Healthier Brownie Bark Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

 
I’m partnering with ENLIGHTENED to bring you today’s recipe! They make rich, smooth low-calorie ice cream that tastes as delicious as anything you’d find in an ice cream parlor. I’m totally obsessed—especially with their triple chocolate and salted caramel flavors!

Regardless of the occasion, my mom always celebrates with ice cream. It’s probably a result of growing up in Arizona… Somehow, baking a cake or serving slices of hot apple pie in the middle of 110°F summer weather just didn’t sound appealing!  

Events like our 8^th grade promotions, honor roll semesters, high school graduations, marching and concert band awards, college degrees, new jobs, my brother’s graduate school Masters ceremony, buying my first house… And of course, every 4^th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and birthday!
 

 
Mom isn’t too picky about the ice cream flavor (as long as it isn’t coffee, much to Dad’s and my disappointment!). Vanilla, chocolate, and mint chip are some of her classic standbys… But she’s happy with any pint containing chocolate, fruit, or caramel!

Even though Mom’s birthday falls in December, I knew she’d still want to celebrate with some sort of ice cream treat… And since she’s watching her weight, I knew she’d appreciate a healthier alternative!
 

 
So I made these Healthier Brownie Bark Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches just for her! They’re rich and chocolaty, which totally satisfies her chocoholic sweet tooth, but they’re just 45 calories!

And you know what that means… We each enjoyed multiple flavors, and Mom didn’t feel one bit of guilt! (The perfect birthday gift, right??)
 

 
And a big part of that is due to ENLIGHTENED’s ice cream! Their flavors are sweet, smooth, creamy… Just as delicious as what you’d find in an ice cream parlor. BUT! They range from just 240 to 400 calories per pint!

Yes, you read that right! It took me a minute to wrap my head around that too… So while you’re soaking in that blissful, incredible, mind-blowing fact… Let’s take a peek at some of these flavors!
 

 
We sampled all of the ones in this photo… Plus quite a few unpictured too! (When it comes to ice cream, my family is very thorough in our research!) I’m the most indecisive person on the face of this planet, so it’s nearly impossible for me to choose a favorite flavor—but the sea salt caramel and triple chocolate were definitely at the top of my list!

Psst… You can check out all of ENLIGHTENED’s flavors here! (I also recommend the snickerdoodle and chocolate peanut butter. ♡) And you can see what stores sell ENLIGHTENED’s ice cream near you here!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHIER ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

To make these fun birthday treats, I simply sandwiched a scoop of ENLIGHTENED’s ice cream between two pieces of homemade brownie bark! (Tip: I used a small ice cream scoop, like this!) The brownie bark tastes exactly like traditional rich, indulgent, chocolatey, supremely fudge brownies… Just thin and flat instead!

Because it’s me, you know this brownie bark is much healthier than anything you’d buy from a bakery! It’s made from white whole wheat flour (like this, which has the same exact health benefits as regular whole wheat flour!), lots of cocoa powder (like this!) for that decadent flavor, and a hint of Greek yogurt for extra protein and that irresistible fudgy texture.

Tip: I’ve also shared my favorite gluten free options in the Notes section of this recipe, if you’d like to make your healthier ice cream sandwiches gluten free instead!
 

 
After baking your brownie batter on a cookie sheet in a thin layer and letting it cool, cut out little circles as your ice cream sandwich “crusts.” I still haven’t unpacked all of my cookie cutters (it’s only been six months since I moved… oops??), so I actually used the top of a spice jar instead! That measured 1 ¾ inches in diameter, the same width as the popular cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies. That’s the perfect size for me!

Because ENLIGHTENED’s ice cream is much lower in calories and fat than traditional ice creams, it’s pretty hard when you first take it out of the freezer. That just means you need to let it thaw for a bit before scooping!

Tip: While your ice cream thaws, pop those little brownie bark “crusts” in the freezer. This makes them a little firmer, so you can press them together without the brownies bending or breaking!
 

 
My family loved these ice cream sandwiches… And now insists on keeping Enlightened’s ice cream in their freezers at all times! 😉

When you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthier ice cream sandwiches!

Healthier Brownie Bark Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 16 mini ice cream sandwiches

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Inactive Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

These little ice cream sandwiches are so cute and fun! The fudgy brownie bark “crusts” taste so indulgent, but the smooth, rich ice cream in the middle truly steals the show. It tastes incredible! (The salted caramel and triple chocolate flavors are my favorite!) Ice cream sandwiches will keep for at least 3 months if stored in zip-topped bag in the freezer with all of the air squeezed out of it. Just thaw on the counter for 5+ minutes before enjoying!

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients 

• ½ cup (60g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
• ⅛ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 large egg white (room temperature)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (30g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup
• 3 tbsp (45mL) nonfat milk
• 1 ½ cups (210g) ENLIGHTENED ice cream

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (highly preferred!) or parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding in the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
• Spread the batter onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer ⅛” thick. (An offset spatula like this really helps!) Bake at 300°F for 11-13 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature on the baking sheet, and let the brownie bark sit for at least 3 hours at room temperature.
• Using a small round cookie cutter (see Notes!), gently press down into the cooled brownie bark to cut out circles. Carefully remove the excess brownie bark.
• Remove the ice cream from the freezer, and let it thaw for at least 15 minutes. While the ice cream thaws, place the brownie bark circles in the freezer to make them firmer. Once the ice cream has thawed enough to scoop, use a small ice cream scoop (I used this size!) to scoop up 1 ½ tablespoons of ice cream. Place onto the flat back side of one brownie bark circle, and gently press the flat back side of another brownie bark circle down on top to make a sandwich. Serve immediately -OR- place the ice cream sandwich in the freezer (to prevent the ice cream from melting!) while continuing to assemble the rest of your ice cream sandwiches with the remaining ingredients.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: Make sure you measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly using this method or a kitchen scale (← that’s the one I own!). Too much of either will make the brownie batter dry, and too much cocoa powder will make the brownie bark taste bitter.

 

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.

 

FLOUR SUBSTITUTIONS: Regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free, if necessary!) may be substituted as well, but be extremely careful when measuring it!

 

IMPORTANT COCOA POWDER NOTE: Use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, like this! I don’t recommend using Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. They have a different acidity level, which can affect the taste and texture of your brownie bark. I promise the brownie bark already tastes very rich and dark chocolaty without using either of those!

 

SWEETENER SUBSTITUTIONS: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

 

MILK SUBSTITUTIONS: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

 

ICE CREAM NOTES: I used a variety of ENLIGHTENED’s flavors! Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry cheesecake, triple chocolate, salted caramel, and brownies & cookie dough. (See my pictures in the blog post above!) You can find all of ENLIGHTENED’s flavors here! And you can see what stores sell ENLIGHTENED’s ice cream near you here!

 

COOKIE CUTTER NOTE: For the small round cookie cutter, I actually used the metal lid of a spice jar that was 1 ¾ inches in diameter. (I still hadn't unpacked all of my cookie cutters after moving!)

 

SERVING NOTE: If your ice cream sandwiches have been in the freezer for more than about 10 minutes, then let them thaw for a bit on the counter before enjoying!

 

{gluten-free, low fat}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

This post was sponsored by ENLIGHTENED. As always, all text, photos, recipes, and opinions are my own.
 
 
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