Coconut Brownies

About a month ago I made some black bean brownies as an experiment at home after a coworker had brought some in to work one day. While one of my brothers was horrified that I had tricked him with the brownies, the other was quite intrigued and asked if I could make some sort of dessert using coconut flour.

Shortly after I showed up to work and discovered that another nurse had brought some brownies that were made using coconut oil and flour. I immediately asked her for the recipe and excitedly brought it home. Last week my brother bought me some coconut flour and I finally had the chance to try out the recipe.

Although I tend to prefer fudgy brownies over more cakey ones, such as these, the brownies still tasted good. Both of my brothers enjoyed them and made suggestions of additions I could make next time, such as carob or chocolate chips or some nuts. I decided to leave additions out this time so that they could just taste the natural flavor of the brownie itself, which is quite coconut and almondy due to the coconut oil and almond butter. My one substitution was that I used half maple syrup and half honey because I didn't have the full amount of maple syrup called for in the recipe.

Because the recipe made a large amount I decided to bring some in to work the next morning to share with my colleagues. The brownies were well received and it felt nice to be able to spread a little extra cheer before the weekend. One of the nurses who is actually gluten-free fell in love with them and had three pieces! She raved about the brownies and begged me for the recipe, which I promised her would be posted on my blog.

Coconut Brownies

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup maple syrup (or 1 cup honey)
• 5 oz (140 g) bittersweet chocolate
• ¼ cup cocoa powder 
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1½ cups almond butter

1. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup/honey, and chocolate. Heat until the coconut oil and chocolate has completely melted.
2. Remove from the heat an stir the cocoa powder into the mixture. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, vanilla, and baking soda.
4. Add the almond butter and mix well. Mix in the coconut flour.
5. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until a uniform batter comes together.
6. Pour the batter into a 9"x13" well-greased or parchment-lined pan.
7. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.