guilt-free brownies

No, that was not an oxy-moron. No-remorse, guilt-free, sinless brownies that actually taste amazing do in fact exist, and can be made with a few ingredients that you probably have on hand. I HAVE to share this recipe in case there is someone out there craving chocolate but trying to "behave." This, my friend, is going to change your life (or at least make it a little better!).

As many of you probably know, you can use the healthier alternative of subbing applesauce for oil when making boxed-brownies. However, since I've stopped using box mixes when it comes to baking (so worth it, even it takes more time), I started researching healthy brownies from scratch. When I had a full-on chocolate crave attack last night after having minimal amounts of chocolate for the past two-and-a-half months (Jake is not a fan), this recipe for Jillian Michael's Fudge Brownies not only satisfied my craving, BUT also left me feeling guilt-free.

[disclaimer: I am not a huge J.M. fan or anything, but the woman can make some brownies!]

Jillian Michael's Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:
2/3 cup mild honey, such as clover (what I used) or Orange blossom
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (I just used all-purpose flour)
1/4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbs olive oil (I used EVOO)
1 large egg at room temp.
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
*1/2 cup of natural peanut butter (optional, but highly recommended!)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with olive oil (I used regular cooking spray because I wasn't sure how that would turn out!) and set it aside.
2. Place the honey in a glass bowl and microwave it for 45 seconds. Add in the cocoa and mix it all together until it is all very well combined. Let it cool.
3. In a small bowl, Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix through.
4. In a large bowl, combine, the applesauce, EVOO, egg, and vanilla and mix together. Add the honey and cocoa mixture and whisk through, then add in the flour mixture and whisk together until no traces of flour are remaining.
5. Pour into your greased baking dish and cook for 25minutes. When you stick a toothpick in the middle loose crumbs will cling to it.
6. Let cool completely before slicing. Cut into 16 bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temp.

Source

My suggestion:
Before placing the brownies in the oven, microwave 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter in a glass mixing cup for about one minute. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted pb over the brownie batter. Delicious!

Nutrition Facts (without Peanut Butter):
Calories: 86.2 kcal
Fat: 2.2 g
Protein: 1.3 g
Carbohydrates: 16.0 g
Sodium: 63.6 mg



I LOVE these brownies. They are moist and fluffy, have just the right amount of sweetness, and taste amazing right out of the refrigerator--not to mention, they are SO easy to make! They will take care of even the most intense chocolate craving without making you feel like you need to hit the gym after. No remorse here. :)