Wholesome Christmas Tree Brownies
Wholesome Christmas Tree Brownies
Plant Based / Dairy Free / Gluten Free / Refined Sugar Free
Makes 22-24 brownies
How festive are our Christmas Tree Brownies? Soft and gooey, chocolatey, fragrant, decadent, moreish, pretty and healthy!! Plant based, gluten free, sugar free, protein rich, packed full of goodness and flavour, these wholesome treats will blow your mind! So much fun to make with kiddies and adults alike. Try them this Christmas and you will fall in love!
Ingredients
500g tinned or jarred chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
220g almond butter (we use crunchy Whole Earth)
40ml rapeseed oil (or sunflower oil)
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2tsp almond extract
120g dark chocolate (we use Green & Blacks 70% cooking chocolate)
150g plant based milk of choice (we use Alpro Vanilla for extra flavour)
200g xylitol
50g ground almonds
2tbsp raw cocoa powder
1/2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2tsp salt
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp all spice
50g chopped hazelnuts plus extra for topping
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped to resemble gravel
To decorate:
A few wafer rolls
Pomegranate seeds
Ground almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Line a 33x23cm (13x9 inch) baking tin with baking parchment and set aside.
Place the 120g of chocolate and the milk in a bowl and heat in the microwave or on the stove over boiling water, till the chocolate has melted. Whisk the mixture so that it becomes smooth and silky.
In a food processor, add the chickpeas, almond butter, rapeseed oil, vanilla and almond extracts and the melted chocolate mixture. Process until very smooth. Add the xylitol, ground almonds, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon and all spice and blend. Finally, fold in the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate gravel.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely on a rack before removing from the tin. They will feel a little soft when touched on the surface, but will firm up as they cool.
To decorate, carefully cut triangle shapes and use pieces of the wafer rolls for tree trunks as shown in our photos. Dust with ground almonds and sprinkle with some fresh pomegranate seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Using chickpeas in this recipe gives our brownies a wonderful consistency, while keeping them healthful. Don’t worry, we promise you will not taste the chickpeas at all.
These brownies will keep for a few days in a sealed container. No need to refrigerate.
You can of course, make them any time of the year and decorate accordingly, or simply slice them into squares.
