Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

Grain-free

Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies

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There’s just something so good about sinking my teeth into an ultra chewy, fudgy brownie. I’ve always liked my brownies a bit underdone as this guarantees the ultimate fudgy texture. With these Almond Butter Brownies, there’s no need for under-baking because they are perfectly soft and fudgy as-is! I decided to use melted chopped chocolate – the kind in a bar – instead of cocoa powder to get as far away from a cakey texture as I could (the first ones I baked were literal chocolate cake). I also added an extra egg yolk for chewiness.

These brownies are super moist without being overly sweet, and they’re so easy to throw together! I feel like I say that about everything, but it’s true! I love an easy dessert. I topped mine with a drizzle of melted chocolate – one of the fancier bars I had saved – to add an extra layer of chocolatey goodness. This step is optional, of course, and you could even add chocolate chips to your batter pre-bake or top your brownies with an almond butter drizzle. Get crazy and happy baking!

Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies
Serves 9-16, depending on brownie size

1 cup almond butter
2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
6oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt or table salt

1.) Crack eggs and egg yolk into a small bowl; set aside.

2.) Melt chopped chocolate using the double boiler method – place in a heat-safe bowl over a pot with about an inch of simmering water, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool down a bit.

3.) Preheat your oven to 350℉. Prepare an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment paper. I like to cut two long, thin strips to allow for the paper to hang over each edge. Then I’ll spray olive oil into each exposed corner. This makes it easy to pull the entire dish of brownies out at once.

4.) Mix coconut sugar and maple syrup (or honey) in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and egg yolk into the sugar mixture. Add almond butter and mix until combined. Mix in the cooled chocolate. Then the coconut oil. And finally, stir in the coconut flour and salt.

5.) Bake at 350℉ for 15-20 minutes* or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs. Place on cooling rack or in the refrigerator to totally cool before removing from the dish. Slice into 9 or 16 brownies and enjoy!

*this is for a glass baking dish. If you’re using metal, I suggest checking the brownies at 10 minutes and going from there.

Keto Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins

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When one of my Instagram followers messaged me about high-protein, ketogenic desserts, I knew I wanted to really branch out (y’all know I love my carbs!) and attempt something that was keto-friendly and made with protein powder! I came up with these Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins after doing a bit of Googling on what kind of foods are keto-friendly. I was looking for ingredients that were low-carb and higher in fat, so I chose to use almond flour as the base and added three large eggs, protein powder, olive oil, and a sprinkling of coconut flakes – these get nice and toasty in the oven.

I’ve had a big bag of Stevia in the Raw sitting around for a while now, so I took this opportunity to finally put it to use! Yes! I’m so excited to offer you guys a yummy, keto-friendly treat in portions that are small enough for you to decide how many carbs you want to add to your daily diet. My husband and mom (who is a major sweets lover!) both love these! Happy baking!

Keto Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins
Makes ~40 mini muffins

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup protein powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt or table salt
3 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut for topping (optional)

1.) Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~10 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350° and line your mini muffin pan with paper liners*

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3.) In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the olive oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the Stevia and stir until combined.

4.) Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped strawberries until no flour pockets remain.

5.) Fill mini muffin pan 3/4 of the way full (I used a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop of batter for each muffin). Top with desired toppings – I chose coconut flakes! – and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean**

6.) Allow muffins to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing to totally cool on a cooling rack until ready to eat. We actually liked these better the next day, and I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

*I highly recommend using liners when baking muffins with almond flour. I’ve found that this kind of flour tends to make quick breads stick to the pan, no matter how much oil spray I’ve used
**before using a toothpick, I like to lightly tap one muffin to see if it bounces back. If it does, I know there’s a good chance the muffins are done

 

Double Chocolate Tahini Cookies

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Double Chocolate Tahini Cookies
Makes 14 small cookies

1/2 cup tahini
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temp
1 tsp neutral oil*
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup chopped dairy-free dark chocolate
1-2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional for topping)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring egg to room temperature by placing it in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – tahini, vanilla, egg, oil, and maple syrup – with a fork. Add the coconut sugar and mix until combined. Using a spoon or small spatula, stir in the remaining dry ingredients – cocoa, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda – until totally combined (the dough will be greasy). Stir in the chopped chocolate.

3. Use a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto your parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure chopped chocolate chunks are visible on the top of each cookie. Space cookies ~2″ apart so you have 6-8 cookies per baking sheet.

4. Bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes. Let rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. While the cookies are still warm, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds**. Enjoy!

*neutral oils are those with less flavor: avocado, extra light olive oil, grapeseed, etc. It’s okay to use unrefined coconut oil if you don’t mind the coconut taste
**place sesame seeds on a dry pan over medium heat and stir until browned and toasted