A Paleo Brownie That Doesn’t Taste Paleo

Low-sugar, gluten-free, grain-free and dairy free

 

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Makes 16 servings

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 23-30 minutes

Why I like this recipe:

1. This recipe is lower in sugar. A standard brownie recipe can contain up to 2 cups of sugar. The sugar in this recipe comes from lower glycemic index coconut sugar and maple syrup. The melted dark chocolate provides about ½ cup additional sugar, depending on how dark the chocolate. Darker chocolate has less sugar. So compared to a standard brownie recipe this one has about half the sugar. Cinnamon also adds a natural hint of sweetness to these brownies with the added sugar.

2. These brownies are gluten-free. Almond flour is used instead of wheat flour with great results (as stated by my family and friends and cancer patients who would like a special treat for, say, a birthday or Valentine’s Day). Cancer cells thrive on sugar so I recommend a very low sugar diet to my cancer clients. Also, one of my clients has an allergy to almonds so she said she used hazelnut flour instead of almond flour and the recipe turned out really good.

3. Much better than your standard gluten-free mix: common top ingredients in gluten-free brownie mixes are powdered sugar, potato starch, tapioca starch and arrowroot starch. Holy moly that is a A LOT of starches that the gut easily converts in to simple sugar and then dumps a whopping load of sugar into the blood stream. This recipe, while still considered a sweet treat, has a much gentler blood sugar load. You can reduce the blood sugar load further from this recipe by eating in moderation and after consuming a protein food such as at the end of a meal or after a snack of a hard-boiled egg and some raw vegetables.

4. Avocado oil does not promote inflammation like other vegetable oils. Standard vegetable oils such as corn, canola and safflower are high in omega six fatty acids. The methods used to extract the oil from the plant seeds makes these oils more inflammatory. Avocado oil is a much better choice.

5. Homemade: when you make recipes from scratch you are able to choose ingredients that align with your health goals. You can also take time to teach our younger generation how to cook since this may be a dying art.

6. Taste tested: I must eat gluten free because I have celiac disease. My husband, however, is not gluten-free and really does not like gluten-free foods, except for these brownies. Craig is the best food critic I know. He has an excellent sense of taste and also evaluates food appearance and texture. He is tough! AND he likes these brownies.

Here is how you make these wonderful brownies.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces dark chocolate such as Enjoy Life Mega Chunks (about 68 to 72% cacao content), chopped if not in chip form

2/3 cup almond flour

2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup avocado oil

1/4 cup beef collagen powder such as Bullet Proof, Vital Proteins or Great Lakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch baking soda

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs, preferably pastured

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup Grade B maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, optional

 

METHOD:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Place chocolate in a double boiler and melt over medium low heat, stirring often until it is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in avocado oil. Set aside. NOTE: if you do not own a double boiler you can make one by placing 2-3 inches of water in the bottom of a large pot. Fold a kitchen dish towel and place in water in the bottom of the pot. Place your chocolate in a metal or glass bowl and set the bowl on top of the folded dish towel.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a piece of foil long enough to overlap on all four sides. Lightly oil the foil with cooking spray such as avocado or coconut oil-based.

Put the almond flour, cocoa powder, collagen powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until frothy. Add the maple syrup and coconut sugar whisking until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla extract, then gradually whisk in the chocolate until smooth. Next, add the flour mixture and beat for about 1 minute. Stir in the optional walnuts. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 23-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful to not overbake. Let cool in pan to room temperature. Then lift out of pan using foil to cut into 16 squares. Tip: refrigerate for about an hour for easier cutting.

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think of The Paleo Brownie. I would love to hear from you!

Happy baking! ~Tracey