Grain-Free Mint Chocolate Brownies

“These are a treat,” I said to Oliver after taking a bite. Fudgy on the bottom, creamy in the middle, and even more chocolatey on top, these brownies are rich all the way through.

If you like York Patties, or Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, or Andes Mints, these brownies are for you. And before I get to far… they are grain-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. Plus, they’re sweetened with honey!

Mint and chocolate is a favorite combo of mine, and when I was day dreaming of holiday baking these stayed in the forefront of my mind. They feel super festive! It wasn’t until after I had made them that I was swiping through images of a cookbook my mom made of her favorite recipes and I found mint brownies nestled in there. Somewhere in the back of my mind I suppose I remembered her brownies…

Let’s start at the bottom: the brownie base is made of the same batter used in these strawberry cheesecake swirled brownies. It is a very chocolatey, batter that calls for coconut flour and a LOT of cocoa. The result is one fudgy brownie!

The next layer is a sweet mint cream cheese frosting. Most mint brownies call for buttercream here, but I’ve never been a fan of buttercream, and even as a kid I preferred cream cheese frosting. Nothing’s changed on that front! (For extra festive-ness, you can stir in a drop or two of green food coloring if you like.)

The topping is a simple chocolate ganache, making a chocolate mint sandwich that even looks a bit like an Andes Mint!

When you bite through all three layers it is rich, sweet and melt-in-your-mouth delicious… a total treat! (One night we had these with the Mint Chip Ice Cream from CoolHaus. 😍)

Grain-Free Mint Chocolate Brownies

Published December 6, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 16   |    Active Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients:

Brownie Base:

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter or coconut oil

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mint Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Ganache Topping:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil

2 tablespoons half-and-half

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a small sauce pan, combine melted butter or coconut oil, cocoa powder, and chocolate. Heat over low heat, stirring until most of the clumps have melted. Remove from heat and allow to sit until entire mixture is smooth and melted.
3. Scrape mixture into a mixing bowl. Using electric beaters, stir in honey. Add eggs and vanilla and beat again. Mixture should begin to thicken. Add coconut flour and salt. Beat until smooth and no clumps remain.
4. Spread batter in even layer in prepared baking dish.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, until brownies are slightly puffy, and a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow to cool for completely before topping with mint filling.
6. Mint filling: while brownies are cooling, beat together cream cheese, honey, and mint until smooth. When brownies are no longer warm to the touch, spread cream cheese mixture over top in an even layer. Place brownies in fridge, covered, for at least one hour (or overnight! Short cutting this time will make it hard to spread the ganache over top and get clean layers.)
7. Chocolate ganache topping: Place butter, half-and-half, and chocolate in a small sauce pan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until a smooth ganache is formed. Remove from heat. Spread chocolate ganache over cream cheese mixture and allow to set 10 minutes before slicing into 9-16 squares. Tip: for the cleanest cuts, rinse your knife between each slice.

Raw Paleo Brownies with Chocolate Mousse Frosting

It was like waking up from a dream. I took a bite of a chocolate-coconut date bar, and then another: these are amazing, I remember thinking. I was a sophomore in college and it was the first time I had made something like this. Up until that day, it was all brownies and cookies for dessert (an occasional cupcake thrown in). Something had inspired me to make a healthy version (not really sure what). It was easy, something that I remember being surprised by. Honestly, it was easier than making regular brownies, because all I had to do was pop everything in the food processor and press it into a pan.  

Chocolate-coconut bars were the first “real food” dessert recipe I think I ever made, intentionally at least. It was revolutionary, as evidenced by this blog. Today, fruit and nut bars are a dime a dozen at the grocery store and even more easily found online, but this recipe still stands out at me as “the one.”  

Over the years I’ve mixed things up, trying out different nuts, drizzling the bars with chocolate, or the ultimate treat: topping them with an avocado mousse frosting and a sprinkle of cacao nibs These are decadent. They are a fruit nut bar that feels like so much more. They are rich and sweet but honest and whole, still made only with clean ingredients. After you eat a bit of this bar, you’re going to feel the difference: it tastes like a guilty pleasure but there’s no crap in there!  

Raw Brownies with Chocolate Avocado Mousse Frosting

Paleo, Primal, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

The chocolate-coconut bars are easy to make and no-bake! They get the ultimate treatment with a layer of creamy chocolate mousse frosting.

Serves: 9   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried, pitted dates (I used med jool)
• 1 cup dried figs (remove stems)
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/4 cup unsalted cashews
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs
• 1/2 cup unsalted pecans
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/16 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


For the frosting:
• 1 ripe avocado (or 1/2 of a very large avocado)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey (try 2 tablespoons if you prefer a lesser that is not very sweet, you can always add more as you go)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/16 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs for topping brownies

Directions:

1. Place dates, figs, coconut, cashews, pecans, 1/4 cup cacao nibs, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until stick crumbs form and begin to climb together. When you pinch the mixture between two fingers, it should easily stick together.
2. Fit a 9x9 pan with parchment paper and pour fruit nut mixture into pan. Use your fingers to press the mixture into a single, even layer. Cover and place in fridge.
3. Now, make the frosting: Place avocado, vanilla extract, coconut oil, honey, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of a high-speed blender (you can use a food processor, but you will need to scrape the sides frequently to get everything incorporated well). Puree mixture, scraping the sides of the blender as you go to ensure everything is incorporated and no green chunks of avocado remain. Feel free to taste for sweetness and add more honey as desired.
4. Once frosting is completely smooth, spread in a single layer over the brownies. Sprinkle with cacao nibs and allow to set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Slice into 9 squares and serve, or cut into small 1-inch bites if you prefer.

Grain-Free Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Let's all take a deep breath, ok? Right now... 

...there. Let's do that more. Let's make brownies, take deep breaths, and simply be here. 

These brownies are made for the moments between sprints, when you're home alone in your kitchen and just want to play with your food. Hand folding batter, watching ingredients whisk together, and pulling your finished product from the oven: that's the deep breath you need after a long day; that's nourishment for your soul.

Anthony's Goods provided me with product to cook with, but this recipe and these opinions are all my own. Working with brands to develop wholesome recipes is one way I keep Foraged Dish going! Anthony's Goods helps me stock the pantry and keep the blog going.

Grain-Free Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

A rich and fudgy brownies with a cheesecake and strawberry swirl, great for Valentine’s Day or any day!

Yields: 9   |    Total Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate (Or a dark chocolate bar)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon brewed coffee, cooled (optional, but recommended)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the cheesecake swirl
• 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons strawberry jam (I used an all-fruit variety)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Grease parchment with coconut oil.
2. In a small sauce pan, combine melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and chocolate. Heat over low heat, stirring until most of the clumps have melted. Remove from heat and allow to sit until entire mixture is smooth and melted.
3. Scrape mixture into a mixing bowl. Using electric beaters, stir in honey. Add eggs, coffee, and vanilla and beat again. Mixture should begin to thicken. Add coconut flour and salt. Beat until smooth.
4. Spread batter in even layer in baking dish.
5. Make cheesecake swirl: Beat together the cream cheese, coconut oil, honey, egg, and vanilla until creamy and smooth.
6. For swirl: Fill a zip lock bag with the cream cheese mixture. Snip off just the very tip of the bag, and pipe mixture in thin lines over brownie batter. Repeat with the strawberry jam. Then, using a toothpick or chopstick, make swirls through the batter. Here is a video of me making my swirls.
7. Place pan in oven and bake 20 minutes, until brownies are puffy, and a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Store in covered in fridge after first day.