easy healthy brownie

Dark Chocolate Cauliflower Brownies with Pistachios

Lovely fall people! PRAIISEEEE the LORD it has ARRIVED!

I am almost 100% sure that every single Southerner has taken a deep breath in the FULL realization that fall is actually a season and does actually exist in the lower parts of the U.S.

Sweet! And speaking of sweet, this week’s recipe is one of my faves!

Y’all know my love of brownies (see my MONTH of brownie posts in February) but I had yet to feature one full of vegetables, AKA cauliflower. You see, cauliflower is low-carb and lots of Paleo types enjoy eating it. I enjoy eating wheat. SO in an effort to fuse both worlds, I landed on a ground cauliflower + spelt (wheat-free) flour hybrid that is full of dark chocolate, fudgey goodness.

Plus, if you use dairy-free chocolate chips, it can totally fit in both of those categories.

Also, as we move into the next three months that are left in this year- I’ve had it on my heart to start thinking about finishing the year well. What does that look like?

For me, it means taking a breath. Focusing on all of the beautiful things our Creator has made for us to enjoy right now.

I’m feel like I am finally growing as a woman to be able to trust Him, and believe with all my heart that just as He causes the fall leaves to release from their branches, He also is whispering into me a change of seasons, a change of purpose, and a newness of rest in Him.

So, lovely readers, take a deep breath. I wish I could pour you a glass of cold milk (here) or hot chocolate (further North), serve you a brownie, and catch up- all the while anticipating a beautiful fall just around the corner.

Dark Chocolate Cauliflower Brownies with Pistachios

These brownies are made with spelt flour (an ancient, wheat-free flour higher in protein*). They are dense, fudgy and decadently rich with the addition of melted dark chocolate. Your friends and family probably won’t even know they contain cauliflower! For the full recipe you can also click Birmingham mag’s site here.

Yield: 9-12 brownies

What You Will Need

1 cup cauliflower florets (5 ounces)
1/2 cup unsweetened or unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
3.25 ounces 70% dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly ** (dairy free chocolate would work great too)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup unsalted and roasted pistachios, ground in a food processor until finely ground and no large pieces remain; reserve 1 tablespoon for topping
1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
3/4 cup spelt flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips** (dairy-free chips could work here too)

What You Will Do

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 by 8 inch dark metal brownie pan with olive oil cooking spray.
Puree cauliflower, almond milk and vanilla extract in blender until smooth.
Add in melted dark chocolate, coconut oil, and eggs and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
In a bowl, whisk together coconut sugar, ground pistachios, cocoa powder, spelt flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
Stir cauliflower mixture into dry ingredients until just combined (avoid over-stirring the batter). Stir in dark chocolate chunks until distributed.
Pour batter into dark metal 8 by 8 square baking pan; smooth top with spatula to evenly distribute batter.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.=
Remove brownies from oven. Place on cooling rack, and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of ground pistachios. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

4 Ingredient PALEO Brownies + Brownie Eating Philosophy

It’s Friday, it’s Friday! That is a cause for celebration. And, we get to take the celebration up another notch because YES it’s time for brownie recipe number two!

This week’s brownie recipe is a huge treat because this has been the best way to get me to eat protein powder during the week (in a dessert) and Gimme Delicious, this week’s recipe creator, is a healthy brownie genius.

Did I mention, like her site says, these treats are also gluten-free and vegan? So everyone can get in on the party!

And as some of you know, healthy eating does not come naturally to me. I grew up in a Southern household, which means that the four main food groups were casseroles, pretzel salad (yes, this counted as a vegetable), sausage and/or bacon, and Cocoa Puffs. Those were the glory days.

But now that I am a bit older, I’ve realized that it’s probably better to practice some balance in my everyday life. And for my hubs and I, eating Paleo during the week has been the easiest transition for us. It involves meat, of which I am a fan, and lots of vegetables, of which my hubs is a fan, and sweet potatoes. Which I love. So, it works!

However, we are all for the weekend splurges, so get ready because next week’s recipe is going to be a party in a pan!

But for this week, and the every day, I highly recommend these paleo brownies. They only involve FOUR ingredients (which you probably have in your pantry right now), have a quick bake time, and taste fudgy and nutty, with the addition of the almond butter. I threw a little coarse kosher salt on top for that salty/sweet combo that heightens the cocoa powder flavor.

AND check out this week’s video for my current brownie eating philosophy:

There you have it my loves! Paleo brownies. Next up, the Southern/homestyle/splurge version. Happy weekending!

4 Ingredient Paleo Fudge Brownies from Gimme Delicious

These gluten-free, vegan, and paleo brownies are the closest I have come in gluten-free baking to that cake-y, yet fudgey, consistency I love in a decadent brownie. With only four ingredients (well, five counting the sea salt on top), you probably have all you need in your pantry right now!

What You Will Need:

2 cups mashed banana (about 6 medium, overripe bananas)
1 cup almond or cashew butter
½ cup vegan chocolate protein powder
¼ cup cocoa powder
coarse kosher salt, for topping

What You Will Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a dark metal, 8 by 8 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas and nut butter and use a fork to whisk until fully combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the protein powder and cocoa powder.
Pour batter into a greased pan, and gently smooth the top with your spatula. Top with a smattering of coarse kosher salt.
Bake for about 25-27 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Cover the leftovers and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I highly suggest enjoying these with a tall glass of vanilla nut milk! Soooo good!!

Month of BROWNIES!! This week: Vegan Chocolate Chip

Y’all!!!

It’s February!! My second favorite month of the year (second only to December=Christmas), which means it’s the time of the year where we ALL get to celebrate my favorite thing in the entire world: love.

That’s right- the mushy, flowery, glittery, pink-red-and-white everything kind. My heart is for celebration and hospitality, and this is the time where we get to take a second, think about the people in our lives we adore, and write their names on Valentines in gold sparkles. It’s the time to bust open the craft kit, pull out that glitter pen, and get to gluing my friends! It’s also time to treat show yourself some love. AND, as I’ll show you this month, with food (my preferred love language) it can look however you choose! Whether it’s vegan, Paleo, Southern/homestyle, or a inspiring list of recipes from the interwebs- you are going to be inspired to get your brownies on.

Let’s also discuss briefly my deep, abiding, let-me-send-you-a-Valentine level of affection for brownies.

Oh brownies. The reasons why I love this dessert could take an entire post, but for your sake’s I’ll keep it short. First, you are made almost entirely of chocolate. More than likely your recipe involves a combination of a few levels of chocolate- a fat (oil, butter, nut butter), cocoa powder (the darker, denser, and higher quality, the better) and a binder of some sort (eggs, flax eggs, bananas, coconut flour), with chocolate chunks either topped or stirred inside. In fact, the simpler, less-ingredient recipes I’ve tried have tended to be my favorites.

And speaking of favorites, this recipe, by Beaming Baker, is one of my favorite vegan brownies. EVER. These dense, chocolate squares have a beautiful balance of texture and richness from the coconut oil and cocoa powder, and a pure level of sweetness from the maple syrup. This recipe also uses flax eggs (Bonzai Aphrodite) and whole wheat flour as the binders, which is super healthy.

Also, y’all- check out her DESSERTS! Oh my gracious, beauties!

So, my loves, my readers, my friends. Enjoy the start to your month of love! I want to hear about all the ways you plan to enjoy it in the comments below:) You can reach me on Facebook and Instagram too.

For me, this week’s love looks like these brownies, a giant glass of cold almond milk, and a lazy Saturday with this book.

Much luv!!

Best Vegan Brownies by Beaming Baker **

This is the best, most fudgey and delicious vegan brownie I’ve EVER tasted!! It’s fantastic, only has a 30 minute bake time, and is pure delight served warm with a cold glass of almond milk.

What You Will Need:

¼ cup natural peanut butter
½ cup organic dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
⅓ cup pure golden maple syrup
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons melted butter flavored coconut oil
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseed + 6 tablespoons water whisked together, set for at least 15 minutes in the fridge)
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
½ cup vegan chocolate chips

What You Will Do:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray an 8×8 dark metal baking pan with olive oil spray.
Prepare your flax eggs by whisking together 2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseed and 6 tablespoons water. Cover, and put back in the fridge to set for at least 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and hot, melted coconut oil. Whisk until it resembles caramel (This process is easiest if you do it right when the coconut oil is hot and melted! Otherwise get ready for an arm workout!)
Add cocoa powder in ¼ cup increments, whisking until shiny and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in vanilla extract and salt. Stir just a few times to gently incorporate.
Add flax eggs, whisking until well incorporated. In thirds, whisk in the flour. As the batter gets harder to whisk, switch to folding with a rubber spatula. Fold until well incorporated and no flour patches remain.
Pour batter into pan, and spread to the sides of the pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth batter into an even layer. Top with chocolate chips.
Bake for 30 mins, or until a knife inserted in the brownies comes out relatively clean. Cool for 1 hour, or until completely cool. (I put mine in the freezer to speed up the process; I couldn’t wait!) ENJOY!!

**This recipe is by Demeter, I just made a few tweaks:)

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