Gluten-Free Brownies With a Secret Ingredient That’s Not Black Beans or Sweet Potatoes

This article is shared with permission from our friends at blog.paleohacks.com.

Rich, dark and chocolatey…brownies are the easiest, most divine Paleo dessert.

This recipe uses pureed beets to create a moist, chocolate brownie that’s hiding a sweet surprise.

Beet the Bloat

Beets are a great swap for those who aren’t a fan of beans, which are commonly used in flour-less brownie recipes (black bean brownies). While beans have a tendency to cause bloating, beets can prevent it.

Beets are rich in fiber, which is extremely beneficial to our digestive health. A diet high in fiber can help prevent bloating as “too little fiber, fluids, and physical activity can lead to constipation, which can result in bloating” says Web MD. Check out this beet juice video for more info!

Beets also give you the following health benefits:

Rich in vitamin C, which boosts the immune system
Helps with your body’s detoxification process, and purifies your blood and liver
Contains anti-cancer properties

Fights inflammation
Lower your blood pressure – according to Dr. Mercola, “Drinking beet juice may help to lower blood pressure in a matter of hours.”

Another variation of this recipe is to use 1 ½ cups of shredded, raw zucchini in place of the beets. Shred it very finely and then mix well into the batter, and you’ll end up with brownies that have literally zero trace of zucchini.

I love the idea of making brownies in a mini muffin pan because it’s forced portion control. One little morsel is all you really need to satisfy your sweet tooth. When I have a large pan of brownies in front of me it’s hard to just cut a little square and be done with it!

If you’ve got a hankering for something sweet, you’ll want to try these.

Luscious Beet Brownie Recipe

Recipe by Diana Keuilian

Serves: 6

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

5 oz dark chocolate, 72% or higher cocoa content
1/4 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup raw honey
2 omega-3, free range eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teapsoon almond extract
1 cup blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cooked beets, pureed (to save time use organic, canned beets)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 pan with coconut oil, then dust with blanched almond flour. Set aside.
In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate. (If you don’t have a double boiler then fill a skillet with a few inches of water and set a small pot in the water, place over very low heat.) Add the coconut oil and raw honey. Mix until fully combined. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In small bowl combine the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts. Add the cooled chocolate mixture.
In a medium bowl combine almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined. Mix in the pureed beets.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until fully set. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before cutting. *Tip: Use a serrated, plastic knife to cut your brownies — this makes it less likely to crumble.