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Everyone’s favorite blueberry muffin, reimagined as a vanilla ice cream cake. A graham cracker and gingersnap crust is baked until golden, then layered with creamy vanilla ice cream, sweet blueberry jam, and crumbled blueberry muffins. It’s all finished with a white chocolate magic shell, blueberry muffin chunks, and fresh blueberries. Easy to make ahead and even easier to love. Every slice tastes like blueberry muffins and vanilla ice cream in one perfect bite.
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Without fail, every time I make an ice cream cake, I think of my Nonnie. She made her chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake all the time when I was growing up. It was at every summer party, birthday, and family dinner. And if it wasn’t her famous ice cream cake, it was her peach dump cake, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The older I get, the more I appreciate the way my grandma cooked, baked, and entertained. Everything she made felt effortless, yet somehow elevated and always beautiful. She had such a special touch.
I don’t remember her ever making a fruit ice cream cake, but she did love a good muffin. Blueberry, banana, chocolate chip—she loved them all. She was always picking up Trader Joe’s muffins and those little gingersnap cookies, making sure my grandpa’s favorites were always stocked.
So while this isn’t her recipe, I know she would have loved it. I started with a classic graham cracker crust and added crushed gingersnaps in her honor. My grandpa would especially appreciate that little nod.
Then I layered creamy vanilla ice cream with blueberry jam and chunks of blueberry muffins, gently swirling everything together before freezing the cake. To finish, I poured over a crisp white chocolate magic shell, inspired by the chocolate shell on my Nonnie’s peanut butter ice cream cake, then topped it with crumbled blueberry muffins and fresh blueberries.
The Details
Ingredients
Crust
- graham crackers
- gingersnap cookies
- brown sugar
- salted butter
Cake
- vanilla ice cream
- blueberry jam
- blueberry muffins
- fresh or frozen blueberries
White Chocolate Magic Shell
- white chocolate
- coconut oil
The Steps
Step 1: Make the Crust
Preheat the oven and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Add the graham crackers, gingersnaps, and brown sugar to a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to really pack it down. Bake until lightly golden, then let the crust cool completely.
Tip: You can use all graham crackers if that’s what you have, but the gingersnaps are what make this crust so special. They add just a hint of warm spice that pairs perfectly with the blueberries and vanilla.
Step 2: Layer the Cake
Spread half of the softened vanilla ice cream over the cooled crust. Spoon over half of the blueberry jam, then crumble the blueberry muffins on top. Use a knife or spoon to gently swirl everything together. Repeat with the remaining ice cream, jam, and more muffins, saving a few for decorating.
Don’t overthink the layers. The swirls of jam and little chunks of muffin make every slice unique.
This is my favorite part. It always reminds me of my Nonnie’s ice cream cakes. She never fussed over making things perfect, and somehow they always turned out beautiful.
Step 3: Freeze
Cover the cake well and freeze until completely firm.
Make Ahead Tip: This is the perfect dessert to make the day before a party or cookout. Just keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to decorate and serve.
Step 4: Make the Magic Shell
Combine the white chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes so it’s still pourable but no longer hot.
Tip: If the chocolate is too warm, it will melt the ice cream. Letting it cool slightly gives you that beautiful crackly shell.
Step 5: Decorate and Serve
Pour the magic shell over the frozen cake, letting it drip naturally down the sides. Quickly top with the reserved blueberry muffins or muffin crumbs, then scatter over the fresh blueberries.
Let the cake sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Run a sharp knife under warm water and wipe it dry between cuts for the cleanest slices.
Entertaining Tip: I love bringing this out at the end of a summer dinner. You can make the entire cake ahead of time, then decorate it just before serving. It feels special, but it’s actually one of the easiest desserts to pull together.
Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
The Crust
- 8 full sheets graham crackers
- 8 gingersnap cookies
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons salted butter, melted
The Cake
- 3 pints vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
- 1 jar (12 to 16 ounce) blueberry jam
- 12 blueberry muffins
- 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- fresh or frozen blueberries, for the top
Instructions
- 1. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F.2. Mix crust ingredients and press into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes.3. Spread half the ice cream over the crust. Dollop with half the blueberry jam and crumble 4 to 6 blueberry muffins over top, gently swirling the jam into the ice cream. Repeat with the remaining ice cream, jam, and muffins. Reserve 2-4 muffins for decorating.4. Cover and freeze for 4 hours, or until firm.5. Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave on 20-second intervals. Cool for 10 minutes, until pourable but not hot. Pour the magic shell over the frozen cake, letting it drip down the sides. Immediately top with the reserved muffin crumble and the blueberries. Slice and serve, or freeze until ready to enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
My daughter wanted to make this after seeing it on your blog which she follows religiously. It was amazing, and we had a lot of fun making it together. Interesting idea to make the blueberry muffins the star of the show, but it worked beautifully!
