Just one look at these brownies and you will say “decadent”! And they are. But, they have no flour and they are not overly sweet. It’s all about the chocolate.
If you have a gluten-free, dairy-free child – this is the perfect treat for upcoming Valentine’s Day to share in the classroom. This recipe makes enough for a classroom of children and is something that a GF, DF child can eat.
I remember when my son was a youngster in school. It was so hard when children would bring in birthday cupcakes that he couldn’t have. Many times I would provide grain-free cupcakes, but some of the kids didn’t like them because they were not sweetened with sugar and were not sweet enough. So sad that our kids are inundated with refined sugar and need their sugar fix.
Using organic, pure,unsweetened cacao powder and butter adds to the nutrition of this treat.
Pure Cacao is Processed at Low Temperatures
Cacao beans are fermented to alleviate bitterness, and processed at low temperatures for maximum nutrient retention. Once extracted from the pods, the beans are rinsed with water. The whole beans are peeled and cold-pressed to form a paste. The fiber is then extracted, in order to separate the solids from the rich oil, or cacao butter.
Cacao Has Nutrition
The main component of cacao is, of course the saturated fat. It contain three fatty acids that are present in approximately equal proportions: stearic, palmitic and oleic acid. These long chain fatty acids have been found to actually lower the LDL levels in the blood. (However, it’s no longer clear that is really important).
Cacao contains polyphenols with antioxidant properties that have many health benefits. A study published in Chemistry Central Journal, in February 2011, showed that cacao and chocolate have higher oxygen radical absorption capacity values (ORAC), total polyphenol content (TP (mg/g)), and total flavanol content (TF (mg/g) than many other antioxidants, foods and powders that are touted as “superfoods.” I wouldn’t necessarily call it a superfood (we know that real superfoods are things like raw milk, fish roe and organ meats), but at least it is an antioxidant — that is important.
Cacao also contains trace amounts of essential minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid.
You can feel good about eating cacao as there are no sugars and the antioxidant value is high. Enjoy it guilt-free in moderation and when well tolerated!
I’m assuming that most kids like chocolate so this is a no brainer. Just be sure to taste the batter to make sure you think it is sweet enough. You can add more sugar or even stevia to sweeten it a little more.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces of baking chocolate I like this one
- 4 medium eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup cacao butter
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 3/4 cup honey (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and prepare a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper that is greased with coconut oil
- In a pot on the stove set on low (#2) gently melt the chocolate bar, cocoa butter and coconut oil
- In a food processor mix the eggs, honey and cocoa powder together until smooth
- Add the melted ingredients from the pot to the food processor and process until smooth
- Pour batter into the greased baking pan
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the batter and smooth with a spatula (or you can mix the chips into the batter in a separate bowl before pouring)
- Bake at 375º F for about 28 – 34 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean
- The sides may puff up but they will settle
- Let cool completely in the pan
- When cool, cut desired size squares and serve
- Freeze leftovers
Equipment
- Food Processor (where to buy a food processor)
- Small pot (where to buy)
- Baking pan 9 x 13 (where to buy)
