There are two types of people in this world: those that prefer cake-like brownies and those that prefer fudge-like brownies.
I, for one, am a fudge-like brownie kinda gal.
I love dense and intensely chocolate brownies. When they are made like this, you only need a small piece to satisfy your craving.
These Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies were a bit of a self-imposed challenge. I wanted to make a dessert without refined sugar, eggs, butter or oil AND were also gluten-free. Quite the challenge, right?
Both applesauce and pumpkin can be used as substitutes for eggs, oil and butter in baking. This provides a low fat alternative for an otherwise high fat, indulgent treat. These are sweetened with just a bit of pure maple syrup, instead of refined sugar. I also added full fat coconut milk to help bring the batter together and to add a healthier fat alternative.
You truthfully cannot taste the pumpkin overwhelmingly in these brownies - there is a hint of pumpkin and spice. Instead, these taste rich and chocolaty, but in actuality are much better for you than your typical brownies! These are so easy to make that the hardest part will be waiting for them to come out of the oven!
Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 45-55 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
Dry
- 1 cup almond flour/meal
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder (best to use a high quality cocoa!)
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Wet
- 1-1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish and then line with parchment paper, this will help the paper stay in place. You could skip the parchment paper but it makes removing the brownies from the pan SO much easier and less messy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk together. Set aside. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients, whisking together to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until well incorporated. Pour batter into prepare baking dish, ensuring to level out the top of the brownies.
- Place in oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean after testing. These are very dense brownies and do take some time to bake. Be sure the brownies are actually baked all the way through before removing.
- Remove brownies from oven and allow to cool in baking dish for about 15 minutes. After this point you can remove the brownies from the dish if you have lined it with parchment paper. It is a simple lift out of the baking dish and place on a cutting board or large plate to continue cooling fully. Cut brownies into 12 even pieces and serve.
Nutritional Information (1 brownie)
160 calories - 4.5 g Protein, 16 g Carbohydrates (6 g Fiber), 8.8 g Fat