Chocolate-Walnut Avocado Brownies (Paleo & Vegan)
I jumped so high I touched the clouds
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh [2x]
I stretched my hands out to the sky
We danced with monsters through the night
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh [2x]”
Sometimes I hear song and it sounds so perfect rhythmically or the lyrics are so good that it bores into my head and it doesn’t let go. There, stuck.
I keep playing it on my iPod over and over again, and I keep hearing it in my head.
Take for instance “Best Of My Day My Life” by American Authors (FIY, lyrics above).
A good song, not a great one.
Certainly not as epic as “Here Comes Your Man” by The Pixies.
Still good, good enough that the other day it attacked me and stuck inside my head for the whole day.
I went for a 10 miles run and I swear, it was the only song I played on the iPod for the whole 1 hour and 5 minutes it took me to complete the run.
The song lasts 3:14, meaning that I’ve played it about 20 times...I know...
Another thing I’m obsessed with is avocado brownies.
I rarely bake them because unless I quickly give them away, I'll eat the whole batch.
Once they're there, I can't not eat them.
All obsessions are not created equal though.
There’s a difference between obsessing over a song and obsessing over brownies.
The former can - in rare and extreme circumstances - cause insanity; the latter can make you, well, a tad chubbier.
Even when the brownies at hand are super healthy avocado brownies. Made with lots of avocado, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and super healthy coconut oil.
Paleo and vegan. The best of both worlds.
Because people let’s not forget there is such a thing as overeating healthy foods.
While these brownies are nutritious and healthy, too much of even a healthy food can lead to weight gain.
The key is to remember to control the portion sizes of the foods we consume, even super duper healthy ones, like these brownies.
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If you have never tried baking with avocado before, then this recipe might the one for you to take the jump.
Here’s the thing when you mix avocados with chocolate: magic happens.
Let me explain better. The avocado disappears but at the same time it allows the chocolate to stand out front and center. It empowers it, quite a lot.
In addition, the avocado gives to the brownies a smooth and thick consistency. Something you don’t wanna miss out.
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No, they do not taste like avocado. I said this already but I feel like I need to say it once again.
It’s all about the chocolate and the walnuts. Trust.
.jpg "Chocolate-Walnut Avocado Brownies (Paleo & Vegan)")
Ingredients
Makes 12 (large) brownies
2 large ripe avocados (I used Hass)
8 oz / 220 gr +70% dark chocolate, chopped (I used Dagoba)
3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or butter)
1 cup / 7 oz / 200 gr raw coconut palm sugar (I used Madhava)*
2 flax eggs (or 2 free-range organic eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup / 2.65 oz / 75 gr almond meal (I used Bob’s Red Mill)*
¼ cup / 1.12 oz / 32 gr unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
½ cup / 2 oz / 56 gr chopped walnuts
* If you don't care about the paleo thing you can use regular brown sugar
**For those of you allergic to nuts, you can use GF flour or regular wheat flour.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Grease a 8x8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with foil and lightly grease the foil. This will make brownie removal much easier.
Place coconut oil and chopped chocolate in a medium size heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon until chocolate and coconut oil are completely melted. Use pot holders to remove the bowl from over the boiling water. Let mixture sit for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, mash avocado until very smooth (I used an immersion blender).
Stir in the chocolate coconut oil mixture.
Whisk in sugar until combined, then add in eggs (one at a time) and vanilla extract.
Sift in cocoa powder, then add almond meal, baking powder and salt, mixing with a large spoon until just combined (do not overmix). Finally, stir in chopped walnuts.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth using a spatula.
Bake for about 28 to 30 minutes until the middle is set.
Let cool on a rack and cut into 12 squares using a sharp knife.
Nutrition facts
One brownies yields 298 calories, 25 grams of fat, 24 grams of carbs and 6 grams of protein.
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