Gluten Free Almond Brownies
Recipe by Chris Newport, Nutritionist and Head Coach
So my intention with this blog is to give you reliable information and awesome recipes to make you a well-functioning athlete and human. But every once in awhile, we I need a little treat. If you know me well, I’m a bit of a chocoholic. And with a gluten free family member, I had to feed my love of baking and attempt some gluten free versions. I tried some with kale, zucchini, black beans and more. But these have by far been the best. In fact, these are better than the flour-containing counterparts.
FYI, if you prefer a sweeter brownie, use 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup of sugar. I use coconut oil, but butter works just fine (or a combination). You can replace the almond extract with vanilla, but I think the almond extract really makes it awesome. Arrowroot starch can be found online at my favorite Thrive Market or at Earth Fare or Whole Foods, although many common grocers are carrying them too. I’ve used corn starch instead of the arrowroot, but it gives it a weird taste. Arrowroot doesn’t taste like anything, really. It’s my thickener of choice now for other applications too.
I made the almond flour myself with my Vitamix, but you can find that fairly easily at your local grocer.
So enjoy these after a hard workout or as an occasional treat. And don’t forget to share them!
Gluten Free Almond Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted (butter works too)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract
- 2 T arrowroot or corn starch
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder aluminum free
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square pan; set aside. For easy removal, put parchment paper in the pan.
- Combine the melted coconut oil and cocoa, stirring to combine. Add sugar, eggs and extract and beat until smooth. Add the flour, arrowroot, baking powder and salt and mix to combine.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you can possibly stand it, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into 16 squares. These store well for about 1 week (if they last that long).
