Ooey Gooey Paleo Dark Chocolate Brownies

YOU GUYS. I want to shout from the rooftops and hold these beautiful Ooey Gooey Paleo Dark Chocolate Brownies up for all to behold their wonder. I’m not even kidding.  I don’t consider myself a baker, but I can seriously tell you these little gooey babies came out right on the FIRST TRY. I literally. can’t. even.

I consider myself a brownie connoisseur of sorts.  Given the choice between brownies or ice cream for dessert, I will always choose brownies.  Or in a perfect world, I will have both.  I will probably choose brownies over dinner, sleep, Netflix, and meeting the Pope. I love brownies that much.

I’ve had a really hard time finding a paleo friendly brownie recipe that really does justice to the traditional gooey boxed brownie that we know and love, and I must say I NAILED this one.  I want to bathe in these brownies—crumble them up, and swim in a bathtub full of them, use them as my daily scent…ok…too weird?

IM DONE WITH MY CREEPY LOVE AFFAIR I SWEAR, let’s get into the good stuff—how did I make them, you ask?

First of all, let’s just get this part out in the open.  These brownies are NOT a health food.  This is a paleo treat, it has (gasp) REAL calories, and lots of them.  Being labeled “paleo” does not automatically make a food low –cal or diet friendly.  With that said, these are to be eaten in moderation, just like any dessert or you’ll suffer the consequences (you know, sugar induced coma, wanting MORE sugar, and having a general desire to veg and do nothing besides binge watch New Girl on Netflix).  What being labeled “paleo” DOES mean is that I’ve used paleo-friendly ingredients that minimize gut-irritation, provide some health benefits in addition to tasting delicious, and have a lesser impact on blood sugar levels than traditional white sugar might.

All of these ingredients can be found in most local grocery stores, and if you live in Texas, than you know and love your local HEB.  I found all of this stuff there, and it was super easy.  A few disclaimers: I used grass-fed Kerrygold salted butter because I do ok with dairy in moderation, and because BUTTER. I have NOT tried these brownies using only coconut oil, but in general coconut oil can be substituted for butter in a 1:1 ratio with no issues.  You can also choose to use ghee (clarified butter) if you really want that butter flavor, but don’t want to risk the stomach upset.  I used HEB brand organic coconut sugar, as well as the HEB brand unsweetened cocoa powder.  The rest of the ingredients are fairly typical and accessible—the tapioca flour I used is the Bob’s Red Mill brand found in the baking aisle, and almond flour can be Bob’s as well, or purchased in the bulk bin section. 

These took me about 10 minutes to prepare so they are really time friendly.  One of my favorite things to do is make these on the weekends as a special treat for our Saturday Farmer’s Market Meals or our big Sunday Fancy Dinner, because let’s be honest, come Monday—these are GONE! They would also be PERFECT for a special Mother’s Day treat - you only need a small square to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Comment below if you make these and let us know how they turn out!  I’m dying to see how the coconut oil version does!

Ooey Gooey Paleo Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

• 11 tbsp butter or coconut oil

• 1 ¼ c coconut sugar

• ¾ c cocoa powder

• 2 eggs, room temp

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ½ c almond flour

• 1 tbsp tapioca flour

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 ¼ c of Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips (or your favorite dark chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees, and lightly grease a glass 9 in. pie pan or 8x8 square baking pan.

2. In a small saucepan over medium low heat melt oil or butter, add sugar and stir to incorporate for about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in cocoa powder and let cool for about 5-10 minutes.

3. Pour chocolate sauce into a large bowl, add eggs and mix well.

4. Add in vanilla, flours, and salt and mix fully.

5. Fold in chocolate chips, and pour into pan to bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is set. The timing on this recipe will vary depending on pan size and how gooey or set you want your brownies will be.