I was going to title these "almond butter brownies" but felt it would be a figurative - if not literal - misnomer. These babies are indeed almost entirely made out of almond butter, hence the literal accuracy, but they do not taste a thing like almond butter. (Which - I think everyone will universally agree - is a good thing. Almond butter does not get people going like peanut butter does.)
Not only are these gluten-free and dairy-free, they are also refined sugar-free, being sweetened entirely by maple syrup. I owe this recipe to a wonderful cookbook called "Sweet Laurel," which specializes in gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar-free baking. When a devoted baker finds out she has Hashimoto's disease, she finds a work-around! Thanks Laurel for the wonderful recipe.
These babies are so fudgy, delicious and intensely chocolately, no one will know your secret. These keep very well in the freezer and taste good at all temperature ranges. (In the name of research, I've taste-tested them from straight out of the oven to solidly frozen, and everywhere in between! You're welcome.)
Secret Brownies
from the Sweet Laurel Cookbook by Laurel Gallucci & Claire Thomas
Technically, to make these 100% refined sugar free you need to make your own chocolate chips using maple syrup. I could not be bothered to do this, but if there's another quarantine I will try it out and report back. Also, the original recipe calls for cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. The difference is only in how the cacao beans are roasted. Cacao powder is more bitter but has a higher nutritional value. So use unsweetened cacao powder if you want to feel extra good about eating these treats.
2 cups (500 g) almond butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (48 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pink salt
1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips
Line an 8 x 8 baking square with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350.
Whisk together the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix the almond butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until it is completely smooth, then mix in the eggs, one at a time incorporating well after each addition. Then mix in the maple syrup and vanilla. Finally add in the cocoa powder mixture and mix until smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips and pour into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on the top and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the brownies are just set around the edges of the pan. As always, don't overbake!
