Convenient treats. They are the downfall of many of us who try diligently to avoid our food intolerances. If it’s there, it’s hard to say no. So when a craving strikes, having a treat you can actually digest properly is amazing! Cravings = Satisfied. Body feels great! These healthy brownies are the “whip it up quick” answer for the chocolate lover with a sweet tooth.
• As written, this recipe is free from: Fruit, Potato, Sugar, Grain & Gluten, Meat, and Soy.
• As written, this recipe contains: Eggs, and Dairy.
Ingredients
½ cup butter (1 stick) – organic and/or grass fed if possible
¾ cup maple sugar* (or 1 cup for extra sweetness)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup cocoa powder
½ cup almond flour
¼ tsp sea salt*
¼ tsp baking powder* (Rumford brand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Lightly oil an 8” square baking pan or line the bottom with parchment paper
- Melt butter in a large saucepan, then remove from heat and let cool slightly
- Stir sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the butter with a whisk or spatula
- Beat in cocoa powder, almond flour, salt, and baking powder
- Spread batter into dish
- Bake 25-30 min *Do not over cook
Substitutions & Ingredient Notes
DAIRY Substitutions
- Coconut oil and margarine/Earth Balance are acceptable substitutes for butter. Both contain fruit.
- Organic butter is preferred because many pesticides/herbicides/etc (biocides) are fat-soluble, so when a cow eats grains that have been treated with biocides they are stored and excreted in fats, therefore concentrated in butter fat.
- Grass-fed is preferred because grass-fed cows produce vastly more Omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed cows. This helps create a healthy balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids, which is anti-inflammatory.
EGG Substitutions
- 1 tablespoon ground chia seed in 3 tablespoons water = 1 egg. This changes the consistency of the brownie, but it is quite delicious!
- Pasture raised eggs contain a great deal of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Chia seeds are a good source of dietary fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids.
POTATO Substitutions
- Many baking powders contain traces of potato. Rumford Aluminum Free baking powder does not (as of 4/19/2020)
- Sea Salt is specified because mined salt (including pink Himalayan salt) contains traces of potato added as a de-caking agent
FRUIT Substitutions
- If fruit does not need to be avoided, coconut sugar, which is often more readily available, can be substituted for maple sugar. Coconut sugar is fruit and maple sugar is neutral. Both are less refined than cane sugar and have lower glycemic index, meaning they do not cause as much of a spike in blood sugar, leading to better mood and less inflammation.
*Note – We do not always get the classic brownie crackle-top with these healthy brownies, and definitely not if eggs are substituted out. These healthy brownies are however, consistently dense, moist (if not over baked, so check them earlier if your oven burns hot), and fudgey! My Mom prefers to make these with 1 cup of sugar, so if you have an extra sweet sweet-tooth go ahead and increase it!
