In 2015, I made a New Year’s resolution that I would go paleo for at least three months. It was a little rough, but I’m happy to say I succeeded with only a few minor slip ups! But boy, did that fried chicken on April 1st taste oh so good 😉
During those three months, I cooked and baked a lot. Paleo recipes are pretty easy to find nowadays but I especially enjoyed seeking out the desserts. Yes, technically most desserts are not paleo because of refined sugar and butter and those who are strict argue that certain replacement ingredients don’t really count. But, asking me to completely cut out dessert was just too much to handle! With all that said, I would call this brownie recipe paleo-friendly . It probably fits more in the gluten-free category but, it’s delicious and you should indulge a little!
First off, I cannot take credit for this recipe. Most recipes I use I find online and perhaps adapt it a bit depending on my taste…and what I actually have in my fridge. This brownie recipe is from Boston-blogger, Sharon and her food blog “Plated with Style“. I was searching for a paleo-friendly brownie that wasn’t cakey and frankly, still tasted like a brownie. Sharon has created a brownie that has no grains, nuts, or refined sugar AND is fudgy with the bonus of espresso. This girl is serious about her desserts.
Grain Free Espresso Brownies
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp of Pastured Butter (you can also substitute in ghee or coconut oil to make it more paleo-friendly!)
- 6 oz of Solid Dark Chocolate (Sharon called for semisweet but I’m more of a dark chocolate gal)
- 2 Tbsp of Packed Coconut Flour
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of Tapioca Flour (I used arrowroot powder, since that’s what I had)
- 1 cup of Coconut Sugar (sucanut or palm sugar works too)
- 1/4 cup of Strong Hot Coffee
- 1/4 cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 Eggs at room temperature
- 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp of Kosher Salt
- Extra butter for greasing the pan
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease a 8×8 baking pan and line with parchment paper (for easy brownie extraction)
- Melt the chocolate on a double boiler with the butter. Don’t have a double boiler? That’s okay because I don’t either! Just boil a pot of water and set a glass or metal bowl on top with your chocolate and butter. Be sure to keep stiring until the mixture is smooth and be very careful – the bowl gets very hot.
- Remove the bowl and stir in the coffee and unsweetened cocoa powder, mixing well.
- In a food processor, add in the sugar and coconut flour and pulse to make a very fine texture.
- Pour this out into a separate bowl and sift in the tapioca flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a third bowl (sorry, a lot of dishes) beat the eggs, then add in the dry ingredients, beating until combined.
- Add in the rest of the wet ingredients (the chocolate and coffee mix) and beat until all incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the lined 8×8 baking pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until it passes the toothpick test – stick a toothpick in the middle, and if it comes out clean, it’s done!
- Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.
Sharon also topped her brownies with a Mocha frosting to add more of that coffee taste. I actually am not a huge fan of most frostings (I know, I know!) and thought these brownies were fabulous just on their own. But check out her blog if you are interested in adding something extra!
In lieu of frosting, I added some sprinkles to my brownie. Because why not!
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did! Gave some to my somewhat reluctant boyfriend and even he was surprised to hear these were grain-free! He had seconds.