Better for you brownies - Rich & fudgy brownies made with coconut flour, cacao powder, coconut oil and sweetened with honey, a decadent treat made with good-for-you ingredients.
I honestly thought that these brownies were going to be rubbish; this was my first time baking with coconut flour and I just made the recipe up as I went along. They didn't look like anything much when I pulled them out of the oven and they don't have that much coveted shiny, flaky brownie crust; but when I bit into one I was totally converted, they are extremely good.
So rich, fudgy and chocolatey that they are practically indistinguishable from the best regular flour/refined sugar/butter laden brownies. And yet they are free from gluten, grains, refined sugar AND dairy and are made using several highly nutritious ingredients so you can enjoy a slice without feeling too guilty.
They are made using coconut flour, which is gluten free and high in protein and fibre, and cacao powder which is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
I replaced the usual butter with coconut oil, and the sugar with honey and I threw in some chopped brazil nuts and almonds for an extra bit of protein.
You can't taste the coconut flour, or the honey (though I did use a very mild honey, if you use a strong one the flavour will probably come through a bit more), they just taste chocolatey and delicious.
I did use melted dark chocolate as well as the cacao powder to flavour them, make sure that you use a dairy/sugar free one if that is a concern of yours (I just used Lindt 70%).
Not only are these better for you brownies full of good-for-you ingredients, but they are incredibly easy to make too, just melt some chocolate and coconut oil then whisk everything together and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Make sure that you don't overbake them, you don't want sad, dry brownies...they should feel firm and a toothpick should come out with moist crumbs on it but no wet batter, if it comes out clean then they are overdone, sorry.
They are quite crumbly, so make sure that they are completely cold, refrigerated even, before you try slicing them; I was short on time so mine were still slightly warm when I cut them so they turned out a bit messy... still taste good though!
They are a bit plain looking as they are, so fancy them up with a dusting of cacao powder and a drizzle of melted chocolate to finish them off and make them look as good as they taste.
Better For You Brownies Recipe:
Rich, Fudgy Better-For-You Brownies (Gluten/Grain/Refined Sugar/Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped, make sure you use a dairy-free, naturally sweetened one if that is a concern.
- 95 g (8tbsp) coconut oil
- 30 g (¼ cup) cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
- 70 g (½ cup) coconut flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 215 g (150ml/ ½ + ⅛ cups) honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 100 g (3.5 oz) nuts, roughly chopped (I used almonds and brazil nuts)
- 40 g (1.5 oz) dark chocolate, melted, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm/8in square tin and line with a strip of baking parchment; leave some overhanging on either side so that you can easily lift the brownies out of the tin.
- Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 10 second bursts, stirring regularly, until melted and smooth (or melt over a pan of gently simmering water); set aside to cool a little.
- Place the cacao powder, coconut flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and gently whisk to remove any lumps. Whisk in the honey, vanilla extract and chocolate mixture until smooth.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; then finally mix in the chopped nuts. The mixture will be very thick and fudgy.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level it. Bake for 25-30 mins until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with moist crumbs on it, but no wet batter, and the brownie feels firm.
- Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack until cold, then lift the brownie slab out of the tin using the parchment. Peel the parchment off and use a sharp knife to cut into 9 squares. Dust with a little extra cacao powder and drizzle with the melted chocolate. The brownies keep well in an airtight container for up to a week.
SUSAN L HALL
Wasabi peas i love a hot kick
Natalie Gillham
I love to snack on green olives with salted almonds
Victoria Prince
My favourite healthier treat is almonds and brazil nuts 🙂
These look so amazing! Really want to try them when I have the ingredients.
Kelsey
these are so so good! I'm looking up a peanut butter glaze for these because my husband is a peanut butter fanatic... I only used 1/2 cup of honey and it came out fine, I'm tempted to lower the amount next time and maybe use apple sauce to make up the difference. Thanks for the great easy recipe!
hannahhossack
Brilliant! I'm so glad you enjoyed them and it is good to know that you can reduce the amount of honey 🙂 I think a peanut butter glaze would be amazing with them!
Isabel
How can you say it's refined sugar free if you're using dark chocolate? All sugar unless 100% raw chocolate has a percentage of sugar. May. E less than milk sugar but has sugar. Not being pedantic here but I have to bake for a market that wants to sell only refined sugar free products and I am not allowed to use even 80% dark chocolate because it contains sugar.
hannahhossack
Hi Isabel, I do specify in both the post and ingredients list that you need to use a naturally sweetened chocolate if you wish to make them totally refined sugar free.
Reena
This sounds delicious. You should check out some recent research, though, that shows coconut oil is about as good for you as a lump of lard. I can’t share the research as I watched it on tv, but puts an interesting spin on recipes containing coconut oil as being “good” or “clean”.
Fa
I am not one to post reviews but I just have to tell you that this was my first time making chocolate brownies and the result surpassed my expectations! I wanted a healthier recipe and I am so pleased that I stumbled upon yours - they are delicious! I did substitute the coconut flour and coconut oil for gluten free oat flour and low fat butter, but I can't wait to make them again; thank you!
Barbara Amell
Excellent recipe. I used bittersweet chocolate, creamed honey and oat flour, substituted cinnamon for the salt. No chocolate drizzle on top needed, they taste marvelous and moist.