Rich, Healthy & Chocolatey Vegan Beetroot Brownies

 

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A post shared by Haggai Leffler - Vegan Athlete (@haggai_leffler) on Aug 18, 2019 at 11:38pm PDT

I want to make a confession.

I love vegetables very much, but even I don't always feel like eating them.

I am fully aware of the importance of vegetables in the daily diet and I try to eat the recommended amount per day, but some days it just doesn't happen.

What do I feel like eating instead?

You can probably guess from this post. I want chocolate cake.

Call it the munchies, call it a craving, but

I

WANT

SOMETHING

SWEET

AND CHOCOLATEY

RIGHT NOW!!

Like a brownie with a decadent glaze on top, fudgy, soft, and indulgent.

Is that too much to ask?!

The kind you can't stop devouring, that stains your mouth and hands with chocolate and creates a great sense of comfort in your belly.

But on the other hand...

I also don't want to eat junk food!

So, what do we do?

To have my cake and eat it too, I baked vegan beetroot brownies that contain only good, healthy ingredients.

So healthy that you can even eat them for breakfast. (I'm totally serious.)

These brownies turn out indulgent, chocolatey, comforting, and at least for me, they satisfy that \"must have something sweet now\" urge.

A Little About Vegan Beetroot Brownies

It's important for me to emphasize something here:

If you don't like beetroot, you might want to skip to the next recipe, because the flavor is pronounced.

To everyone about to ask me: \"Can you taste the beets?\" I'll say yes! Definitely! (Don't say I didn't warn you.)

And it's wonderful, by the way. Truly.

Beetroot has a natural sweetness that miraculously blends perfectly with ingredients like cocoa and coconut, creating a soft and delicious mixture.

I think these vegan beetroot brownies could be great for picky kids who don't like vegetables

(you don't have to tell them there's beetroot in there) or for anyone who wants to enrich their diet with vegetables but still wants to devour sweets.

Substitutions and Tips:

I used cooked beetroot that comes in vacuum packs. You can, of course, boil beets in a pot of water or roast them in the oven and then use them.

If you don't like beets and want to swap for another vegetable, you can use the same amount of cooked sweet potato or carrots.

For sweetening, I used high-quality pitted Medjool dates. You can use the same amount of date paste.

I used half coconut flour and half oat flour. You can substitute with any light flour you like. I don't think legume flours (like chickpea or lentil flour) would work well in this recipe due to their dominant flavor.

For the ganache, I used coconut oil, cocoa, and maple syrup: you can replace the maple with silan or any other sweetener you like. You cannot replace the coconut oil because it solidifies at temperatures below 25 degrees.

Note that the consistency of the ganache depends on the room temperature. If it's warm (above 25 degrees), the ganache will be liquid. Therefore, make sure to work in an air-conditioned room.

To make the ganache very sticky, increase the amount of maple syrup.

For an extra treat, you can add chocolate chips, dried or fresh raspberries, or various toppings.

Want another brownie recipe? Try this one

Nutritional values by clinical dietitian and fitness trainer Noam Bachar:

One slice of vegan beetroot brownie out of 20 (80g serving) contains:

183 calories

4g protein

27g carbs

3g fat

Print

Vegan Beetroot Brownies

Chocolatey, indulgent, and good for the gut.

Keyword Chocolate, Brownies, Beetroot

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 20 pieces

Calories 175 kcal

Ingredients

• 7 Cooked beets 850g
• 10 Pitted Medjool dates 170g
• 1 cup Coconut flour 230g
• 1 cup Oat flour 155g (you can blend oats in a blender instead)
• 1/3 cup Cocoa powder 25g
• 3 tbsp Coconut oil 30g
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice 10ml
• 1 tsp Baking powder 10g
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Almond milk 70ml

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/3 cup Coconut oil 70g
• 1/3 cup Maple syrup 100g
• 1 heaping tbsp Cocoa powder 10g

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F)

1. Add the cooked beets and pitted dates to a food processor and blend thoroughly until a smooth, uniform paste is formed. (Note: this may take a few minutes.)

   

2. Transfer the paste to a deep bowl and add the remaining brownie ingredients.

3. Mix well until all ingredients are homogeneously combined and no lumps remain.

4. Spread the batter evenly onto a baking pan using a spoon. Make sure the height is even and there are no dips or mounds.

   

5. Bake the batter for about 15 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and let cool for at least one hour.

Preparing the Chocolate Ganache

1. If the room temperature is below 25°C (in winter, for example), melt the coconut oil in the microwave or in a pot.

2. Pour the liquid coconut oil into a bowl.

3. Add the maple syrup and cocoa powder and mix well until smooth and lump-free.

4. Pour the ganache over the cake.

   

5. In summer or when the room is warmer than 25°C, place the brownies in the refrigerator for at least an hour so the ganache can set.

6. Slice into 20 pieces and enjoy!