Spiced Paleo Brownies

Feb 15, 2016 32 Comments

The best thing we can all do for our kitchens right now is to whip up a batch of brownies. Fight winter’s frosty climes with these chocolatey delights. They’ll spread much-needed warmth around the house in no time. 100% guaranteed. The sweet scent of warmed chocolate, sugar, and fat wafting in the air will turn any frown upside down. What are we waiting for? Let’s do this.

These paleo brownies are adapted from the Mexican brownies recipe in Becky’s cookbook, Paleo Planet. A few months ago, I got Becky’s beautiful cookbook in the mail, and I’ve been slowly cooking my way through her recipes. I have been a big fan of Becky’s blog, A Calculated Whisk, and I’m so glad that she came out with a paleo cookbook! Flipping through the pages of the book is like taking a trip around the world with our tastebuds. There’s over 125 mouth-watering recipes that are inspired by different world cuisines. I’m particularly in love with her Peruvian roast chicken, bi bim bánh bowl, and smoky sweet potato latkes. I just wish I had this book when I was on the Whole30!

I decided to make Becky’s Mexican brownies for the blog because good paleo dessert recipes can be difficult to find sometimes. I lightened the original recipe by substituting 3 tablespoons of ghee for unsweetened applesauce. On a scale from cakey to fudgy, these brownies are more on the cakey side because of the applesauce. The texture is lighter than your average brownie, which is exactly what I wanted. I also took out the cayenne pepper from the original recipe because the savory flavor threw me off a bit.

These brownies are incredibly easy to make, so make a batch soon!

MASTER MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES

Use eggs at room temperature: Using room temperature eggs helps the ingredients blend together better. For one of my test batches, I used eggs straight out of the fridge. When I mixed it with the melted ghee, some of it solidified again, and I found small clumps of ghee in my batter. To get the eggs to be room temperature, leave them out overnight or place the eggs in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Use a greased spatula to spread batter: The batter is pretty thick, so you’ll want to use a greased spatula to help spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Cooking spray works well for this.
Don’t bother using an electric mixer: I tested out a batch that I mixed using an electric mixer, and the brownies were too airy for me. Mixing all the ingredients with a wooden spoon will do the trick.
Don’t forget to sift ingredients: I find almond flour and cocoa powder tends to be pretty clumped up, so I like to sift those ingredients whenever I bake with them. The batter came out more evenly mixed when I sifted the ingredients.

If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes by leaving a comment or sending me a message! Or take a photo of the food and tag me on Instagram so that I can give you a fist bump. I love seeing your creations!