My son Charlie and I like to bake together. It makes baking feel special, and we enjoy our homemade treats more. I love that cocoa powder can replace a lot of the refined flour in brownies. Using coconut oil instead of butter gives these brownies a silky smooth texture while adding the health benefits of lauric acid, potentially lowering our LDL cholesterol. Eaten fresh out of the oven, these are ooey-gooey amazing. If you let them sit overnight, the brownies become firmer.
½cupgluten-free floursuch as Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill
¼cupunsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
½tspsalt
4ozsemisweet chocolatecoarsely chopped
¾cupunrefined coconut oil
1cupraw cane sugar
4eggs
1tspvanilla
4ozsemisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Grease a 9-by-9-in [23-by-23-cm] baking pan and line with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a double boiler or microwave, melt the chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla, whisking until well combined. Whisk in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips (if using). Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. This will yield a somewhat gooey brownie. Continue to bake for 5 to 10 minutes if you prefer a drier brownie.
Let the brownies cool completely, then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Reprinted from The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook by Amanda Haas with permission by Chronicle Books, 2015