Kale Applesauce Brownies...and Ice Cream Sandwich version!

 

If you are craving chocolate yet want to sneak in a bit of leafy greens, this is the recipe for you.  It's a very filling and rich recipe, which is great since you won't overindulge.  Plus you're packing in a bunch of baby kale, which is always a good thing.  This recipe is and tastes a bit on the healthier side, so I would approach it with caution; the kale does not change the flavor much but you may detect a slight leafy vegetable texture unless you prefer to finely process the kale to fully blend it in.

My mother, whom I would say is a chocolate snob, surprisingly really liked it.  It's not the most appealing looking brownie recipe, but it is flavorful and very chocolate-y, and a good healthy dessert to swap in for those fattening holiday brownies and cookies that beckon to you from holiday parties and festive bakeries.

Best of all, like many of my original recipes, it's vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free and all that jazz.

Kale Applesauce Brownies

Ingredients:

4 cups baby kale, food processed/pulsed along with the next six ingredients
3/4 cup applesauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1 overripe banana, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 cup gluten-free oats, finely ground
scant 3/4 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
scant 3/4 cup sucanat
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup mini nondairy chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Food process all wet ingredients pulsing several times (no need to fully puree); set aside in a bowl.

looks delicious, right?

2.  Add dry ingredients to wet, folding in nondairy chocolate chips last.

not gonna lie...it's not the prettiest batter.  Or completed brownie, for that matter

3.  Line a 9x13" baking pan with wax paper.  bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes to set better.  Serve warm.

I couldn't wait to try some.  Delicious fresh out of the oven, but let it cool to set more

 

Ice Cream Sandwich option:

Use an upside down glass as a cookie cutter to make two medium circles.
Layer nondairy ice-cream (like vanilla coconut milk ice cream!) between the two circles.
Wrap and freeze!

Now, you have the world's only vegan gluten-free Kale Applesauce Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich.

step 1

step 2

step 3