Ridiculously Amazing (and Healthy) Fudgy Brownies – Gluten-free, Grain-free

I must admit I was a tad bit nervous as these brownies had some high expectations, being served as the official birthday cake, they had to be over the top delicious. And they were!! So you can confidently make these healthy treats for your next birthday or potluck and everyone is guaranteed to LOVE them! Just don’t tell them they are made with butternut squash, some can’t handle that kind of information about their desserts..

If you have worked with coconut flour before, you know it comes with it’s own set of problems. I have a love hate relationship with this gluten free, grain free flour. I love the benefits of the plant protein, fibre and the fact that it is gluten-free, but I hate how it sucks up moisture in baked goods!! To avoid the goods turning into crumbly moisture sucking disasters I add vegetable and fruit purees (I used butternut squash in this recipe) and eggs. I had the brownies four days after baking them and they were still super moist and delish.

These over the top amazing treats come with benefits too. They are high in antioxidants, vitamin A, fibre, protein, and low glycemic. All this equals not only healthy guilt free decadent indulgence, but it also means you’ll be satisfied with just one serving:) And unlike the brownies you find at the coffee shop or supermarket, these ones won’t cause bloating or fluctuating blood sugar levels which lead to more cravings. You can read about the health benefits of quality dark chocolate here.

Ridiculously Amazing Fudgy Brownies
Dry:
½ cup coconut flour
½ cup cacao powder
2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla powder (or 1.5 tsp vanilla extract)
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp baking powder

Wet:
½ cup butternut squash puree
⅓ cup coconut oil
2 eggs
1 cup walnuts
½ cup chocolate chips (gluten free) or good quality dark chocolate chopped into little pieces

Frosting:
½ cup butternut squash puree
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup raw honey or coconut syrup
2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla powder or 1.5 tsp vanilla extract

How to make:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Peel butternut squash with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Cut into little 2 cm cubes and steam for 10 minutes. Put into food processor and puree until smooth. (you will need 1 cup of puree, the rest you can leave into chunks for another dish or use the puree for this smoothie or this dip)

In a large bowl mix together coconut flour, cacao powder, arrowroot powder, coconut sugar, vanilla powder (if you’re using vanilla extract mix in with wet ingredients), sea salt and baking powder.

Melt coconut oil in the oven in the baking dish you are going to use to bake the brownies or another heat safe dish for 3-5 minutes. Careful not to burn yourself!

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, ½ cup squash puree, coconut oil and vanilla extract if using.

Chop walnuts into little pieces.

Combine the wet ingredients into dry and add chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix well. Grease a 9 x 6.5 baking dish and pour in batter. Spread with a spatula or your hands until uniform on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

To make the frosting combine all ingredients and mix well. Spread frosting on brownie when you take it out of the oven, then refrigerate the brownies for an hour or so before eating.

Serves 12

Note: When choosing chocolate chips look for good quality pure chocolate chips that are gluten and dairy free.

Substitution: You can use pumpkin puree or sweet potatoe puree in place of butternut squash.