Easy Brownie Bowl Sundaes

A brownie bowl with ice cream is a HEAVENLY chocolate dessert.

Author:
Rachael Herrscher
Updated:
Nov 3, 2020
Original:
Jul 15, 2014

Easy Brownie Bowl Sundaes

Check out this brilliant dessert hack to make your own homemade brownie bowl sundaes using your favorite brownie recipe. Don't have a favorite brownie recipe? Well you've come to the right place! You can start by perusing these 18 Homemade Brownie Recipes, these 11 Homemade Brownie Recipes, or even this White Chocolate Brownie Recipe to find your BFF (that stands for "Brownie Fudge Favorite," obviously).

You will need:

DREYER’S GRAND NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Cookie Dough ice cream or SLOW CHURNED® Cookie Dough light ice cream
Brownie batter (made from your favorite recipe)
2 muffin tins
Cooking spray
Chocolate sauce
Sprinkles

Directions

Follow the directions for your favorite brownie recipe to make the batter.
Spray cups of a muffin tin with cooking spray, and add brownie batter to each cup until they’re about two-thirds full.
Spray the second muffin tin with cooking spray and place on top of the first tin of brownies.
Place in the oven and bake, following your brownie recipe’s directions.
After the bowls are completely cool, add a scoop of ice cream, top with chocolate sauce and sprinkles, and enjoy!

How to Use Brownie Bowl Molds

Use lighter muffin tins (darker colored muffin tins may create too much heat)
Try filling the tins just 1/2 full if your recipe overflows too much
You can add the 2nd muffin tin 5-8 minutes before the brownies come out of the oven if your recipe does not respond well (as opposed to cooking with both tins the entire time)
Make sure they cool completely before removing from the tins
Smashing with the 2nd muffin tin AFTER baking typically just condenses and smashes the brownie cups flat in the tins. If you try this method – be gentle.
Still struggling? We found a pan that was built for you! Check out this dessert Cup pan! This pan can make all of your brownie dreams come true!😉

Note: If you have a problem with your brownie recipe or your pans and things don’t seem to work, you can always try the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowls below, but switch out the dough with this “brownie like” Double Chocolate Cookies recipe. They work like a charm!

Variation: Gluten Free Brownie Bowls

Just grab your favorite gluten free brownie mix. Our favorite:

King Arthur Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Note:

If someone is extremely sensitive to gluten you will want to make sure to use different bakeware so that it is not cross contaminated (a dish that has all ready been used for foods that contain gluten). Gluten sensitivity can be different for each person. If you are having a guest that you know is gluten free, don't be afraid to ask about food preparation.

Always be sure to read the ingredients list on your ice cream to check for gluten. You'll be surprised at how many do!

How Do You Keep Brownie Bowls from Drying Out?

If you have had a problem with brownies or brownie bowl sundaes drying out, I have found a couple of solutions. The first, is to eat all of the brownies in one day/sitting. They won't dry out if you don't give them time to. It's fail proof.

If for some weird reason that's not your favorite option, then you'll want to store them in an air tight container with a slice of bread in it. The bread helps balance out the moisture content in the container, and helps keep the brownies tasting fresh. But really, if you have leftovers, you probably haven't tried this brownie recipe.

What's the Secret to Making Good Brownies?

Making good brownies is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Use quality ingredients. You get out of something what you put into it. If you use good ingredients in your recipe, the offs of a good outcome are far greater.
Don't over bake. Hard, dry brownies are the result of too much time in the oven. Follow the recipe directions and pull the brownies out when the recipe says, or when the edges pull away from the sides and the middle loses its wiggle.
Chill out. I'm the worst offender when it comes to digging into a pan of brownies within seconds of pulling them out of the oven. My burnt tongue and I are here to tell you that's a bad idea. To get the most from your brownies, let them cool for at least 10-15 minutes before you slice and serve.

Why are My Brownies Hard?

If your brownies are hard, odds are you're over baking them. There are so many variables involved in cooking brownies. Everything from the type of ingredients, the type and size of pan, or your oven can play a factor in how long it takes your brownies to cook. Your best bet is to follow the recipe as closely as possible and only bake them for the prescribed amount of time.

If you're looking for visual cues to know when your brownies are done, look for edges that have just started to pull away from the side of the pan. When you jiggle the pan, the center should also be set, not wiggly. Remember, the brownies will continue to cook for a bit after you pull them out of the oven, so it's best to err on the side of slightly underdone when you take them out of the oven, to avoid hard, over baked brownies.

This cheat sheet from Delish also has some good information about other factors that affect the texture of your brownies.

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