Super Gooey Chocolate Coma Brownies

I will be the first to admit that I fail a LOT when it comes to grain free / sugar free baking. My family will also vouch for the fact that it makes me very upset when I do. I know, “don’t sweat the small stuff!” But for me, baking is more than just a hobby, it’s something I really love, and am usually pretty good at. Although there are lots of treats I can whip up on a whim, my baking often involves quite a bit of time recipe searching, researching diet-specific substitutions, creating, and waiting (impatiently!) for it to come out of the oven, as well include many nutrient dense ingredients that are not cheap! Not to mention, I hate wasting food, so I usually end up forcing my less fortunate baked goods upon my family (though they seldom argue), or eating them myself… leaving me still with an unsatisfied craving. Lately, I’ve had a doozy of less than fantastic creations. I mean, they’re usually good, but I’m picky. I like my healthy treats to taste unhealthy. Clean eating with a dirty mind! Out of frustration, I had decided to take a break from baking. I know, tragic. But then, I wanted chocolate, and pinterest was taunting me with pictures of delectable looking chocolatey treats! So I caved. And a miracle happened. An insanely delicious, “fool any non-paleo, gluten eating being”, fabulous kind of miracle. In brownie form.

^^^ The extra gooey one I cut right from the middle of the pan. Guilty.

I decided I wanted Betty Crocker brownies. (I mention Betty a lot, we were close back in the day.) Straight from the box.. but without the sugar, corn syrup, flour, and hydrogenated oils. I have an amazing brownie recipe that I love already, but it’s just not quite fudgy enough, and is a little heavy on the coconut flavour for what I was going for here. I wanted gooey, soft, fudgy, put-you-in-a-chocolate-coma type brownies. And that’s what I got!! Adapted from Recreating Happiness’ recipe for “The Perfect Fudge Brownies,” these are THE REAL DEAL. I mean, the name says it all. They taste like they came from a boxed mix! In the best way! My mom, who is not paleo, even agreed; she loved these, and she’s picky about her chocolate! Oh, and they’re also gluten free, grain free, and other than dark chocolate, contain only natural sweeteners. Hello! Win. Win. Win.

Tastebuds dancing. Tummy smiling. Chocolate coma induced. Success all around! =)

Super Gooey Chocolate Coma Brownies
Gluten Free, Grain Free, Naturally Sweetened

Ingredients:
2/3 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup dark chocolate chips
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Additional chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
1. Melt unsweetened and dark chocolate with butter in a double boiler. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
2. Pour the chocolate into a mixing bowl, and beat in the coconut sugar and honey until smooth.
3. Add eggs, and beat on low/medium for at least 30 seconds. This helps create a nice shiny crust on the top of the brownies!
4. Stir in vanilla, then stir in almond flour and baking soda together.
5. Stir in additional chocolate chips. I used lots of dark and milk (paleo fail-eo!) Callebaut chocolate!!
6. Pour batter into a parchment lined or greased 9 x 9 pan.
7. Bake for ~25 minutes, give or take, your knife should come out clean (unless you hit a chocolate chip!), but they should still be ooey gooey on the inside!
8. Eat them hot and fresh out of the pan! Trust me on this one!