It's safe to say that everyone loves brownies. These perfectly gooey and chocolatey creations can put a smile on any face, truly satisfying our inner need to indulge. Most traditional brownie recipes contain inordinate amounts of white sugar and butter. We whipped up something just as delicious but with more beneficial ingredients, in order to provide you with a refined sugar-free and dairy-free alternative. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of our key ingredients and to see the recipe.
Benefits of Key Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain some of the highest levels of Vitamin A out of any food type. The beta-carotene which is the pigment responsible for giving sweet potatoes their colour, converts into Vitamin A once ingested. Vitamin A is a potent antioxidant which is best known for reversing cell damage and helping to reduce inflammation in the body. We recommend using Vitamin A both topically, in the form of retinol, and incorporating it in your diet through the regular use of such ingredients.
Cacao Powder
Cacao powder is made from fermenting and cold-pressing cacao beans. When chocolate is commercially sold, the benefits of cacao are diluted by the addition of milk and sugar. Pure cacao, on the other hand, is considered to be a nutrient-dense superfood and a powerful antioxidant. "High in magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium...and omega-6 fatty acids, cacao powder provides these and other nutrients so that your body and skin perform at peak levels."
Almonds
Almond flour is essentially ground-up almonds, nothing else. You can attempt to make this at home with your food processor, but it is now more commonly found in supermarkets as well. Almonds are one of the most beneficial nuts you can consume: they are both a good source of protein and Vitamin E making them beneficial for both your skin and hair.
Walnuts
Walnuts are also an excellent #SkinFood. These nuts contain powerful antioxidants which can help us to fight oxidative cell damage; therefore, they are ideal for reversing the signs of ageing. Walnuts are also an excellent source of Omegas 3 & 6 which are essential for good cognitive function and overall healthy skin.
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is a terrific sugar substitute for any baking recipe. White processed sugar is pure poison for the body and wreaks havoc on your skin by breaking down collagen and often provoking acne due to increased inflammation it causes in the body. Coconut sugar, on the other hand, has around half the GI Index (35) of normal white sugar (60 - 65), thus it doesn't spike your blood sugar levels as much. It is also less refined meaning it contains more nutrients and trace elements.
Now that we've covered the benefits, let's move onto our recipe!
Ingredients
1 large puréed sweet potato
2 cups of almond flour
1 cup of coconut sugar
1 cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups of crushed walnuts
3 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 360 °F/180 °C. Take your baking tray and grease the sides and base with coconut oil.
Start by boiling your sweet potato for approximately 30 mins. Make sure that you can easily pass a knife through both sides of your potato before you drain the water from you pot. Once boiled, cut your sweet potato down into smaller chunks of 3 - 4 pieces, and transfer these chunks to your blender. (Leave the skin on as it does not affect the taste of the recipe and has been found to be nutritionally dense). Before blending add 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil to help it mix more easily. Mix them together for 1 minute approximately until the sweet potato has become a purée. In a separate mixing bowl add 2 cups of almond flour, 1 cup of coconut sugar, 1 cup of cacao powder, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 eggs and 1 cup of crushed walnuts. Mix these all together adding in your sweet potato purée as you mix. Transfer your brownie mix to your cake tray. Once you have your mix in place, you can use your second cup of crushed walnuts to sprinkle over the top for added decoration and crunch.
Place your tray in the oven for 35 minutes. Once out of the oven, allow your brownies to cool for 30 minutes. This recipe serves approximately 8 -10 slices.