Daydream Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches tempt tastebuds around Atlanta

Local, family-owned business sells indulgent, scratch-made creations

Photo by Stephanie Samuelson

A mother of six and a grandmother, Kathy Carpenter spends a lot of her time in the kitchen, cooking and baking. About seven years ago, she started working at Casseroles, a shop selling take-and-bake meals in Morningside. She’d often make sweet treats for the shop, and when the pandemic hit in 2020, her baking rose in correlation with her spare time.

“I was baking brownies from scratch and piling ice cream between them. Then I started adding my own cookie dough, crumbles, peanut butter cups, and organic strawberries to flavor the ice cream,” she says. “It was selling so well people said I should start my own business.”

In early 2021, Daydream Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches launched. Carpenter describes it as a family affair. One of her daughters oversees production, while another manages the website. Her son creates the packaging, and others fly in from out of state when business needs increase.

Today, Daydream’s ice cream sandwiches come in more than 10 varieties, including cookies and cream, coffee, chocolate mousse, and cinnamon churro—a special flavor designed in collaboration with Poco Loco. The brownies are made with high-quality cocoa, butter, and sugar for a chewy, moist, and fudgy texture. The ice cream creamy with high butterfat content, similar to a semifreddo. “It’s very rich, luxurious, and decadent dessert,” Carpenter says.

Photo by Stephanie Samuelson

Why brownies? “Cookies have been done and overdone,” she says. “This is a combination of a brownie ice cream sundae and an ice cream sandwich. It’s a more substantial treat than a [cookie-based] ice cream sandwich but more portable than an ice cream sundae.”

Daydream is sold in seven Southern states and numerous independent markets and restaurants around Atlanta. Look for these $9, six-and-a-half-ounce creations at Souper Jenny Decatur, Savi Provisions, Sean’s Harvest Market, and the Candler Park Market, among others. Carpenter says she’s in talks with her distributor to take the company nationwide next year.

“[The popularity] has taken us by such surprise. We’ve had so much fun with it. We had no background in the food business, and we learn every step of the way,” Carpenter says.