Easy Brownie Sundae I Made for the 4th of July

(That My Kids Devoured Before the Fireworks)

We didn’t plan much for the 4th of July this year. Just a little grilling, some water play, and time together as a family — the good stuff.

But I woke up that morning and decided I wanted to make something sweet. Something simple and festive, but nostalgic too. A dessert that feels like summer.

So I threw together this brownie sundae — and it disappeared faster than the fireworks.

Here’s how I made it (and how you can too, even if it’s not July 4th anymore).

The Ingredients:

1 box of fudge brownie mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 bottle of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
1.5 QT vanilla ice cream
Red, White, Blue Chocolate M&Ms

How I Made It:

Bake the brownies: I mixed the brownie mix with the eggs, water, and oil. Baked it in a 9×13 greased foil pan at 350°F as directed or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side of the pan comes out almost clean (about 21–25 minutes).
Let it cool completely (the hardest part).
Top it with vanilla ice cream, spreading it generously once the brownies were fully cooled.
Layer the red, white, and blue M&Ms on top. You could get fancy with a flag design, but I opted for a scatter-and-pray approach. Drizzle chocolate syrup all over.
Slice & serve right away — ideally to hungry kids who can’t wait and don’t care how pretty it is!

I loved baking this in a foil pan because it makes storing leftover Brownie Sundae easy. Simply cover it with foil and pop it in your freezer to enjoy later!

Pin This for Next Year:

Even though I made this in the moment — not ahead of time — I’m saving it here for next summer too. Because sometimes the best recipes are the ones you make when your heart says, “Make something sweet today.”

And this one? I’ll definitely be making again!

xo, Danielle