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brownies

Fudgy Flourless Peppermint Brownies

December 12, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

Just in time to get you into the holiday spirit: Fudgy flourless peppermint brownies.

Yep.

Add these to your to-do list this weekend.

This recipe is:
  • One-bowl
  • Only requires 10 ingredients
  • Gluten- and dairy-free
  • Refined sugar free… AKA healthy (…ish)
  • Oh so fudgy and delicious

Apparently you guys love brownies. (My Great Healthy Brownie Bake-Off is the highest performing post of all time on my blog.) So I don’t think it’ll be a stretch to say you’ll love these. They’re flourless, which makes them nice and gooey in the middle, and just gives them the most amazing texture. There’s a dash of peppermint extract in the batter, and the crushed candy canes on top take it to the next level.

Good luck stopping at just one square.

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Fudgy Flourless Peppermint Brownies

  • Author: APRÉS RUN
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Healthy
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Description

These Fudgy Flourless Peppermint Brownies are a must for getting into the holiday spirit. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy(-ish), and guaranteed to make you feel festive. Their texture is truly amazing and everything you could want want from a rich (but not too rich) flourless brownie.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup natural almond butter (the drippier the better)*
  • 1/2 cup packed coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or other mild-flavored cooking oil of choice
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened high-quality cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large candy canes, crushed**

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease or line a 8 x 8″ pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, peppermint extract, and eggs. Whisk together.

3. Add avocado oil, and whisk again until smooth.

4. Stir in the cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until well-incorporated and ribbony. This batter should be THICK (that’s a good thing!).

5. Transfer brownie batter to the prepared pan, and use a rubber spatula (or your hands) to spread it evenly towards the edges.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, or with only a few crumbs attached. It’s better to underbake fudgy brownies than to overbake them.

7. Let the brownies set in the pan for a full 20-30 minutes. Once completely firm and cool, remove from the pan, slice up, and enjoy!

 


Notes

* ‘Natural’ means no hydrogenated oils, and the only two ingredients are almonds and salt. You want the smooth, creamy stuff at the top of the jar, not the hard, crusty parts that can form at the bottom. Also note: there are no subs for almond butter here! (That I’ve tested.) Peanut butter has a different fat content than almond butter and thus will produce different results in baking.

** To crush candy canes, I like to place them in a ziplock bag on a hard surface, and use a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pan to crush them into tiny pieces.

Keywords: healthy brownies, healthy peppermint brownies, peppermint brownies, christmas brownies, christmas baking, healthy christmas baking

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @apres_run on Instagram and hashtag it #apresrun

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: brownies, healthy brownies, healthy christmas baking, healthy peppermint brownies, peppermint brownies

The Great Healthy Brownie Bake-Off

February 18, 2020 by APRÉS RUN

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen me post pictures and videos of my brownie bake-off last month. The experiment came from a desire to find the perfect ‘healthy-ish’ brownie recipe, and as someone who loves food science and experimentation, I figured the only rational way to do this was via blind taste test.

I enlisted the help of my husband and in-laws, and they all came over hungry and ready to give their honest feedback. My husband said this was ‘not weird at all’ – but then again, when your 6-month pregnant wife tells you she wants to bake six batches of brownies for fun, you probably do whatever she says and don’t argue with her. Whatever…

I did a lot of recipe research, tweaking, and playing around with ingredients and ratios. I started with six recipes I really liked, but only ended up making the four I felt would be the best. I needed all the brownies to be gluten-free and dairy-free (due to my food allergies) – but I also wanted them to be made of more wholesome ingredients, like unrefined sugars and oils, and darker (70%+) chocolates. What I didn’t want was anything truly weird or out there. No ‘faux’ brownies made from entirely raw ingredients, or made from beans. Just a healthier version of the original, and still made with the basics of flour, butter or oil, sugar, and chocolate.

I also wanted a brownie that was super fudgy, chewy, and dense – not cakey. (This was important.)

I didn’t disclose any of the ingredients to my taste testers – nor did I give them any hints about which recipe was which. Instead, I placed each of the four batches on a plate, and I labeled each of the plates “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D”. I gave myself, my husband, my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law a ballot, and asked them to judge each batch on the following categories:

  1. Crinkly top
  2. Fudgy middle
  3. Crispy edges
  4. Overall taste

Some notes on making really good brownies:

  • Unlike with other baked goods, you don’t want a toothpick inserted into the center of your brownies to come out clean. If it does, you’ve over-baked the brownie! Instead, you want lots of moist crumbs attached for a nice, fudgy brownie.
  • When making fudgy brownies, it’s normal for the center of your brownies to sink a little while cooling. Don’t stress if this happens!
  • However, to prevent excess sinking, you’ll want to be very careful not to beat too much air into the batter. Whether whisking by hand or using an electric mixer, be sure to beat your oil and sugar until just coated and combined – do not go crazy here!
  • For maximum fudginess, you want to prevent your brownies from cooking any further once they’re out of the oven. I recommend letting them cool for five minutes at room temperature, and then placing on a hot pad in your fridge for up to 40 minutes. Afterwards, you can slice into pieces and serve (and return to room temp).
  • And lastly – my secret ingredient: espresso powder. Don’t worry if you don’t like coffee. You won’t taste it, but it will help the depth and richness of the chocolate really ‘pop’.
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The ‘Perfect’ Healthy Fudgy Brownies (gluten-free, dairy-free)

  • Author: APRÉS RUN
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 26
  • Total Time: 41 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Healthy
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Description

These are the winners of my Great Brownie Bake-Off. They’re everything you want in a truly indulgent, enjoyable brownie: crinkly, shiny top, fudgy center, chewy edges, and a great overall taste.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups superfine blanched almond flour
  • 1/4 cup high-quality cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder (or instant coffee powder)
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350º F. Grease an 8 x 8″ baking pan, or line with parchment paper, and set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, beat together your eggs and sugar, just until all the sugar is coated and moistened. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and again – beat until just combined. See tip above: For perfect fudgy brownies, you don’t want to beat too much air into your batter.
  4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and combine until no flour pockets remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Pour batter into your baking pan, and place in the oven for 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. See tips above for how I recommend cooling and storing these.
  6. Enjoy!

Keywords: Brownies, healthy brownies, perfect brownies, gluten-free brownies, dairy-free brownies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @apres_run on Instagram and hashtag it #apresrun

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: brownies, fudgy brownies, gluten free baking, gluten free brownies, healthy baking, healthy brownies, healthy fudgy brownies

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Montana DePasquale

Welcome!

I’m a certified running coach who has the pleasure of working with busy, hardworking runners all over the world. I work with runners chasing Boston qualifiers and sub-3:00 marathons, to runners who are just getting started and want to learn how to train correctly or build up safely. I also specialize in working with pre- and postpartum women.

In addition to running, I am an avid foodie who places an emphasis on whole, nourishing foods – and I’m a huge proponent of strength training for runners. On this blog I share training tips, recipes from my home kitchen, and evidence-based strength training info.

I live in Providence, Rhode Island, with my husband Ryan and son Brady.

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