It’s Ben & Jerry’s week — hosted by Shelly and Kristan — and I couldn’t resist joining in. I love ice cream; my very first job was at an ice cream shop, so this theme felt perfect. When I set out to make a dessert inspired by a Ben & Jerry’s flavor, Americone Dream was the immediate choice: vanilla ice cream studded with chocolate-dipped waffle cone pieces and swirls of caramel. Yum.
I originally considered cookies, but I worried the waffle cones might become soggy or lose their texture. One morning the idea of blondies popped into my head, and Americone Dream Blondie Sandwiches were born. To keep things simple I used store-bought waffle cones and a jar of caramel sauce — though I plan to try salted caramel next time.
I melted milk chocolate in the microwave and brushed it onto the cones with a silicone brush, coating both the inside and outside. I dipped seven cones because seven felt lucky — and it turned out to be the perfect amount for this batch.
After coating, I chilled the cones in the refrigerator for about two hours, though an hour is usually sufficient to set the chocolate.
While the cones were setting, I prepared a simple blondie batter and baked it. These blondies are intentionally basic — no nuts or white chocolate — but I did add a little extra vanilla to enhance the flavor.
Once the chocolate was firm, I gently broke the cones into pieces using a meat mallet. Be gentle — there’s no need to pulverize them, and this keeps the chocolate intact. I avoided using my hands to prevent melting the chocolate.
These are dangerously good. I had to restrain myself — they’re perfect comfort food for stressful days. And there are plenty of leftover waffle cone bits, which are great sprinkled over a bowl of ice cream the next night.
Below is the full recipe and instructions so you can make your own Americone Dream Blondie Sandwiches.
Americone Dream Blondie Sandwiches Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate-Dipped Waffle Cones
- 7 waffle cones
- 9.5 ounces milk chocolate baking melts or chocolate chips
Blondies
- 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/4 to 2 1/5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 Tbsp 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 14 ounce jar caramel sauce
Instructions
Chocolate-Dipped Waffle Cones
-
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% power in 30-second intervals until smooth, about 2–3 minutes. Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment. Brush melted chocolate onto the inside and outside of the waffle cones and place them on the prepared sheet. Refrigerate for at least one hour to set. When set, gently break the cones into pieces with a meat mallet or another heavy tool.
Blondies
-
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a sling for easy removal.
-
In a bowl, cream the brown sugar and egg with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and melted butter and mix until combined.
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
-
Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
-
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan using a spatula sprayed lightly with baking spray.
-
Bake 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for five minutes, then lift out using the parchment sling and allow to cool completely before cutting.
Assembly
-
Cut the cooled blondies into 16 squares. Slice each square horizontally to make two thin layers, like a sandwich. Add a few chocolate-dipped waffle cone pieces to the bottom half, drizzle 1–2 teaspoons of caramel sauce over the pieces, then top with the other half to create a blondie sandwich.
Notes
Here are some other Ben & Jerry’s–inspired recipes from friends who participated in this series.
This isn’t a sponsored post — just a fun series organized by Shelly and Kristan. There are affiliate links in the original post.