Sometimes you feel like a nut! (Who’s singing??? Or did I just date myself?) I often feel like a nut – both with humor and with food. I LOVE when my nuts accompany chocolate even more. These little brownies with nuts are just what I needed on this particular evening. And don’t worry – if you don’t like nuts, just leave ’em out.
I’m finally getting back into the kitchen and having some fun after our move. I actually started out to make chocolate cookies but suddenly brownies popped into my head and I just went with it. And who doesn’t love a little frosting on top?!?
I let these guys cool after coming out of the oven but still had a hint of warmth ….so they were absolutely delish with a cold cup of almond milk! I stuck them in the fridge & ate one the next day cold and though they were good, they are definitely better when warmed up in the microwave for 10 seconds. If you have no microwave, just let sit on counter after taking out of fridge for a few minutes. As I said, they are good right out of the fridge but soften up a bit after they sit or warmed and the frosting becomes finger lickin’ good!
I think these would be a perfect contribution to a potluck or some of the holidays approaching us soon! It always helps to have something to take along to keep yourself away from the sweets that you would like to stay away from. I doubt you’ll feel like you’re making a sacrifice because these definitely give you all the good feels of a dessert AND who knows? Maybe you’ll get some of your friends and/or family on board with healthier eating.
*Disclaimer: No, these aren’t considered a healthy food. These brownies are just not filled with a bunch of nonsense ingredients you’ll find in boxes or ladened with sugar/grains. Always keep in mind that paleo or not, these should be considered a treat and eaten once in a while. I’m just here to share what can be eaten “instead of”. That said, when you’re craving that something sweet, these are definitely a better choice vs. the cookie aisle at the grocery store.
So have it and enjoy! And if you make any tweaks, be sure to let me know. I’m always up for trying some of your tricks 🙂
- 3/4 cassava flour
- 3/4 (heaping) cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup melted brown butter or ghee (butter works too)
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts but pecans are yum as well!)
- 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips (melted)
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp cashew milk
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand mixer, blender or hand held mixer - mix eggs with brown butter/ghee or butter, then add coconut sugar and vanilla to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients (except nuts) and slowly incorporate with wet ingredients in your stand mixer, trying not to over mix. Fold in nuts by hand.
- In an 8x8 pan, grease or line with parchment paper*.
- Spoon batter into baking pan, spreading to edges/corners and smoothing out. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min using toothpick as a guide by inserting and having it come out clean.
- While brownies are in the oven, whip up the frosting ingredients. When brownies are out of oven and cooled, spread on top and then slice into desired squares. I cut mine into 16 brownies.
- *Parchment paper works best. You can keep it from moving around by dabbing some of the butter or coconut oil on the pan first, then pressing parchment paper against bottom/sides before adding the batter.
- Good out of the fridge after storing BUT even better warmed in the microwave for about 10 seconds!
