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These Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars are the fun summer dessert we all need stashed away in our freezers. These bars have an easy homemade chocolate fudge sauce layer, roasted peanuts, vanilla ice cream, and smashed chocolate cookie crumbs. Each bar is finished off with a dip into a homemade “magic shell.” Just like DQ’s Buster Bars – but better. And made with double the fudge sauce and extra crunch too. They are SO VERY GOOD! There’s nothing not to love about these sweet and crunchy Buster Bars. They’re everyone’s favorite, from kids to adults. The perfect summer dessert to keep stocked in the freezer for the hottest days of the year.
The unintentional theme of this summer seems to be nostalgic summer recipes. Fun recipes that remind us of the good ole days of summer when we were kids. For me, that 100% includes a couple of DQ blizzards on hot afternoons.
Growing up in Ohio meant summer was hot and humid. Even on days when it was cloudy, it was still hot, and yup, the humidity was still there. It’s not that way here in Colorado, and to be honest, I actually miss the heat and humidity. I know so many people dislike humidity, but I long for summer in a heat box…the hotter the better.
Anyway, the point is that my childhood summers were hot, and runs to Dairy Queen were frequent. I was a blizzard girl through and through. My favorite being chocolate peanut butter cup, with cookie dough as a close second…yummm! If I wasn’t getting a blizzard, I was getting the soft serve chocolate ice cream. Simple, but I loved it.
Now, my Nonnie on the other hand (whom I’d often convince to take us) was a die-hard Buster Bar gal. She didn’t mess with blizzards…the Buster Bar was her go-to. Since I’ve been missing her greatly recently, I thought it would be fun to make a homemade Buster Bar.
So here we are. And it turns out these are really easy to create at home.
The Details
The great thing about this recipe is that really, the work is all just in the assembly. Layer everything together in Dixie Cups, freeze, then dip, dunk, and cover in chocolate.
The first layer is a rich chocolate fudge sauce. Then peanuts, vanilla ice cream, and more fudge! Then something special that isn’t traditional in a Buster Bar, but sure is a delicious addition…
I added crushed chocolate cookie crumbs for a little CRUNCH. Simple addition, but I think it makes these bars extra special – and maybe even better than DQ.
After the cookie crumb layer comes one more layer of peanuts and one more layer of vanilla ice cream. Once you have everything layered in your Dixie Cups, just freeze until hardened. This usually takes about three hours, but to be safe, I like to freeze overnight.
A quick note on the fudge sauce
I made my own homemade fudge sauce, which I recommend using if you have five minutes to mix it together. It’s so much better than store-bought and is really easy to make.
Finally, dip into more chocolate, eat…enjoy
Once the bars are frozen, comes the fun part. The “magic shell.” Mix melted chocolate with coconut oil until smooth. You now have a “magic shell.” Dip each bar into the magic shell.
At this point, you can eat away…or keep them in the freezer to enjoy later. Yes, you should always have a number of these on hand, stashed away in the freezer for when in need! Unfortunately, we don’t have a Dairy Queen anywhere around us, so I LOVE having these in the freezer. So delicious and so much fun!
Take some time this weekend to make these. Trust me they don’t disappoint and they’ll make for a fun 4th of July dessert as well!
Looking for other Summer ice cream recipes? Here are some favorites:
Creamy Vegan Chocolate Fudge Pops
Peanut Butter Mocha Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches
No Churn Fudge Brownie Coffee Ice Cream
Malted Milk Cookies n’ Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches
Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars
Lastly, if you make these Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars
Servings: 12 buster bars
Calories Per Serving: 566 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate fudge sauce (homemade in notes)
- 1 cup roasted peanuts
- 3 pints vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup chocolate wafer or Oreo cookies, crushed crumbs
- 12 ounces dark, semi sweet, or milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- 1. Spoon 2 teaspoons fudge sauce into the bottom of 12 (3 ounce) Dixie Cups. Sprinkle over 1 teaspoon peanuts, then add about 2 tablespoons, or 2 small scoops, of vanilla ice cream, pressing gently to smooth the ice cream into an even layer. Freeze 10-15 minutes 2. Remove 4-6 cups from the freezer at a time. Spoon 2-3 teaspoons of the fudge sauce over the vanilla ice cream, then sprinkle with chocolate cookie crumbs and 1 teaspoon peanuts. Freeze 10-15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cups.3. Pull the cups out again and add another 2 teaspoons, or 2 smalls scoops, vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with peanuts. Insert popsicle sticks. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight.4. To make the chocolate shell. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave. Cook on 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes. Remove the bars from the freezer one at a time. Peel away the Dixie Cups and cover in chocolate. Keep in the freezer until ready to eat!
