The Best-Ever Paleo Brownies; a Perfectly Fudgy Valentine’s Treat!

I promise you chocolate brownie heaven -with no sugar, butter or gluten!

It’s that time of year again. Time for candlelit dinners, romantic getaways, babysitters on double-charge, and a boost in turnover for card manufacturers, flower shops, and chocolate factories.

Many voices scream about the commercialism of Valentine’s, and others embrace it. My hubby and I don’t make a big fuss about it (as you might notice is reflected on the blog), but there are two things that we certainly never go without, and that’s a Valentine’s card and chocolate.

The secret Valentine’s admirer..

Valentine’s cards remind me of childhood, when we’d get out the glitter and glue and make a shy note of love from a secret admirer, only to tuck it into somebody’s jacket at school. The girls would get together and count our cards, fantasising about which prince charming had written to whom. I’m sure most of the cards we received were pranks we’d pulled on each other, but the suspense made it ever so real. Aw, the rush of puppy love!

Because of those cute and wonderful memories, I let the talk of commercialism fly over my head a little, and embrace the small sentiments that matter. Oh, let Hallmark have their extra £3.50 from me. It’s worth it. But that’s also where we stop the spending. A little card from a secret admirer is the true spirit of Valentine’s. And, of course the chocolate. Which I bake, not buy. Baked with love.

Paleo chocolate indulgence!

This year I’m making a batch of the most indulgently delicious paleo brownies you will ever wrap your lips around! They are fudgy and chocolatey, dense and delicious. There is absolutely no way you’d know these weren’t made with a ton of butter and sugar!

I first found a lovely recipe on elenaspantry.com which was one of very few online that could be considered truly paleo. Most of the recipes I’ve found are sweetened with honey, which technically isn’t entirely paleo. When I bake paleo I use dates, and I really don’t see why not, as they give a wonderful texture and great sweetness!

I’ve altered Elena’s recipe somewhat, and I have also made up a version of it which is grain-free and dairy-free but not paleo (for those who prefer it sweeter and without the taste of coconut oil).

The best paleo brownies ever!

I have absolutely fallen in love with this recipe, and the brownies come out as utter perfection. They melt in your mouth!

To illustrate; my husband drove off this morning at 6am for a meeting three hours away. He was tired and in a bit of a rush. About 5 minutes after he’d left, the car surprisingly drove back up the driveway.. I heard him lock himself in and take off again fast as lightning. I figured he must have forgotten something.

Turns out he had forgotten to bring the pieces of paleo brownies I had left out for him. -He actually drove back to fetch them! I think that speaks volumes 🙂

You’ll need:

For the Paleo version:

• 1 cup almond meal
• 150 grams of dairy-free 100% chocolate
  (check that the brand you use is paleo)
• 7 fresh Medjool dates (the large, soft kind)
• 3 large organic eggs from pastured hens
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 4 tbsp natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp natural vanilla
• 1/4 tsp sea salt (I like Maldon)
• 1/4 tsp gluten-free baking soda
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts of choice for topping

For the “paleo-inspired” version:

• 1 cup almond meal
• 150 grams of dark chocolate chips (of your choice)
• 7 fresh Medjool dates
• 3 organic eggs from pastured hens
• 1/2 cup of neutral oil (or coconut oil if you like the coconut taste)
• 4 tbsp natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp natural vanilla
• 1/4 tsp sea salt (I like Maldon)
• 1/4 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 4 tbsp muscovado sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts of choice for topping

Optional: Chocolate chips and freeze-dried raspberries for decoration

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 350 f/180 c
• In a blender or food processor, pulse almond meal, chocolate, cocoa powder (muscovado sugar if applicable), salt and baking powder, until it has reached a sand-like consistency.
• Put aside the dry mix, and add eggs, dates, oil and vanilla to the blender. Pulse until the dates are broken down and blended into the wet ingredients. Some brown spots in the mix is to be expected.
• Blend the wet and the dry together with your blender or a whisk, and pour into a lined or greased brownie tray. If you want to use extra chocolate and chopped nuts, sprinkle this over the top of the cake.
• Bake for approx. 20 minutes in the middle of the oven
• Let cool before you serve it, and decorate with freeze-dried raspberries.
• I cut out hearts with cookie cutters for a Valentine’s day touch (must be cool before you cut)!

These brownies tasted even better on the second and third day -absolutely delicious!

Do you celebrate Valentine’s day? What do you get up to?