Brownie Batter Waffle Ice Cream Sundaes

Is anyone else totally bummed that July 4^th has come and gone? My mantra has made another appearance: where is all the time GOING?!

Independence Day is one of my most favorite holidays. It encapsulates summer in every way for me. Hot dogs and burgers on the grill, cold drinks in hand, sprinklers/pool/water play happening, family and friends enjoying each other’s company, sparklers, and fireworks. Oh, and ice cream!

I feel like ice cream should be mandatory with all the other summer fare going on. I miss it all already. To ease myself back into the week (and to help me accept the fact that it’s July 5^th already?!? Seriously. I’ll say it again: WHERE is time going?!), I’m making ice cream sundaes. On waffled brownies. Loaded with all the goodies your 7-year-old self desired. Yup. Join me. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and bust out our relaxed waist-banded pants for this one. It’s gonna be a good one.

The idea of waffle ice cream sundaes has been something I’ve been toying with for awhile now. It’s not a novel idea by any stretch, but I hadn’t made them for the blog yet, and I couldn’t shake the idea. It’s been one of those “on hold” ideas that bloggers often have. I have a list of “on hold” ideas at all times. Sometimes things are on hold because it’s not the right season to share them (I have some doozies lined up for fall/winter. Can’t wait). Sometimes it’s because the idea isn’t fully developed yet. Like “yeah, that could work, but I need to think about it a little bit more.” And sometimes it’s because it isn’t something I’m feeling super strongly/passionately about at the moment, and so I shelve it in my brain until the idea really grows on me.

This was one of those ideas. I knew waffles and ice cream were going to happen eventually, but I wasn’t quite sure of the shape they would take.

AND THEN…a craving for a warm brownie sundae hit me hard one random day. It was one of those can’t-be-ignored-must-happen-now cravings. Next thing I knew, I was at the grocery store picking out a box of the fudgiest brownie mix I could find and all the makings for ice cream sundaes. (Side bar: boxed brownies are so on the “Molly approved” list. They’re almost better than homemade sometimes. No shame.)

And then it hit me. Waffles. Brownies. Ice cream. Yesssss. The brownie element was the piece of the puzzle that had been missing for me. And once I realized that a waffled brownie could be a thing, there was no going back. This was happening.

July 5th seems like the perfect time to tell you about this idea, don’t you think? We’re all still in holiday weekend mode, right? The Tuesday after always feels like a hangover day where all the “treats” and “guilty pleasures” from the weekend are still acceptable, right? RIGHT.

So, naturally…BROWNIE BATTER WAFFLE SUNDAES NEED TO HAPPEN ASAP. Obnoxious “fake yelling” all caps are warranted. Stop on your way home from work to get the ingredients (you may already have most in your pantry) and make these for your fam tonight. This is SUCH an easy, quick dessert. Really, the hardest part is making the brownie batter, and as far as batters go, brownies is one of the easiest. Almost fool proof, really.

And as far as the fun factor goes? These are off the charts. Your kids will love mixing the batter, waffling the batter, and then piling the brownie waffles high with their favorite ice cream sundae fixins. It will distract them from the fact that July 5th is here, July 4th is over, and that school starting again is just around the corner.

Orrrrr maybe your kids aren’t as depressing as me, hah. Regardless, these sundaes will make everyone happy. That’s one thing I can definitely guarantee!

Brownie Batter Waffle Ice Cream Sundaes

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• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Waffles:

• ¾ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• Pinch of fine salt
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the waffle iron
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

Toppings:

• Ice cream (1-3 flavors, depending on how crazy you want to be)
• Hot fudge sauce
• Caramel sauce
• Whipped cream
• Cherries
• Sprinkles

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Instructions

1. Preheat your waffle iron. Preheat the oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Place the butter and half the chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave for 20-second increments or until mostly melted. Remove from microwave and stir to finish melting the chocolate.
4. Once smooth, whisk in the sugar and then the eggs. Toss the remaining chocolate chips into the flour mixture and then gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
5. Lightly brush the waffle iron with melted butter. Fill the waffle iron about three-quarters of the way full with the batter. Close the lid gently and cook until the waffles are cooked through and crispy around the edges, about 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the cooked waffles to the prepared baking sheet and place in the warm oven until you are finished making the remaining waffles.
7. Top each waffle (while still warm!) with ice cream and other desired toppings. Serve immediately!

Waffle batter lightly adapted from here.