Healthy Chocolate & Cacao Nibs Brownie (Vegan)

Today’s recipe is dedicated to vegetarians and vegans friends of the blog. It is a very healthy and rich in taste chocolate brownie with cacao nibs and chia seeds. Can a chocolate cake be nutritious and low in calories, without missing the taste; yes, it can! It contains no animal originated ingredients and therefore is ideal for fasting. But it is also ideal for those who want to enjoy a chocolate brownie without remorse. It has lower calories than usual, low fat, no cholesterol and it is very rich in dietary fiber!

Remember my recipe for the unsweetened applesauce? Today we will need it. If you do not want to make your own applesauce, you can buy it from supermarkets. The difference is that store bought applesauce usually contains sugar. We will replace the butter with ripe bananas and some applesauce, which make the brownie moist and fragrant. Moreover, we will replace the eggs with chia seeds and water. As I told you at the recipe for the healthier chocolate biscuits, when chia seeds are mixed with water, the soluble fiber contained form a type of jelly which can be used as a thickener in cooking. So to make an egg from chia seeds will have to mix 1 tablespoon seeds (preferably crushed) with 3 tablespoons water and leave for 15-30 minutes. The gel which will be formed is what will “bind” our brownie. In addition, we replace cocoa powder that we would normally use for the brownie, with ground cacao nibs for rich chocolate flavor and to make our sweet healthier. Cacao nibs are rich in minerals, antioxidants and contain little fat. They are also rich in magnesium, potassium, iron and fiber.

 

Let’s now see the recipe:

Preparation time:   45 minutes

Servings:   9

Ingredients:

• 3 medium bananas, ripe
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds + 6 tablespoons warm water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup ground cocoa nibs (I used the food processor)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
• crushed cocoa nibs, for decorating

Instructions:

1. In a glass or a bowl mix the chia seeds with water and leave for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180^oC (350^oF). Moisten with some water a piece of greaseproof paper, drain well rumpling it, and line a 24X24cm (9X9in) baking pan. (This way the paper softens and fits better in the pan.)
3. In a bowl add the flour, ground cacao nibs, baking soda and salt.
4. Mash the bananas and add them to the food processor bowl. Mix bananas with sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the applesauce, vanilla and the chia seeds-water mixture. Stir.
5. Add the solid ingredients in the mixture of liquid ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the chocolate chips and stir again gently.
6. Pour the mixture into the pan, sprinkle the surface with crushed cacao nibs and bake for 30-35 minutes.
7. Remove pan from the oven, allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then holding the paper, remove it from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Now all you have to do is to make yourself a cup of coffee or tea cup and enjoy it!!

PS. Next time I will add some walnuts in the brownie. I’m sure it will be delicious!

Nutritional Facts per Serving
Calories	Carbohydrates	Sugars	Total Fat	Saturated Fat	Proteins	Dietary Fibers	Cholesterol
204.1	43.5	25.2	6.0	3.0	3.3	5.2	0.0