Notes
Homemade Fudge Sauce
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup whole milk
3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 ounces chopped dark chocolate
2 tablespoons salted butter cubed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a bowl, mix together cocoa powder, milk, chocolate chips, dark chocolate, and butter. Melt in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool slightly. Keep stored in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Family loved this so much they added more to their individual slices of the Cookie Dough Ice cream Cake.
What is your suggestion for reheating this? I need to reuse my leftovers on round 2 of the Ice cream Cake!
Hi Karen,
Thanks so much for making this recipe! Sorry, I am not sure what you mean about reheating? Please let me know how I can help! xx
Salted spanish peanuts work well. My family loves PB so may try adding a layer of that in the middle
Hi Lori,
Amazing!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
I made these a couple weeks ago for some company we had and they were a hit. My chocolate coating worked well but it was a bit thick…. I’m not sure how to make it runnier so that it’s a thinner layer on the bars…. maybe not let it cool so long. Your recommendation for choosing quality chocolate is a good one. Next time I will use better quality chocolate.
Hey Melissa,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! You can also try adding some more coconut oil to help make the chocolate runnier. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Made these two days ago and sampled it last night. WOW, these are really good.
The only change I made was just to drizzle the final chocolate coating because I couldn’t figure out how to work quickly and not smudge that layer when put down. It is already pretty rich. Will make again for a decadent dessert.
Hey Pam,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
These were SO GOOD. I was impatient though and tried to eat them only an hour after I made them. Not a good idea!! One suggestion I would make is in the recipe the 2 chocolates that are listed is confusing (at least to me). It would be a bit more clear yes it specified that one of the chocolates is for the shell. I also added some peanut butter to the layers. A great addition!
Hey Natasha,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I’d like to start by saying I’ve made countless HBH recipes without fault and they have come out so delicious. This one was a bit messy for my liking. Starting the layering with the fudge caused the Dixie cup to stick when getting to the Magic Shell layer. I also needed way more than 12 oz of chocolate but I could have made the magic shell thinner. (It was my first time using coconut oil) I’ll probably start with a very little ice cream on the bottom next time and hope it doesn’t stick! Otherwise, love by everyone at the party!
Hey Jessica,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry this one was tricky for you! xTieghan
I can’t wait to make these! I too, spent Summer time as a child going to Dairy Queen back in Pennsylvania. I miss not having a DQ near me and crave a soft serve cone dipped in chocolate magic shell in the Summer, as a result…anytime I drive by a DQ while on vacation I for sure say, “We need to go to Dairy Queen” (and we do). I love your pictures of the process and the buster bar recipe that you provided. Buster Bars were my other favorite. I can’t wait to make my own Buster Bar at home!
Thanks so much Sherri! I hope you love this recipe!! xTieghan
These were a yummy summer treat. I didn’t have Oreos so I used mini marshmallows instead. So good. And yes, the fudge sauce was perfectly simple and delicious!
Hey Loni,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
These were amazing!!!!! I made them over the weekend and they were perfect and way better than dq. The homemade fudge was super simple and worth it. Will def make again. I don’t have a microwave so I did my chocolate on a double broiler(just two pots on top of each other with water in the bottom 1). Keep throwing your bars in the freezer and working only a few at a time to ensure they are really cold when dipping. If your chocolate is too cool and your ice cream is melting they won’t attach and create the magic shell(to the comment below) will clump(happened to me half way through and I realized the problem) just freeze re-melt chocolate and re-dip.
Your melted chocolate can also clump if it got too hot right away, microwave in intervals and stir in between! Or melt in double broiler on med heat and stir frequently.
Hey Julia,
Happy Wednesday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
We made these and found that the chocolate did not stick to the ice cream. The chocolate also clumped half way through the and did not work. Any suggestions
Hey there,
So sorry to hear this. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? What kind of chocolate did you use? I like to use a high quality chocolate like Chocolove. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
This was another hit for my husband and I. Just a tip, even if it’s more than 60% cheaper to get jumbo shrimp that are not deveined DONT DO IT!!! Added a ton of time to my prep, even with the Gordon Ramsay trick. ?
Hey Holly,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Maybe you should try crabmeat in your ice cream bars next time.
ha ha love it
This was a huge hit! I will definitely be making again, it was worth the effort. I thought that these would be 2-bite bars but they are not. Dixie cups are bigger than you think. Everything from the homemade fudge sauce to the magic shell were so easy. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Tricia,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
These were awesome! Made for a 4th, they were a hit. It was easy to make these gluten free. I did have to double on the chocolate for the shell. Thanks again for a great recipe.
Hey Inaas,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
These ice cream bars are AMAZING! Super simple to put together too. I love the chocolate/creamy/salty mix. I will say that my bars weren’t quite “set” after 6 hours and when I tried one, it fell apart after a few bites. I let the rest of them sit in the freezer for 24 hrs and after that they were perfect! Thanks for another great recipe Teighan.
Hey Alicia,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan