Paleo Brownies

Don’t let the ‘paleo’ in the title of this recipe throw you off! These brownies may be health conscious but they’re still rich, chocolate-y and decadent – everything a brownie should be. No compromising on flavour here!

Lately, I’ve been drawn to recipes with fewer ingredients and steps because they feel less fussy. For me, it’s totally a mental thing. But, when I see a simple recipe, I feel like I can easily incorporate that into my already busy day.  I know so many of you can relate to this as well and that’s why I’ve really been striving for less ingredients, fewer steps and just real, whole foods when I’m in the kitchen recipe developing.

I can totally understand how recipes with too many ingredients or steps can be a deterrent for a lot of people. They can feel complicated and overwhelming. Trust me, I get it! I’m hoping that by providing you with simple recipes like these Paleo Brownies that they entice you to get back into the kitchen and to create more home cooked foods.

It’s only been recently that I’ve been playing around with cassava flour as a grain-free option in my baked goods and I have to say, I’m really impressed. I think it’s a fantastic grain and nut free alternative. It’s very mild and neutral in flavour. When I first started experimenting and saw the price tag for a bag of it, my jaw nearly dropped! It’s definitely a pricey option. What I did initially, was to find it in bulk and only purchase what I needed. Obviously, now that I’m using it more regularly and with confidence, I have invested in a larger bag. If you’re curious about this flour but like me, scared off by the price tag I suggest starting small. Look for cassava flour in bulk and use it in a recipe to see what you think of it first.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, cassava is a tuber. It’s in the same family as yams and potatoes. Cassava flour is actually produced from the entire root, peeled, dried and ground. It is NOT the same as tapioca flour. Cassava flour contains more dietary fibre. You can use cassava flour in any recipe calling for all-purpose, whole wheat or even gluten-free flour. Like most grain-free and gluten-free flour options, cassava flour can be temperamental. It absorbs more liquid which means you don’t always need as much when making substitutions. It’s definitely a bit of trial and error to find the right balance when you’re experimenting with grain-free options. But these brownies have been tried and tested. No experimentation necessary! They are a delicious, grain-free, gluten-free and soy-free dessert.

If you’d like to make them dairy-free as well, simply use coconut oil in place of grass-fed butter. As far as paleo goes, maple syrup shouldn’t be a staple item but given that this is a dessert recipe, there’s nothing wrong with it as a treat every now and again 😛 So go ahead and enjoy – guilt free!

Paleo Brownies
These brownies have been tried and tested. No experimentation necessary! They are a delicious, grain-free, gluten-free and soy-free dessert.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup cassava flour
  2. 4 eggs
  3. 2/3 cup monk fruit sweetener
  4. 1/4 cup maple syrup
  5. 3/4 cup grass-fed butter, melted
  6. 1/2 cup cacao powder, sifted
  7. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  8. 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300F. Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy and yellow.
  3. Add monk fruit and maple syrup to the eggs and whisk.
  4. Add all remaining ingredients to the mixture and ensure that everything is fully incorporated. 5. Pour brownie batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes
  5. out clean.
  6. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting into squares.
  7. Optional: top with homemade coconut whip or dairy-free ice cream before serving.
Notes
  1. These will keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  2. Tell us, have you experimented with cassava flour? What was your experience like?
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Sugar Free Almond Butter Chocolate Brownies

Ready for the fluffiest brownies ever? These sugar free almond butter chocolate brownies are to die for. 

And guess what? They contain ZERO dairy, gluten AND sugar! Yup, that’s right. No sugar here. Only healthy fats and protein – which is my kind of treat. 

I absolutely love spending time on the weekends testing out recipes. Truth is, I have so many new ones to share with you but I just haven’t had the time to post them on the blog!

But ready for the best part about these brownies? They contain fat burning MCT Oil. I added the MCT on a whim – as I was too impatient to melt coconut oil, so instead, I opted for MCT oil.

#fatburningbrownies

If you’re unfamiliar with MCT oil – which stands for medium chain triglycerides; this healthy oil comes from coconuts and your body actually uses it as a preferred energy source instead of storing it. So just to be clear – FAT does not make you fat. Sugar does.

Now with that said, if you’re eating fried foods and lots of inflammatory vegetable oils – then those types of fats will cause you to gain weight, while healthy fats from coconut, grass fed butter, pasture raised meats, ghee, avocado, olive oil and fish, actually fuel your body, your brain and your hormones – leading to less sugar cravings and more weight loss! Amazing right?

I’d love to see your fat burning brownie creations on social media, so be sure to tag me #holisticwellness and
#fatburning brownies so I can check out your posts and connect with you!

Now onto these delicious gems. Enjoy and happy baking. 

Sugar Free Almond Butter Chocolate Brownies
Yields 16
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup creamy almond butter
  2. ½ cup coconut milk
  3. 3 eggs
  4. 2 tbsp MCT oil (or melted coconut oil)
  5. 1/3 cup lakanto sweetener (monk fruit)
  6. 1 tsp vanilla
  7. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  8. ½ cup unsweetened cacao powder
  9. 2 tsp baking soda
  10. Pinch of sea salt
  11. 2 tbsp creamy almond butter for drizzle
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375° and line a brownie pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine almond butter, eggs, milk, mct oil, lakanto, and vanilla; use a whisk to mix together.
  3. Add cacao, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and mix together well with whisk. Pour into prepared brownie pan.
  4. Over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp almond butter and drizzle overtop of chocolate brownie batter.
  5. Place pan in oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until brownies are cooked through.
  6. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  7. Cut, serve and enjoy!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Sweet Potato Protein Brownies

We regularly eat sweet potatoes in our house. 

