It’s Monday, and a girl needs chocolate on Mondays. But a girl must indulge within reason. Summer is officially life-getting season (at least in this house) sooooo the brownies must be baked lighter and more waist-line friendly. Annnnnd since coconut oil is a completely perfect butter substitution for everything else (i.e. skinny chocolate cake, honey lavender scones, carrot cake oatmeal cookies, and spiked coconut banana muffins, to name a few) it was only right that I give it a shot in some brownies.
I feel better about myself already. Seriously, these coconut oil brownies are so fudgy that you don’t even miss the butter. Or eggs. Or sugar. That’s right, they’re vegan AND sugar free! #BOOM! Majorly #HulkApproved! And that subtle hint of coconut melding with the chocolate gives that faint Mounds or Almond Joy flavor that is just so perfect. And the flecks of sea salt on top??? Seriously, I almost want to make more. Like right now. But still, everything in moderation.
Now we’ve made healthy, raw brownies before. They’re wonderful, but definitely not the same rich, fudgy, decadent chocolate bliss that you look for on a less-than-stellar day (just me? Oh, ok…). Sometimes you need to feel indulgent without actually going completely rogue from your Hulk Fitness training regimen (yeah, he’s watching… closely….) These are perfect for those days. And he likes them too, so it’s a win-win (I win twice by getting a brownie and NOT getting a lecture!).
Oh and uhhhh… If you’re wondering how we make such phenomenal-looking, perfectly square, everyone-gets-corners brownies, it’s all in the brownie pan. Because I can’t cut straight. Real talk.
You’re preheating already, right?
- ¾ cup coconut oil
- 4.5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- ⅔ cup agave
- 3 tablespoons flax meal
- 1 tsp fine iodized sea salt
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a brownie pan lightly with coconut oil.
- In a microwave safe bowl (or over a double boiler), melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, heating only for 20-30 seconds at a time and stirring with a rubber spatula until completely melted.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the flax meal in 7 tablespoons of water.
- Whisk the flax meal and agave into the chocolate and coconut oil mixture, then stir in flour and salt until incorporated.
- Evenly distribute batter among brownie bar sections and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the brownie comes out clean.