A Plant-Based, Summer Treat: Vegan Raspberry Brownie Ice Cream Bars

I often get requests for recipes that are less reliant on butter & eggs, and that are gluten-free, so I wanted to come up with a fun plant-based recipe that would be refreshing for these sweltering heat waves we’ve been having, and also gluten-free. (And not require an ice cream maker since I don’t have one!)

On hot days, I find myself reflecting more than ever on the connection between what we put on our plates and the climate crisis we find ourselves in. There’s no question that agriculture and the transportation of food across long distances are major contributors to climate change. But finding solutions and sustainable ways of eating can be complicated. For instance, if I forgo my beloved local grass-fed butter in these brownies, but use an avocado that was shipped from Mexico, or olive oil that was shipped from Italy, which of all those three has the lesser carbon footprint? I don’t have the answer to that. But I do know that my diet has a hefty carbon footprint (even as someone who eats largely from my own garden) and I am committed to finding ways to lessen that footprint. And while no one has all the definitive answers, reflecting on the complexity of these issues is important. 

One thing I know for sure, you can’t really go wrong by striving to eat more locally-grown foods, whether it’s by supporting local sustainable farmers in your area, or having a garden. Shopping at farmers’ markets where there is much fewer plastic packaging and food hasn’t traveled very far is is a win-win because it also supports your local economy and agricultural community. And of course, probably the biggest impact we could all have would be to replace our consumption of factory-farmed meat with either vegetarian options, or locally-produced grassfed and organic meat and dairy. Despite my questions about whether a vegan brownie is really better for the planet than a non-vegan one, I must say I thoroughly enjoy developing plant-based recipes. Not only do they force you to be creative with your ingredients but they’re truly delicious!

For this recipe, I wanted a plant-based brownie that wasn’t overly sweet. I love desserts and chocolate but I cannot stomach an overly sweet brownie and I find most recipes have way too much sugar. I was intrigued by an avocado brownie recipe I found on Spruce Eats, but I felt it needed some adjustments to give it the rich and chewy brownie texture I was looking for. So I fiddled around with the recipe until I arrived at a delicious gluten-free brownie that has become a standard go-to in my kitchen. It’s great on its own, but made even more exciting sandwiched with creamy raspberry "ice cream" (which is really more like a sorbet, but "sorbet sandwich" doesn’t have quite the same ring to it). Now this raspberry sorbet is really something. First, it has only 2 ingredients! Raspberries and sweetened condensed coconut milk (which you can find at any health food store). You could also make it with dairy-based condensed milk if that’s what you have on hand. Also, no ice cream maker is needed (though you’ll need a high speed blender). It’s so creamy and so refreshing and you’re mostly just eating berries, so good for you!

This recipe is a great way to make use of raspberries, and I am blessed with a raspberry patch of both red and yellow raspberries. Yes! Yellow raspberries are a thing! They taste like a cross between apricots and raspberries and they’re my absolute favorite. This variety is called "Anne". And no, you certainly don’t need to use yellow raspberries, I just threw some in there because I had them.

The nice thing about this recipe is you can make the raspberry sorbet and just enjoy it on its own. Same with the brownies. They don’t need each other, but they sure do enhance one another and make a lovely marriage of flavors and textures.

Enjoy!