This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

These layered Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars are the go-to summer dessert to keep stashed in the freezer. The base is a fudgy crinkle top brownie. It’s then layered with vanilla ice cream and creamy peanut butter. Each bar is finished off with a dip into homemade “magic shell.” Put everything together and you have an ice cream bar that’s chocolatey, peanutty, and layered with deliciousness. These bars are everyone’s favorite. The perfect summer dessert to keep stocked in the freezer for the hottest days of the year.

This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.

overhead photo of Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars

What is it about sweet summer that always brings back my favorite childhood memories? For whatever reason, the summer season inspires me to recreate the foods I enjoyed as a kid. Chicken fingers by the pool, my Nonnie’s ice cream cake, simple lemon butter pasta, and today?

Homemade ice cream bars…but all done up with a few layers of my favorite sweets…crinkle top brownies, rich vanilla ice cream, creamy peanut butter, and chocolate.

These are a LAYERED ice cream bar, and they’re every bit as delicious as they sound.

overhead photo of Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars before adding the final layer of chocolaye

A very simple tip.

With any ice cream recipe, be sure you plan in advance. While ice cream is delicious, it takes time to freeze, so plan accordingly.

And guys, don’t skimp on the freezing times. Trust me, I’ve tried to “shorten” it many many times. It never ends well. So be sure to plan ahead when making these. For best results, start baking the day before you’d like to enjoy the bars.

overhead photo of Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars

The Details.

Start with the ice cream. Find your favorite vanilla ice cream, spread it out into a baking pan, and freeze. You’ll add the ice cream to the brownies in a just bit…

On to the brownies! Of course, I always use my favorite crinkle top brownies recipe. It’s simply the very best brownie recipe. The key to this recipe is all in the butter. I love using Land O Lakes® Salted Butter. You may not know this, but the variety of butter you use can really make a difference, especially when baking. I love the rich buttery flavor and hints of salt in Land O Lakes® Salted Butter. It creams wonderfully into a batter and always turns out the best pan of crinkle top brownies.

Since I wanted a slightly thinner brownie base, I baked the brownies in a Jelly Roll pan. If you don’t own a Jelly Roll pan, use a 9×13 inch baking dish, but note your brownie layer will be a little thicker.

Once you’ve baked the brownies, let them cool, then it’s time to layer everything together.

First, add the vanilla ice cream to the top of the brownie. Next, trim the edges of the brownie, but be sure to reserve those crumbs. We’re going to use them for topping the bars.

Now freeze for thirty or so minutes, then add a thick layer of creamy peanut butter. Freeze again.

Once frozen, cut the brownies into bars. You can make giant ice cream bars, normal-size bars, or minis. I mixed and matched mine, but will say that the mini-bars are the easiest to work with. They’re also the least messy to eat.

Insert a popsicle stick into each bar. Freeze again.

overhead photo of Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars with bite taken out of bar

Dip, dunk, eat…enjoy.

Next, make the “magic shell.” Mix melted chocolate with coconut oil until smooth. You now have a “magic shell.” Dip each bar in the magic shell, then sprinkle the reserved brownie crumbs on top.

You can now eat…or keep in the freezer to enjoy later.

And trust me, you should always have these stashed away in the freezer. They are a very delicious summer ice cream bar to enjoy on those extra-hot days when nothing but frozen sounds good.

Ice cream bars all summer long. So very delicious…enjoy!

overhead photo of Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars

Looking for other ice cream desserts? Here are a few of my go-to’s. 

Fudgy Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pretzel Cake

No Churn Minted White Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream

Browned Butter Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Toast “Crumbs”

Lastly, if you make these peanut butter brownie ice cream 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!

Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 5 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Calories Per Serving: 653 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. Let the vanilla ice cream soften 5 minutes. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Spread the ice cream out in an even layer in the prepared pan, freeze 1 hour, until firm.
    2. To make the brownies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 1/2 x 14 1/2 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
    3. In the microwave, melt together the Land O Lakes® Butter and 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (stir at 30-second intervals) until melted and smooth. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee. 
    4. In a small bowl whisk the eggs for 1 minute until bubbly on top. Stir the eggs into the chocolate mix. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Stir until just combined. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the brownies are just set. Let cool completely.
    5. Remove the vanilla ice cream slab from the freezer and invert it onto the center of the brownies. Trim the edges off the brownie around the ice cream, reserving the scraps for later. Transfer the pan to the freezer. Freeze 30 minutes, then spread the peanut butter over the vanilla ice cream. Freeze until firm, 1-2 hours.
    6. Lift the ice cream slab out of the pan using the parchment. Working quickly, cut into 12-16 square bars or 24 mini rectangles. Insert a popsicle stick into one end of each bar. Return to the freezer until frozen solid, at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. 
    7. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave until melted and smooth. Let cool 10 minutes. Remove the bars from the freezers and cover in chocolate. If desired, top with the reserved brownie crumbs. Keep in the freezer until ready to eat!

Notes

Jelly Roll Pan: this is the jelly roll pan I use. If you don't have a jelly roll pan, you can bake the brownies in a 9x13 inch baking pan, but you will have a thicker brownie layer. 
View Recipe Comments

overhead horizontal photo of Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Bars

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.