My first efforts at baking with beets turned out to be hugely successful! I've been wanting to bake with beetroot for a while, ever since brownies and red velvet cupcakes featured beets. After buying no added salt canned beets for less than a dollar, I got to experiment in the kitchen perfecting the recipe below.
These beetroot brownies also include coconut oil, another first for me. I did a search on the internet as I wanted to learn more about coconut oil. It seems to have become very popular recently, not only as an alternative to butter and other varieties of oil (olive, canola, etc.) in cooking and baking (it withstands heat), but also in many beauty and skincare products. This website has 101 Uses for Coconut Oil
Even Dr Oz is talking about The Surprising Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
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| Coconut oil |
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| Melted Coconut Oil |
I was shocked by the amount of saturated fat found in coconut oil, but there's been more and more information and research into fats which is changing the way I'm thinking about food and what's fundamentally 'healthy'. A good article I read recently was published in the New York Times: Butter Is Back
The saturated fats found in coconut oil (medium chain triglycerides) are metabolized differently in the body in comparison to dairy and red meat. MCTs go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source of energy. More can be read about MCTs and other evidenced based health benefits of coconut oil online.
Enough about nutrition and more about the deliciousness of chocolate brownies made with veg! I love brownies that are chocolaty, gooey and dense. Traditional recipes call for butter, white flour and refined sugar. I usually don't like to add processed foods into my recipes but I added a little dark chocolate as the first initial batch of brownies (which only contained cocoa powder and honey) turned out to be more cake-like than brownie-like. They weren't as chocolaty as I'd envisaged either. I think I overcooked them too, keeping them in the oven a few minutes longer than necessary.
That didn't stop the cat from helping herself as they were cooling on the side. The pesky scamp took one in her mouth and ran halfway up the stairs!
The second batch were the winner. Kept far away from the cat, these brownies were perfect in texture and taste. The half melted morsels of dark chocolate added just the right amount of sweetness and the combination of coconut oil and beetroot puree ensured the brownies were soft and moist.
The second batch have 25 additional calories and 4g extra carbs (3g extra sugar, 1g extra fiber) than the original experimental batch. All the other nutrients are very similar as I reduced the amount of coconut oil by a tablespoon.
Beetroot Brownies
Makes 8
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.
Ingredients:
- 120g / 4.3oz beetroot (I use no added salt canned beets)
- 40g / 1.4oz oat flour
- 40g / 1.4oz flour
- 20g /4tbsp cocoa powder, natural unsweetened,
- 1.5tsp baking powder
- 40g / 2tbsp honey
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 45ml / 3tbsp coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 56g / 2oz dark chocolate chips or chopped
Method:
First, blend the beetroot in a food processor to make a puree.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder).
Add in the wet ingredients (honey, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract) and beet puree. Mix until smooth and then stir in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
Pour batter into a loaf tin or 9x9 pan (lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray). Cook at 175C / 350F for 20-23 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack and cut into 8 squares. They should be a little gooey. ENJOY!
Nutritional Information:
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