Pretzel & Caramel Ice Cream Dessert Bars

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Dreyer's.

When Dreyer's asked me to create a family-friendly ice cream recipe, i was more than delighted to do so. I love desserts, especially ones that i can create with my boys. they really enjoy spending time in the kitchen with me, and it is fun to teach them how to create different recipes. with school back in session, it was great to take a break from school work and have some together time in the kitchen.

i love ice cream with chocolate and caramel, and my boys are always eating pretzels, so together we decided to make Pretzel & Carmel Ice Cream Dessert Bars. WOW...it turned out AWESOME, probably one of my favorite creations to date. the boys and the hubby loved them. some of the tricks that made these ice cream bars extra good, was the homemade caramel sauce...which is super easy to make, and the homemade cookie crust. of course you could always use store bought if you don't have the time, but this put these ice cream bars over the top. we would love to share the recipe with you...

How to Make Pretzel & Caramel Ice Cream Dessert Bars

To make these yummy Pretzel & Carmel Ice Cream Dessert Bars, you will need your favorite Dreyer's Ice Cream, pretzels, chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate chips, butter and two cans of condensed milk (or store bought caramel sauce).

These ice cream bars are take some time to make due to freezing time between layers, so it's best to start the day before you want to eat them.

Start Preparing the Ice Cream Dessert Bars Early

You will need to start preparing your Prezel & Carmel Ice Cream Dessert Bars 2-3 days before you need them. Start by preparing the chocolate cookie sandwiches by crushing an entire package of them in a ziploc baggie with a rolling pin.

Also, line a 9 x 13" pan with aluminum foil. At this time, you will want to make the caramel sauce, as it will need time to be completely cooled before using it in this dessert.

How to make the Caramel Sauce

To make the caramel sauce, fill a large stock pot with water. Remove the labels from the condensed milk cans, and place them (unopened) into the water. Bring the water to a boil, and continue boiling for 2-½ hours. As the water evaporates, you will need to add more water to keep the cans fully immersed. Let the cans completely cool before opening.

These ice cream dessert bars have a cookie crust made from chocolate sandwich cookies. To prepare the cookie crust, first preheat the oven to 350º. Next add 4 tablespoons of melted butter to the bag of crushed cookie that you prepared. Knead the bag until the cookie crumbs and butter are fully combined.

Now press the crumbs into the bottom of the foil lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust feels a bit dry.

Once the crust is completely cooled, you can spread the ice cream on top of it. make sure the ice cream is softened enough to spread. then using a spatula, spread it evenly over the cookie crust.

After you have finished this step, place it back in the freezer to harden. You can even leave it in the freezer for a few days before you serve it.

After the ice cream layer is frozen solid, you pour the caramel sauce over the top. Make sure to spread it out evenly.

When you are done, it will look like this.

Next, place the pretzels across the top of the caramel in a nice layer.

Now, you will want to store it in the freezer until you are ready to serve. Make sure to wrap it up with plastic wrap to keep it fresh until you are ready to eat it.

Serving the Ice Cream Dessert Bars

When it is time to serve your ice cream dessert bars, heat up the chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth. Stir in 30 second intervals until melted. Pour chocolate into a plastic baggie, snip the end off and drizzle across the pretzels.

To serve, first make sure the entire dessert is frozen solid. Next, remove the entire dessert from the pan and peel back the foil. Using a large sharp knife, cut the ice cream into bars. serve immediately. Trust me....your guests are going to love this. enjoy!

Doesn't it look so good! I just love how they turned out...and have to say that these Pretzel & Caramel Ice Cream Dessert Bars are currently my new fave. The saltiness of the pretzels with the sweet....and the crunchy pretzels and cookie crust really compliments the gooey caramel and cold ice cream. Most of all, the boys loved helping me make AND eat these which is a win win in my book. YUM YUM.

Pretzel & Caramel Ice Cream Dessert Bars

Ingredients

1 pint Dreyer's Ice Cream (any flavor that taste good with chocolate and caramel)
2 cups of pretzels
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 package chocolate sandwich cookies (or any crunchy cookies)
2 cans condensed milk (or store bought caramel sauce)
Aluminum foil
9 x 13" pan

Directions

Make ahead...

Crust: to prepare the cookie crust, preheat the oven to 350º. add 4 tablespoons of melted butter to the bag of cookie crumbs and knead until fully combined. press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. bake for 15 minutes or until it feels dry.

Caramel:

Fill a large stock pot with water.
Remove the labels from the condensed milk cans, and then place them (unopened) into the water.
Bring it to a boil, and continue boiling for 2-½ hours. make sure as the water evaporates, that you add more water to keep the cans fully immersed. let cool completely.

Next, on the completely cooled crust...

Make sure the ice cream is just soft enough to spread, microwave for 30 seconds if needed. Then spread the ice cream over the top.
Once the ice cream is evenly covering the ice cream, place in the the freezer until completely frozen and you are ready to spread the caramel.
Spread caramel over the ice cream layer and spread evenly over entire dessert.
Next, place the pretzels across the top of the caramel in a nice layer.
When it's time to serve, heat up the chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth. Pour melted chocolate into a plastic baggie, snip the end off and drizzle across the pretzels.

To serve: