Amaretto Apple Crisp Ice Cream Bars

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville Ice Cream, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I grew up down the street from an apple orchard, and during the fall season, my mom and I frequently visited the orchard after school to grab a few apples for dessert. Apple crisp was one of the first dishes I learned how to make. It’s an unfussy dessert that uses very basic ingredients. I used the same recipe for years, except I always doubled the crisp part of the recipe because the buttery, brown sugar oat pieces are my favorite. 

Last year I experimented with a new flavor pairing: apple and amaretto. I added a little amaretto to the crisp topping and to the apple mixture. Wow! The almond liqueur is the difference between tasty apple crisp and incredible apple crisp. It really makes the flavors pop!

Of course, the dessert isn’t complete without a big scoop of ice cream. Hudsonville recently released Limited Edition Baked Apple Crisp ice cream, and it truly tastes exactly like the dessert. The ice cream is packed with apple pieces and crispy oat crumbles. It made me think—why do I even bother peeling and dicing apples for apple crisp when I could just serve this Hudsonville Ice Cream?

That’s when I decided to make bars using Baked Apple Crisp ice cream and my favorite amaretto crisp topping as the base. I baked the buttery oat crumbles in a baking pan, and then I pressed half of it into a baking dish. I made an easy stovetop amaretto caramel sauce to help the pieces adhere together, and I poured it over the oat crumbles before adding 4 cups of ice cream on top. I finished off the bars with more caramel sauce and the other half of the crisp topping.

I guarantee everyone will love the apple-amaretto flavor combo, and you’ll want this tasty treat stocked in your freezer all season long! Use the Scoop Locator tool to find Limited Edition Baked Apple Crisp ice cream at a store near you.

Amaretto Apple Crisp Ice Cream Bars

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

For the amaretto caramel sauce

• 1/2 cup butter (110 grams)
• 1 cup brown sugar (200 grams)
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup amaretto (60 milliliters)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 gram)

For the crisp topping

• 1 1/3 cup brown sugar (266 grams)
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (180 grams)
• 2/3 cup old fashioned oats (54 grams)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted (110 grams)
• 3 Tablespoons amaretto (45 milliliters)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (6 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (2 grams)

For assembly

• 4 cups Hudsonville Limited Edition Baked Apple Crisp ice cream

Directions

For the amaretto caramel sauce

1. Combine butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until smooth.
2. Add heavy whipping cream, amaretto, and salt to saucepan, and stir. Bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes. Make sure to stir regularly.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you make crisp topping.

For the crisp topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Mix together brown sugar, flour, oats, butter, amaretto, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Spread mixture in even layer on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, making sure to stir the mixture at the halfway mark.
4. Remove from oven.

For assembly

1. Line 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 2-inch overhang on two sides. 
2. Transfer half of crisp mixture to prepared pan and press down into even layer on bottom.
3. Drizzle about 1/3 of amaretto caramel sauce over bottom layer.
4. Spread ice cream evenly over sauce.
5. Drizzle another 1/3 of amaretto caramel sauce over ice cream and top with rest of crisp mixture.
6. Freeze until ice cream hardens, at least 1 hour.
7. When ready to serve, use parchment overhang to transfer bar to cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.
8. Serve with remaining amaretto caramel sauce and whipped cream, if desired.