Chocolate and ice cream on a stick, is there a better combination? In this Instructable, I will show you how to make ice cream bars. This chocolate-dipped ice cream bars recipe is awesome and super easy to make only requires 5 ingredients. You can make the ice cream from scratch with just 3 ingredients or you can use storebought ice cream. This is a great summer treat to have or a fun activity to do with the kids. If I can do it, you can do it. Let's get started!

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Follow the easy steps below or watch the video tutorial or do both! :)

Step 1: Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream (473ml)
1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk (396g)
1 tsp vanilla extract (5ml)
2 cups chocolate chips or bars (semi-sweet, milk, dark, etc.)
1/4 cup of oil (canola, olive, coconut, etc.)
Nuts, coconut flakes, sprinkles, etc. (optional)

*You can also use a store-bought ice cream

Tools:

Cakesicle/popsicle molds
Bowls
Glass
Spoon
Sheet pan with parchment paper or silicone mat

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Step 2: Make the Ice Cream (3 Ingredients)

Begin by making the ice cream, or you can certainly use a store-bought ice cream if you like. Which is pretty awesome because you can make all kinds of different flavors of ice cream bars.

In a medium bowl combine the heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. No need to whip the cream first. And just like that, the ice cream base is ready. Super easy right?

Step 3: Fill and Freeze

Now either pour or use a spoon or ladle and fill up the molds. I really like using these popsicle molds because they make the ice cream bar a little smaller perfect serving size. For a bigger ice cream bar use this mold.

If you want to use store-bought ice cream, let it sit out and soften a bit before trying to fill the molds. Don't forget to add the popsicle sticks! There is a tiny groove that you slide the stick in.

After filling up the molds place them in the freezer for 4 to 8 hours or even overnight. The longer the better. They really need to get nice and firm before trying to dip them.

NOTE: If you don't have molds you can still make these. Take a 7x11 pan or something similar and line it with parchment paper. Then pour the ice cream into that. After it is frozen you can cut it into rectangles and slide a stick in and dip it.

Step 4: Melt the Chocolate

After the ice cream bars have had time to freeze, it is time to melt the chocolate. You can use whatever chocolate that you like. If you love a Lindt 80% dark chocolate bar, use a few of those, if you love Godiva milk chocolate, use that, if you love Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips, use that. You can even use your favorite candy melts.

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and either, melt the chocolate over a pot with hot water (double boiler method), or in the microwave using bursts of 30 seconds and then stirring to melt it.

Once melted, chances are the chocolate won't be super thin and runny. If that is the case, you need to add oil to thin it out. For 2 cups of chocolate, I usually add right around 1/4 cup of canola, olive, or coconut oil. This will give it a super runny consistency, perfect for dipping and creating a thin shell of chocolate around the ice cream.

Step 5: Dip and Set

Pour the melted chocolate into a tall narrowish glass. This makes dipping easier.

Time to dip those ice cream bars! Remove one mold from the freezer and push on the bottom of the mold and then push on the stick to slide the ice cream bar out.

Dip the bar all the way in the chocolate and then remove it. Allow the excess to drizzle off. Within 15 seconds or so you will see the shiny melted chocolate harder and become dull. The chocolate sets pretty quickly. Now place it on a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Now dip some more.

TIP: I recommend only doing a few at a time and keeping the rest in the freezer before dipping.

If you want to dip them in nuts or coconut flakes or sprinkles, right after you allow the excess chocolate to drizzle off, dip the bar into the nuts or coconut flakes, you only have 15 seconds or so to work, so you need to go fairly quickly.

After you have dipped the bars, place them back in the freezer to firm up even more. If you try and eat them too soon the ice cream may have gotten soft on you.

Step 6: Serve Them Up!

Now it is time to eat those yummy homemade ice cream bars! If you have little treat bags you can place them in those if you like or in individual sandwich bags. And keep them stored in the freezer for a few weeks. But I doubt they will last that long! Enjoy :)

*Print the recipe here if you want.