Description
These Healthy Peanut Butter Brownies are a deliciously rich and fudgy treat made with wholesome ingredients like almond flour, coconut sugar, and creamy peanut butter. Perfectly chewy with a chocolatey peanut butter swirl on top, these brownies are a fantastic gluten-free dessert option that satisfies your sweet tooth without the guilt.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (50 grams)
- 1/3 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter (plus more for topping)
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (ounces by weight, not volume)
Dry Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional for mixing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare it for baking the brownies.
- Line the pan: Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside for easy removal of the brownies after baking.
- Cream sugar and eggs: Using an electric mixer, cream together the coconut sugar and room temperature eggs for about 1 minute until well combined and slightly fluffy.
- Melt chocolate and coconut oil: In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Melt them in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring well between each until fully melted.
- Combine melted chocolate with egg mixture: Beat the melted chocolate and coconut oil into the egg and sugar mixture along with the vanilla bean paste until smooth and uniform.
- Add peanut butter: Beat in the creamy unsalted peanut butter until fully incorporated into the batter.
- Sift dry ingredients: Sift together the almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt to avoid lumps and ensure even mixing.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture: Gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture. If desired, fold in the optional chocolate chips for extra chocolaty flavor.
- Prepare batter in pan: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. Add a few dollops of peanut butter on top and swirl them into the batter using a knife or chopstick for a marbled effect.
- Bake: Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and serve: Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 16 pieces. Enjoy this rich, wholesome dessert!
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs for optimal creaming and better batter consistency.
- To ensure the brownies are fully baked but not dry, start checking doneness at 20 minutes using a toothpick test.
- You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips if a richer chocolate flavor is preferred.
- For a nut-free version, consider swapping peanut butter for sunflower seed butter and almond flour for oat flour (note the textural differences).
- Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
