Sometimes you stumble upon a beautiful thing… sometimes you make it happen… and sometimes, it’s a combination of the two.
Yesterday I held a workshop with my dear friend Ana. It started out to be a seminar with the basic idea of “how to maintain your health while running your small business at the same time,” and evolved into the visionary realm of empowering expat women to find clarity & purpose in their lives beyond the end of their husband’s next work assignment.
Very powerful! It took us both out of our comfort zones, because we consider ourselves to be more concrete thinkers… but in the end it was a beautiful combination of what is real in the now, and what is possible in the future.
My head is still spinning over it all, but I would love to devote a whole post to share more of these ideas with you, regardless of if you live overseas or not. I do believe the principles are universal.
But for today, I’ll share with you the dessert we enjoyed with our lunch after the workshop. It’s another (smaller!) example of what came together sort of as a surprise to me in its beauty and simplicity… and the ease with which it evolved from the usual muffins I make from a similar recipe. These pumpkin chocolate chip brownies are a healthy vegan dessert that my kids LOVE… so much in fact that the moment they were gone, I had to make another batch! That normally doesn’t happen with any of my “healthy” desserts, so I know this one is a winner. Of course, the more chocolate chips, the better, my kids always say…
The surprising thing is that while the pumpkin adds lovely colour and moisture to these brownies, no one would ever guess by the taste what the main ingredient is. Almond butter is the only source of added fat… no oil… and I used flax meal instead of eggs. The texture of these guys is dense, moist, and a bit chewy, just like a brownie should be. They’re sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar, and of course, the chocolate chips.
We eat them for snacks & desserts, and… ahem, maybe one of us has even been known to sneak one with peanut butter on top for a quick breakfast. I won’t say who though… but it’s someone who’s getting more comfortable outside her comfort zone!
Enjoy, friends!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond pulp (or 1 cup almond meal + 1/3 cup almond milk, soak for 5 min)
- 1 cup cooked pumpkin, mashed
- ½ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 t. vanilla
- 2 T. flaxmeal
- 1 cup oats, ground into flour (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 2 T. coconut flour
- 2 t. baking powder
- ½ t. salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180 C. Line a square baking tin with parchment, or spray with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix ingredients in order given. Batter will be thick. Spread into prepared pan, sprinkling over extra chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out with only a few crumbs on it.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into bars. For best results, chill for a few hours before cutting.
- Makes 16 bars.
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Serves: 16 brownies
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 brownie
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 140 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 8 gm | 12.3% | |
| Saturated Fat 2 gm | 10% | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium | 0 | |
| Total Carbohydrate 16 gm | 5.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 3 gm | 12% | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein 3 gm | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Expat Dietitian