If you love brownies and ice cream, this recipe brings them together in the best way possible. These little brownie cups are baked, then filled with a scoop of ice cream and warm fudge.

Each one is soft in the middle with a gooey center that holds everything nicely. Think of it like your own personal sundae, but the bowl is a brownie you can eat.

The whole thing is completely dairy free, which matters a lot if you skip dairy but still want dessert. I use vegan butter, dairy free chocolate, and coconut milk to keep it that way.

The hot fudge is my favorite part. It only takes a few minutes and turns silky and smooth once you stir it together.

I finish each cup with some diced strawberries for a little freshness. They are perfect for serving when you have guests over or just want to treat yourself.

Why This Recipe Is a Keeper

Fully Dairy Free – Every single part of this dessert skips the dairy, so everyone at the table can dig in without worry.

Warm Meets Cold – The hot fudge stays warm while the ice cream stays cold, giving you that classic sundae contrast in one bite.

Fudgy Brownie Base – These brownie cups bake up rich and gooey in the middle with just the right chewy edges.

Silky Homemade Fudge – Coconut milk makes the hot fudge extra smooth and glossy without a drop of cream.

Here’s What You’ll Need

For The Brownie Cups

1/2 cup Vegan Butter, Melted
1 cup Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
1/2 cup Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips

For The Hot Fudge

1/2 cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
4 oz Dairy-Free Semisweet Chocolate, Chopped
1 tbsp Light Corn Syrup
1 pinch Fine Sea Salt

For Serving

3 cups Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup Fresh Strawberries, Diced

How to Make It

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease 12 wells of a standard muffin pan. Whisk the melted vegan butter and granulated sugar together.

Step 2

Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Stir in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt just until combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 3

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin wells. Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly soft.

Step 4

Immediately press the center of each brownie with the bottom of a small measuring cup to form a well. Cool the brownie cups completely before removing them from the pan.

Step 5

Heat the coconut milk and corn syrup until steaming. Pour them over the chopped chocolate and salt, wait for 1 minute, then stir until the hot fudge is smooth.

Step 6

Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream inside each cooled brownie cup. Spoon warm hot fudge over the ice cream.

Step 7

Finish the sundae cups with diced strawberries and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

Don’t Overbake the Brownie Cups

Pull them out when the edges look set but the centers still look a little soft and underdone. They keep cooking a bit from the leftover heat once they leave the oven.

From my experience, 16 to 17 minutes is usually the sweet spot. If you wait until the centers look fully firm, the brownies turn dry and crumbly instead of fudgy.

Press the Wells While They’re Still Hot

The second they come out of the oven, press the bottom of a small measuring cup into the center of each one to make that little cup shape. This is the step people skip, and then their brownies stay flat.

The brownies are soft and easy to shape right after baking, but they firm up fast as they cool. If you wait even a few minutes, they’ll crack instead of forming a smooth well.

My favorite trick here is to lightly grease the bottom of the measuring cup first so it doesn’t stick and pull the brownie apart.

Let Them Cool Completely Before Removing

I know you’ll want to pop these out of the pan right away, but wait until they’re fully cooled. Warm brownie cups are fragile and will break apart when you try to lift them out.

Once they’re cool, run a thin knife around the edge of each one and they should lift out cleanly with the cup shape holding perfectly.

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