Cut pieces can be wrapped individually and eaten straight from the freezer, or softened for five minutes at room temperature if you prefer a creamier bite.