Whole-Wheat Brownies

It was 64 degrees in our house yesterday afternoon. I could've turned on the heat, of course, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It's only September, and the thought of pushing warm air through the vents this early in the fall makes me feel a little ill, you know? Instead, I prefer to preheat the oven and bake something comforting. And brownies seemed to be the thing that would warm us up, both inside and out.

I've never shared a brownie recipe here before. There are so many of them in circulation, I didn’t think we could possibly have a need for another version. Except this one isn't like all the others, which makes it totally shareable. It's made with whole grains, no refined sugar or eggs and can be vegan, if you desire, by replacing the traditional milk with a soy or almond alternative.

There is no beating of butter and sugar, no melting of chocolate over a pot of simmering water, and no electric mixer required. It takes about four minutes to portion out your ingredients, three to mix them together and thirty or so to have warm baked goods on the table. I can’t imagine an easier treat for a busy mom to put together.

If you're looking for a healthy brownie this is about as good as you're going to get. They certainly don't replace the gooey-centred treats we all know and love, but I promise you, these are a fine replacement. 

PS - Congratulations to Elizabeth for winning The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook giveaway.

Whole-Wheat Brownies

This recipe is adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's book, My Father's Daughter. If you're interested in whole foods and cooking with more natural products, I highly recommend it. 

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup good-quality cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup hot coffee
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup canola oil, plus extra for the pan
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup good-quality chocolate chips or chunks (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8” x 8” baking pan with oil.

In a medium-mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, stir together the maple syrup, honey, coffee, milk, oil and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour half the batter into the baking pan and cover with half the chocolate chips (if you’re using). Pour the remaining batter into the baking pan and sprinkle the top layer with balance of the chocolate chips. Note: If you're skipping the extra chocolate, just pour all of the brownie batter into the pan at once, and bake.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of the brownie comes out with a bit of chocolate crumb stuck to it (this will ensure a moist treat).

Allow to cool for five minutes, and then cut into 16 squares.

Comments

[Aimee @ Simple Bites]

Whoa, I am so stoked you posted this recipe, Jan! I think it passes the test for October Unprocessed, so I'm thrilled, obviously. =)

[Deb Loyd]

Oh yeah baby! I second that! These looked so good they stopped me in my tracks. As a diabetic I am always on the hunt for recipes I can use that will still taste good. This may have some sugar but I think I could get away with it.
I have now bookmarked you to come back and see what other yummy things I can find!!!
thanks again.

[Courtney]

Any idea what I could sub for the hot coffee? Is it's purpose just for liquid and the flavor? I'm wondering about the caffeine for little ones. This recipe looks fantastic, I'm loving the whole wheat and maple syrup for the natural sweeteners. I'll probably do coconut oil and coconut milk for the canola and milk source. Thanks again!

[Jan Scott]

Hi Courtney! Coffee really enhances the chocolate flavour and I almost always try to put it in any chocolate baked good. If youre nervous about using it, I might suggest just replacing it with more milk or a milk replacement. Let me know how it goes with coconut oil/milk if you give it a try.

[Jan Scott]

Thanks, Deb! I hope you enjoy them....

[Minnie(@thelady8home)]

Cool. Looks so yummy and tempting. Too good.

[Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.)]

They're whole wheat so they're kinda healthy, right? Look fantastic!

[SandraSanders]

Hey, you have such a fascinating site, on this one! And I have a question for you. Is it a premium blog theme which you purchase online or you used a regular one?