Healthy Chocolate and Pecan Brownies

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These sticky, gooey, intensely chocolatey brownies are loaded with almonds, crunchy pecan nuts and chunks of dark chocolate. Rather unbelievably, they are both processed sugar free and also fat free. The sweetness, with hints of caramel, comes mainly from the dates, giving you a healthy brownie with wonderful layers of flavour and a rich nutrient profile. They can be enjoyed as they are with a cup of tea or coffee, or serve them for dessert with some Greek yoghurt and red berries. You could even pack some up and take them to work or a picnic, and have a nibble when you need a pick me up.

Where is this recipe from?

This recipe is inspired by an @doctorbowl recipe called Healthy Date Cake with Chocolate and Pecans. Dr Divya Sharma’s quick, easy, healthy recipes are all vegetarian and/or vegan and gluten free, sugar free, fat free recipes are also highlighted. It is a fabulous insta site and she has a cookery book as well, called Doctor Bowl: Quick + Simple Balanced Vegetarian and Vegan Food. Whatever diet you follow, I really recommend this site.

How to make Healthy Chocolate and Pecan Brownies

Collect all your ingredients together and line the baking tin:

In order to guarantee soft and fudgy brownies, it is important to use the correct size tin – in this case it is a 20cm/8inch square tin. If your tin is larger, the depth of your cake batter will be less and the cake will cook more quickly. Equally, if the tin is smaller, your cake batter will be deeper and cook more slowly.

1. Sit the tin on greaseproof paper making sure the paper is large enough to line the tin, come up the sides and have a little overhang.
2. Cut out the corners of the paper so it will fit easily into the tin
3. Fold the paper from corner to corner so the size of the centre of the paper matches the base of the tin. Slot inside the tin.

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Ingredients:

• pitted Medjool dates
• milk – I use semi skimmed dairy milk but any type of milk will work – dairy or non dairy
• pecan nuts, or you could use walnuts
• dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids – to melt. Check it is dairy free, if necessary.
• ground almonds
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• baking powder, gluten free if necessary
• bicarbonate of soda
• fine salt
• eggs
• dark chocolate chunks, 70% cocoa solids – to fold in. Check it is dairy free, if necessary.

Topping:

• chopped pecan nuts
• chopped dark chocolate

How to prepare and bake these wonderful healthy brownies:

1. Warm, but do not boil, the milk in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Take off the heat and add the pitted dates. Soak for 20 minutes, until soft.
2. Meanwhile scatter the pecan nuts over a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven for 8 minutes. When cool, chop.
3. Tip 100g dark chocolate into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Transfer into a heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in the microwave. (See Recipe Notes for more details.)
4. Next add the ground almonds to the food processor and blitz quickly to create a finer texture. Tip out of the processor and set aside. Keep a close eye when blitzing the almonds and be careful not to over do it or you could end up with almond butter.
5. Now add the soaked dates and milk to the empty processor and blitz until you get a smooth puree.
6. Return the ground almonds to the processor and add the melted chocolate, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and eggs. Pulse until mixed in.
7. Fold in the chopped pecans and chocolate chunks by hand and transfer to the cake tin.
8. Level the surface and sprinkle with the extra chopped chocolate and pecan nuts.
9. Bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, depending on how squidgy you like the centre to be. (I cook mine for 23 minutes.) This gives me a slightly crispy top but a gorgeous gooey centre. The cake will be slightly risen and cracked around the edges but the centre will feel quite soft. Remember the cake will continue to cook after you have taken it out of the oven.
10. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 – 30 minutes and then transfer, in the baking parchment, to a cooling rack.
11. When the brownies are cool, cut into 16 squares and serve. They are delicious served simply with a cup of tea or coffee, and they also make a fabulous dessert. I like to serve them with some Greek yoghurt and fresh berries.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.