Chef's Notes
White Whole Wheat Flour: White whole-wheat flour is a type of flour made from winter wheat or hard white spring wheat. It has a milder taste and a paler color than regular whole-wheat flour. You can easily swap in regular whole-wheat flour if you’d like.
Cane Sugar: Cane sugar is an example of a dry sweetener, a general term for non-liquid sweeteners. If you don’t have cane sugar, you can use sucanat, date sugar, or maple sugar.
Unflavored Plant Milk: Plant milk is the term we use to describe the plant-based milk of your choice. Rice, oat, hemp, almond, and soy milk are all varieties of plant milk. Look for unsweetened, unflavored plant milks.
Step 1: Make the Bars
- 3 bananas, sliced & frozen
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3⁄4 cup white whole-wheat flour
- 3⁄4 cup white whole-wheat flour
- 1⁄4 cup cocoa powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3⁄4 cup cane sugar
- 1⁄3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (divided)
- 1 tablespoon unflavored plant milk, plus more as needed
FREEZE BANANAS
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice bananas and place on prepared baking sheet. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
PREPARE BATTER
In a medium bowl, combine flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water; let stand for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine white whole-wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add sugar, applesauce, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to flaxseed. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
BAKE BROWNIES
Bake until top is set and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Remove whole uncut brownie in parchment paper and let cool for 30 minutes more.
FREEZE BROWNIES
Using a serrated knife, carefully cut whole brownie in half horizontally. Line same baking pan with foil and place bottom half of brownie back in pan, cut side up. Place in freezer for at least 15 minutes.
MAKE NICE CREAM
Meanwhile, in a food processor (or high-powered blender), process frozen bananas, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon plant milk until smooth and creamy, adding additional milk if needed and stopping processor (or blender) a few times to scrape down sides.
ASSEMBLE NICE CREAM SANDWICHES
Spread nice cream over frozen brownie half. Top with remaining brownie half, cut side down. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours. Remove foil from pan and cut into 8 nice cream sandwiches.
SERVE
Enjoy immediately or wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and freeze.