APRÉS RUN

healthy baking

The Great Healthy Brownie Bake-Off

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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

Perfectly Fluffy Gluten-Free Gingerbread Pancakes

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I made these pancakes for our Christmas Day brunch – and again on New Year’s Day, because they were that good.

These pancakes come out delightfully golden in color, and all the warming gingerbread spices will make your house smell amazing while cooking. They are hearty enough to stick with you for hours afterwards, but light and fluffy in texture – just how we like our pancakes around here.

The key for these was finding the just-right blend of flours. I used a combination of oat, almond, and coconut to not only make them not only gluten-free, but super healthy and nutrient-dense, and also to give them that perfect texture I was looking for.

Speaking of nutrients – these are sweetened with coconut sugar and molasses, both of which are low-glycemic and won’t give you a 2 PM sugar crash after eating. Molasses is also super mineral-rich and has a whole host of health benefits on its own – especially for runners.

There are so many fun ways to dress these up, too! A few ideas:

  • Coconut whipped cream (store-bought, or you can make it homemade, like we did. I love Minimalist Baker’s recipe)
  • Maple cashew cream frosting (I love this recipe from Cotter Crunch)
  • Fresh berries and drippy almond butter
  • Coconut oil or grass-fed butter, and real maple syrup (classic)
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Perfectly Fluffy Gluten-Free Gingerbread Pancakes

  • Author: APRÉS RUN
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 medium pancakes 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Healthy
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Description

These gingerbread pancakes are festive enough for the holidays, or hosting a great Winter brunch with friends – but just as good on a random Saturday morning in.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cup almond milk, or plant-based milk of choice
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Grease a large griddle or pan, and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, coconut sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt.
  3. In a separate medium mixing bowl, beat your eggs. Add in milk, molasses, and oil, and whisk vigorously to combine.
  4. Add your wet ingredients into the dry, and stir together until fully-combined and well-incorporated. Be careful not to overstir.
  5. Let batter sit for 10 minutes. This step is very important!
  6. With a few minutes left to go, start preheating your griddle over medium heat.
  7. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, spoon your batter onto the griddle, and let cook about 3 minutes (or until the edges are bubbly). Flip, and repeat on the opposite side, until pancakes are cooked through.
  8. Dress with desired toppings, and serve warm! Enjoy!

Keywords: pancakes, healthy pancakes, gluten free pancakes, healthy baking, gingerbread, gingerbread pancakes, gluten free baking

Easy Snickers-Stuffed Dates

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Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free

Looking for healthy Halloween recipes? Look no further than these super easy, 6-ingredient Snickers-Stuffed Dates. Two or three will satisfy your sweet tooth without sending you on a sugar high, thanks to fiber from the dates and healthy fats from the crushed peanuts and natural peanut butter. Plus, they’re so delicious, you just might want to enjoy them all year long!

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Easy Snickers-Stuffed Dates

  • Author: APRÉS RUN
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Description

An easy, fun, and healthy Halloween treat that won’t spike your blood sugar and leave you ‘hangry’ a few hours later. Bonus: they’re super fun (and hands-on) to make!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 20 medium to large Medjool dates
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped or crushed peanuts (raw and unsalted), for topping
  • Flaky sea salt, for topping
  • 1 3 oz. dark chocolate bar, ideally 70-85% cacao
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Start by slicing your dates down the middle and gently prying them open so they can be stuffed. Place dates along the baking sheet, making sure to leave some room in between them. Things will get messy!
  3. Next, stir your peanut butter well so that it’s not overly runny and the oil doesn’t seperate. Spoon peanut butter into the center of the opened dates, one at a time. I recommend just over 1/2 a teaspoon of peanut butter per date.
  4. Break your dark chocolate bar into pieces. Either on the stovetop or via the microwave, melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil together. Be careful not to ‘overcook’, as chocolate burns easily. Stir vigorously.
  5. One at a time, dunk and roll the stuffed dates in the chocolate mixture. Place back on tray to cool and harden.
  6. Sprinkle chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt over the dates to finish.
  7. Place your tray in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the chocolate shell to harden and solidify. After that, enjoy! These treats are best stored in the fridge, but can be frozen, as well, for longer-term preservation.

Raspberry Double Chocolate Muffins (gf, df)

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I love Valentine’s Day. It might be my second favorite holiday behind Christmas. Is that a crazy thing to say? I can’t help it — I love red and pink, I love roses, I love the thoughtful gift giving and romance. I love seeing people in love. So — like the people who keep their Christmas lights up long after Christmas has passed, I’ll post another Valentine’s Day-themed recipe after February 14th.

These muffins are decadent and delicious but healthy enough that you can eat one (or two) for a daily mid-morning or afternoon snack. They have no refined sugar, are packed with whole grains, and are gluten- and dairy-free.

And really, I think those who love Valentine’s Day, those who loathe it, and those who only like it for the half-priced chocolate the next day can all agree… there’s really no bad time for fudgy chocolate-raspberry baked goods. Enjoy!

Dry ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups oat flour
  • ¾ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa poder
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1 ¼ cup almond milk
  • ¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips

For topping

  • 6 oz fresh raspberries
  • More dark chocolate chips
  • Coconut butter, warmed so that it’s nice and drippy

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a muffin tin and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
  3. Add wet ingredients one at a time and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
  4. Fill muffin cups ¾ of the way full. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips and 2-3 raspberries on top of each muffin cup.
  5. Place pan in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. When ready, the muffins should have risen, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins should come out clean.
  6. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and drizzle with melted coconut butter.

Tahini Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Banana Bread (gf, df)

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A thick slice of warm banana bread + a cup of coffee is the ultimate comfort food (in my mind), and in the winter even more so. And the best part — a hearty banana bread base pairs well with so many different flavors, so the possibilities are truly endless! For now — I’m drooling over this loaf, which marries nutty tahini with the sweetness of dark chocolate chunks and the saltiness of coarse sea salt flakes (which, by the way, is my latest baking obsession. #seasaltoneverything).

This loaf will probably definitely not last a week in our house… it’s that good. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 large super-ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour, which uses a chickpea flour base (You can use spelt or white whole wheat flour if not gluten-free, but I’ve only tested it with this flour.)
  • 3/4 cup almond meal
  • 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks, plus a few more for topping
  • 1 less ripe whole banana for topping
  • Small handful flaky sea salt for topping

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a loaf tin, and set aside.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, tahini, honey, coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. Stir in mashed banana.
  4. Fold in the dry ingredients until just fully combined — do not overstir.
  5. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks — again, being careful not to overstir.
  6. Pour mixture into loaf tin. Top with a whole banana, sliced lengthwise.
  7. Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. As soon as you remove banana bread from the oven, sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt, then leave to cool.
  8. Cut into thick slices, and enjoy warm with a cup of coffee!