Hey Monica,
Amazing!! Thank you so much for making this recipe! I’m so glad it was enjoyed:) Have a nice Saturday!
Blueberry desserts are mine and my kids’ faves. Add ice cream, and we have a winner! This cake was fun to make as well.
Thanks so much, Dominique! So glad to hear this cake was a hit, I appreciate you making it!
Have a great weekend!
One of the best desserts I have ever had. What a great concept! The white chocolate shell was “chef’s kiss”!
Yay!! Love to hear this, Morgan! Thanks a lot for making this cake and sharing your feedback!
Enjoy your weekend!
What a delicious cake! Also a fun departure from the typical cake recipes floating around out there. I love blueberry anything, so this was a winner. 😊 🫐
Hey Kaylee,
Happy Friday! Your feedback means a lot, thanks so much for trying this recipe. I’m happy it delivered!
I made this for my kids when they were having friends over, and it was a huge hit. Definitely not “a mess” and really easy and fun to make. The blend of cake, ice cream, and chilled white chocolate shell was delicious.
There’s no need to publish snarky remarks with one star and no elaboration on what was allegedly wrong with the recipe. If someone struggled to prepare the recipe properly, then they should share the details. Otherwise the “feedback” is useless.
Thanks for another great recipe Teighan! It was perfect.
Hey Devin,
Thanks so much!! So glad to hear your family enjoyed this cake, I appreciate you making it and sharing your feedback!
I love the addition of ginger snaps to the crust! One of my favorite cookies ever, and so sadly underrated. 😄 They added a great touch to an already great recipe.
Hey Hannah,
Happy Sunday! I’m thrilled to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it!
I followed this recipe to the letter and it was excellent – no problems whatsoever. It would be helpful if a person chooses to leave a fatalistic one star review if they would explain what went wrong, and in what way it didn’t turn out. If the review is actually genuine, there would have to be a reason, and that information might help other readers; or the poster next time they try to create another recipe.
Hey Connie,
Thanks for trying this recipe and for the feedback, I can’t wait to hear what you make next!
Oh my, this was a disaster.
Hey Molly,
So sorry to hear this! If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
Sure, I would be happy to follow up on what went wrong!
For something this involved, I expected much clearer instructions and a recipe that had been tested more thoroughly. Several steps rely on timing and texture, but there isn’t enough guidance to keep the dessert stable during assembly. The proportions also feel off—the flavors are overly sweet and the blueberry muffin element gets lost. For the amount of time and expensive ingredients this requires, the final result just doesn’t justify the effort. I expect recipes from a professional food blogger to be reliable and repeatable, and this one simply wasn’t.
Where can I find your recipe for homemade graham crackers?
Hey Sara,
You can find that recipe here:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/smores-ice-cream-sandwiches/
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Refreshing summer dessert, easy to make and the whole family loved it.
Hey Stella,
So kind of you to try this recipe and leave feedback, I’m glad it was a hit!
Have a nice week!
I was surprised you didn’t use your homemade graham crackers in your reel! Do they not hold up as well for something like this?
Hi Anna,
They are great to use, I just didn’t have any made:)
I hope you love this ice cream cake!
“ 1. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Mix crust ingredients and press into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes.”
Is the 9inch pie plate in step 2 the springform pan?
Hi Anita,
Yes, that is correct. I hope you love this recipe! Have a great weekend!
Thanks! You might consider updating the language.
I have, babe! Just a helpful tip for you and the other readers, if you run your knife under warm water before cutting and then wipe the blade after each cut, it makes the cuts a lot neater!
Love this tip! Thanks so much for sharing, Angela!
How do you pack this for travel
Hi Annie,
This is not a cake I would travel with, it needs to stay in the freezer until you are ready to serve.
Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
12 blueberry muffins for this seems crazy high. I’m standing here in front of my springform and there’s no way all these muffins will fit into this with ice cream.
Hey Hannah! I like to have extra on hand for decorating. Use what feels best to you. You can’t mess it up!
Hope you love the cake! Happy August!
It looks wonderful. So excited to try this. do you line just the bottom of the springform pan?
Also, at what point do you take the side of the springform pan off.
Thank you!
Hi Kelley,
Yes, I just line the bottom of the springform pan and then remove the sides after step 4. Please let me know if you have any other questions!