From mashed, to roasted to steamed (with lots of grass fed butter) to baked, to spiralled noodles, I just absolutely love this mighty tasty root veggie. 

The good news is that sweet potatoes are low glycemic, meaning that they digest at a slower rate keeping your blood sugar more stable; they are high in fibre, which is amazing for supporting gut health, and they are loaded with Beta-Carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C and have lots an anti-inflammatory properties. 

Now you can see why I love them so much! OH! And they taste sweet! 

I decided to combine my baking skills with this tasty veggie and bake up some brownies. I really had no idea how they would turn out, which is what happens when it comes to recipe testing, but I was incredibly surprised by how delicious, easy and tasty these brownies were!

It’s important to note, the texture of these brownies are a lot softer (or moister, if that’s even a word!) than most brownies, given that it does contain mashed sweet potato. Leaving them at room temperature for a little over an hour will help them to slightly firm up. 

IMG_5765

I added in 2 scoops of my favourite protein powder to help further support blood sugar levels. This is optional, but I definitely encourage you to include some if  you have it on hand. 

I think next I’m going to try my hand at sweet potato cupcakes with a delicious vanilla frosting! Sounds good right? Ya, I might have to get on that. 

In the meantime, enjoy these amazing Sweet Potato Protein Brownies guilt free! They are perfect pre workout, for school snacks or just because! 

Sweet Potato Protein Brownies
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 1 ½ cups sweet potato, cooked and mashed
  2. ½ cup coconut flour
  3. 2 scoops Progressive Organic Chocolate or Vanilla Whey protein powder (optional)
  4. ¼ cup Progressive Organic Coconut Oil, melted
  5. 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  6. 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  7. ½ tsp cinnamon
  8. ½ tsp ground vanilla bean or extract
  9. 1 tsp baking soda
  10. Pinch of sea salt
  11. 1/3-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life dairy free mini chocolate chips)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 brownie pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except the chocolate chips. Stir until well combined. The dough will be slightly thick, but still smooth.
  3. Fold in the chocolate chips and gently stir to combine. Pour dough into brownie pan and smooth out. Bake until edges start to turn golden brown, roughly 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into squares.
  4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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The BEST Ever Decadent Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate lovers rejoice! 

You’re gonna love these delicious chocolatey gooey gems. A few months ago when I was putting together my Healthy Holiday Baking eBook, I came up with this recipe and was pretty much in heaven. 

And guess what? You know you’ve hit gold when your mom tells you she loves them and wants the recipe. Jackpot! She just basically confirmed these brownies were a winner. 

You see, my mom has been suffering with lupus (an autoimmune disease) and inflammation for a long time now. 3 years ago she got hit bad and basically couldn’t walk or move without my dad helping her get around. She was in so much pain. Literally, from head to toe she was inflamed and hurting. 

So, of course, I came in and helped revamp her diet. She made an incredible commitment to eating more organic, ditching the dairy and going gluten free. 

Well can you guess what happened? 80% reduction in her pain! 80 freaking percent! She’s not 100% because some of her medication has side effects, but from not being able to walk at all, to cleaning the house, going out and about doing her chores and enjoying the weekends out with my father, her quality of life has improved GREATLY!!

In fact, one thing she reported back to me was that she could think more clearly. Um, ya, gluten has a tendency to cause foggy brain. Crazy right?

Image

The reason I wrote my Baking eBook was for a few reasons; 1. I wanted to share delicious and healthier treats with my tribe (you guys rock!) and 2. because my mom really wanted to enjoy something sweet without having gluten and a boat load of crappy and fake ingredients. 

So I got to work and created a ton of recipes that are all gluten free, most are dairy free and all recipes contain only natural, whole food ingredients (because that’s how I roll!). 

So let’s get to my mom’s favourite recipe, my best ever decadent chocolate brownies. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do! 

Oh! and stay tuned for a very special 50% off discount on my baking eBook, coming soon for Valentines Day. 

P.S. If you’ve been dealing with inflammation, know that through the right diet, you can heal and get better! Our bodies are so miraculous when we give it the right support and nutrients. If you’re suffering, in pain and feel like their is no hope, trust me, their is a solution. Email me and let’s set up some time to discuss if working together is the right solution for you. Email me at: samantha@holisticwellness.ca for a complimentary consult call. 

The Best Decadent Chocolate Brownies Ever!
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Step 1 Chocolate
  1. ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
  2. 3 tablespoons almond or coconut milk
  3. ¼ cup cacao powder
  4. 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Step 2 Dry
  1. 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
  2. ¼ cup coconut flour
  3. ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  4. ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  5. pinch sea salt
Step 3 Wet
  1. ½ cup pure maple syrup
  2. ¼ cup olive oil
  3. 2 eggs, whisked
  4. ¼ cup canned pumpkin
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place all of step 1 ingredients over a double boiler and melt together over low heat.
  2. Next, place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and combine.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine all the step 3 ingredients. Mix well, then pour into the dry mix, along with the Step 1 chocolate ingredients. Mix everything together with a hand mixer until well combined.
  4. Pour batter into a greased 8x8 brownie pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before transferring to a wire rack and cut into 12 even squares.
Notes
  1. * Feel free to add walnuts, dried cherries or other dried fruits, nuts or seeds to this recipe.
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