For a long time I believed box brownies were better than homemade brownies.
I even had a favorite brand/type/flavor and everything (*Betty Crocker Supreme Triple Chunk*). I also knew that you had to take them out 3 -5 minutes early in order to get the fudgy goodness.
But I am here to tell you that I am a changed woman.
I know, I didn’t think it was possible either. I LOVED box brownies. I always told myself the homemade version took WAY more time and effort. And that the homemade brownies tasted too fancy (I honestly don’t even know what that means, but it was something I told myself for many years).
But you see, when I lived in Germany for a few months, I ran into a problem. They didn’t have Betty Crocker’s Supreme Triple Chunk box brownies. Actually, where I was living, they didn’t have any box brownies at all. So when I got an overwhelming craving for some chocolatey goodness, I had no choice. I had to go with a homemade version – and it was MAGICAL!
But why am I talking about brownies so much? Well, it is because this new homemade brownie recipe is the base for these Mint Chip Ice Cream Brownie Bars. A twist on my favorite Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie, I decided to step it up this year and go BIG by adding in the homemade brownie base. The result was absolutely delightful. And it is still a semi-homemade dessert because the ice cream and fudge topping are store bought.
So if you are looking for something fun and delicious for St.Patrick’s Day this year, I highly recommend you face your homemade brownie fears and GO for it! I promise you that you are going to LOVE the results.
MINT CHIP ICE CREAM BROWNIE BARS
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 15 quart Mint Chip Ice Cream
- Miss Richards Hot Fudge
- Sprinkles
- 2 oz Pink Fondant
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine melted butter, oil and sugar on medium speed. Whisk until fully combined, about 1- 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until full combined, about 1 minute.
- Fold in dry ingredients until just combined.
- Add chocolate chips. Mix until combined.
- Place the batter in prepared pan. Smooth into an even layer with a knife or offset spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Place brownies in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
- Take ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften for about 10 minutes.
- Scoop ice cream onto frozen brownies.
- Using a knife or offset spatula spread the ice cream evenly across the brownies.
- Place in the freezer over night.
- Take brownies out of the freezer. Spread room temperature fudge evenly over the ice cream.
- Allow the bars to freeze for at least another 3-4 hours.
- Roll out fondant and use letter cookie cutters to create desired phrase.
- Add sprinkles and fondant to the top of the bars.
- Allow brownies to sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
