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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.

Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
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

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. 
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Homemade Double the Fudge Buster Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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Comments

    1. Hey Cece,
      Sure, caramel would be delicious here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  1. Could I just melt the fudge sauce in a sauce pan on low on the stovetop? Remove from heat and add the vanilla once it’s done? I don’t have a microwave, but I HAVE to have these

    1. Hey Rosa,
      Yes, that will also work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      1. 5 stars
        These were amazing! I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to enjoy a buster bar from DQ again. Thank you

        1. Hey Rosa,
          Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend☀️ xTieghan

  2. 5 stars
    I’m excited to try these ice cream bars. I make some really good coconut bars and super strawberry bars too except I use 4 types of milk when I whip up a batch.

  3. I made these last night and dipped them in the chocolate shell today. The only thing I changed was I substituted sliced almonds for the peanuts. These are absolutely delicious! The homemade fudge rivals DQ fudge – and so easy to make. These also hugely rival DQ treats and dare I say the homemade version tasted even better. They are a super fun treat for a hot day and I highly recommend making these. The effort is worth it and really the effort is hardly any effort at all.

  4. These look delicious! Can you please share your source for the popsicle sticks? They don’t look to be a standard size. Thank you!

    1. Hey Sally,
      I order my popsicle sticks from Amazon. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  5. For some reason I could not find any comments from someone who made these when I looked yesterday. I made these today, and they did not disappoint. Here’s a few tips: I made the fudge sauce the night before and used chocolate chips for the chocolate. It was pretty runny but it thickened up after a night in the refrigerator. The consistency was perfect. It’s easier to peel the dixie cups if you start at the seam. I dipped two in chocolate and let them set up on parchment paper before putting them back in the freezer. The chocolate sets up quickly. If you want a less rich version, layer the ingredients in a clear plastic cup and serve the cups as a parfait–no dipping in chocolate and no sticks. I think my guests will be impressed on Independence Day.

    1. Hey Celeste,
      Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan

    1. Hey Amie,
      You could use butter in place of the coconut oil. I hope you love these bars, please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan

  6. 5 stars
    Had to try because these treats have always been my go to at DQ. Though I’ve always wished they had more fudge and peanuts. Now they do! They are delicious. We made bigger size dixie cups–about the same size at the DQ bar. Turned out perfectly. Thanks Tieghan.

    1. Hey Gail,
      Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan

  7. 5 stars
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  8. I have been hunting for a good homemade fudge sauce recipe and yours looks great. How would you describe the texture of your hot fudge when frozen? I have been trying to find a fudge sauce similar to moose tracks, which is similar to hardened frosting/crusting when frozen but melts to a grainy syrup consistency. I like your recipe because it does not have corn syrup, so I believe that it would encourage crystallization and provide the texture I am looking for, but wanted to ask before I go shopping for the ingredients. In your opinion how do you think it would affect the texture if instead of the dark and semi-sweet chocolate I used 8-10 ounces of unsweetened chocolate and then added 1 and a half cups of powdered sugar to sweeten it but also give it that grainy frosting texture. Thank you.

    1. Hey Noah,
      I feel like my fudge sauce texture is similar to that in the actual buster bar, thick and sticky. I’ve really never tried making the fudge with powdered sugar so I do not know what kind of results you would have. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  9. These sound amazing,, and I can’t wait to try them! What is the best way to freeze these after the final chocolate coating is added?

    1. Hey Shirley,
      Thanks so much! I like to line a baking sheet with parchment paper and freeze on there. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  10. Once the bars have been dipped in the chocolate, do you put them back in the Dixie cup or do you have a different method of holding them upright while the chocolate hardens? They sound delicious

    1. Hey Kristin,
      You do not put them back in the Dixie cup, I like to line a baking sheet with parchment paper and let them set on there. You can eat after the shell has set or put them back into the freezer. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  11. 5 stars
    Sounds SOOOO GOOD. Could another nut….almonds…..be used in stead of peanuts. (Peanut allergy).

    1. Hey Marian,
      You could use any nut you like here:) I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  12. Oh my!!! These look so delicious. I have not eaten breakfast yet but… I could sure eat this for breakfast. HAHA!! Ice cream is one of my weaknesses. Since I am on Weight Watchers I have to be careful not to over eat it.