Better-Than-Ever Avocado Brownies

As the #howtoadult cookbook slowly comes to life, I’ve been revisiting my recipes. Not only do they need to be delicious, but they need to be simple - no special ingredients you have to run to 3 different stores for, no complicated equipment, no fuss.

These brownies were an obvious shoe-in. If you’ve been following along over the years, you know I love taking traditional dishes, from dinners to desserts, to the healthier end of the spectrum. I also tend to keep my recipes dairy-free, and as of recently, many of my recipes are gluten-free to accommodate those who are gluten-sensitive.

While the original recipe is great, why not try to improve it? I was able to reduce the amount of sugar and provide a gluten-free option without sacrificing taste nor that fudge-y texture we all know and love in traditional brownies.

These brownies use avocado as the primary source of fat (instead of butter), dark chocolate and maple syrup for sweetness (instead of refined sugar), ingredients you can find in any grocery store, and best yet, you only need one large mixing bowl.

Here’s what you’ll need to make my improved Avocado Brownies:

• 1 large avocado, mashed

• 1 3.5-oz bar of dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao or higher), melted

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1/3 cup oat flour (or flour of your choice; oat flour is preferred & not difficult to find)

• 1/4 cup cocoa

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp coconut oil, melted, for baking pan

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large mixing bowl, mash avocado and add in melted chocolate, eggs, vanilla and maple syrup. Whisk until completely combined - you may still see some avocado pieces and that’s OK.

In the same bowl, add in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Using a spatula, mix slowly to prevent flour and cocoa from escaping the bowl. The mixture will be thick. Make sure you scrape all flour and cocoa off the sides of the bowl so the mixture is thoroughly combined.

In an 8x8 baking dish, pour coconut oil and spread evenly around the dish with a paper towel, including the sides. Pour in batter and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the middle is set. You can test with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.

Do you like chocolate?

I thought so!

If you like decadent desserts without all of the decadent ingredients, then these brownies are the perfect treat for you. 

Make these for your family holiday party, your friend's potluck, or your amazing co-workers who just love a mid-week treat!

I should be honest though... these brownies have avocado in them. Yeah, I said it. Avocado. Its mild flavor and high (good) fat content make it the perfect butter/oil substitute. It also gives these brownies a rich, velvety texture. Win/Win/Win.

Avocado Brownies - makes 9-12 square brownies, or 6-8 muffin-sized brownies:

• 1 large avocado, mashed
• 1 3-4oz dark chocolate bar, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup flour (any kind you want)
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, mix avocado, chocolate, eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and mix until dry ingredients are completely combined with wet ingredients. The mixture will be thick. 

Spray an 8x8 brownie pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter in to pan and spread evenly. If using muffin tins, fill each cup until mostly full. Bake for 30 minutes, or until middle of brownie pan (or muffins) are set and firm.

Let cool before cutting and removing from pan.


What a delicious year 2015 has been! I can't wait to see what 2016 has to offer. Thanks for following along with my food + life adventures. Warmest wishes for a happy and healthy New Year, fellow foodies!

Learning to Balance

When I was looking for an apartment, my non-negotiable was a decent-sized kitchen. I ended up with an amazing kitchen, which for the past four months, has been used mainly to heat up leftovers, cook Sunday brunch, and bake the occasional batch of brownies. Whenever I'm in my kitchen not cooking, I feel a pang of guilt: what is this kitchen doing here if I'm not going to be spending my free time cooking, taking awesome pictures, and then posting here for you all to learn new recipes?

But then I attempt to justify: Nina, you just moved into one of the most amazing cities in the country, so why would you spend all of your free time inside when there's so much to explore (and eat)!?

So herein lies my dilemma. As much as I enjoy grocery shopping at local markets and cooking up fun and interesting meals for myself, I also enjoy wandering around my new neighborhood(s) and sampling the amazing food they have to offer.

While I may feel guilty for not cooking as much as I used to, and for not posting here as much as I would like to, I shouldn't feel guilty for embracing my new home. 

Here is my confession to all of you: I, Nina, do not usually cook dinner. I like to eat leftovers from work, often having the same meal twice in one day. I like to go out to dinner, and brunch, and cocktails, and I unapologetically enjoy every single minute of it.

I know that eventually, I'll find the balance that's right for me, and for this blog. But for now, dinner will sometimes look like the above (I mean, who wouldn't want that!?), and sometimes, groceries will consist of a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, two bars of chocolate and a bottle of $5 wine.

This is only the beginning of my adventure and while I have lots of BK terrain to cover this summer, my love for cooking will still prevail.