For most of my life, I could give or take chocolate. I was simply a vanilla person with little to no cravings for the cacao bean in any form. But when I got my first taste of a truly fudgy brownie, I was hooked and there was no turning back. These days I am still what I would call a chocolate “purist” in the loose sense of the word. Straight chocolate, fudge, and fudgy healthy brownies are the only chocolate I graciously and eagerly accept. Yet, even after years of experimentation, my original Coconut Fudge Brownie recipe is still the favorite in this household.
Of course, I welcome variations on this recipe, and was especially smitten by the one created at Altered Plates, which optionally uses one of my other food loves, carob.
“These healthy brownies [recipe below]are inspired by the recipe for Coconut Fudge Brownies from the book by Alisa Marie Fleming, Go Dairy Free. The brownies are indeed fudgy and coconuty. I boosted the coconut factor a bit when I used some coconut flour in combination with whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour. I also substituted agave nectar for sugar and carob for chocolate. Overall, a mighty tasty brownie that can easily become a favorite of any coconut fan.”
- ¼ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- ¼ Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- ¼ Cup Coconut Flour
- ¼ Cup Carob Powder [or cocoa powder]
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ Cup Grapeseed Oil
- ⅔ Cup Agave Nectar [can sub liquid sweetener of your choice]
- 2 Eggs (can be made vegan by using 2 large mashed avocados instead)
- 1-1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Carob Chips [or chocolate chips]
- ½ Cup Raw Walnuts, chopped [optional]
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and oil an 8-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, coconut flour, carob or cocoa powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and agave nectar until well blended.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well blended.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.
- Fold in the coconut, then the chips, and walnuts, mixing by hand for about a minute after each addition.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and let sit until the oven comes to temperature.
- Bake the brownies for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out with just a couple of moist crumbs.
4 Comments
Can I ask what purpose the coconut flour serves? Is it more flavorful than other flours? What is a good replacement?
Hi Marissa,
My original recipe (in Go Dairy Free the book) does not use coconut flour. Coconut flour is a very dry flour that you can’t conver 1:1 for wheat flour. I believe she wanted to use more liquid, add nutrition, and reduce the carbs in this brownie, which is why coconut flour was used. If you are looking for the version that uses just AP or whole wheat flour, then I would use the original.
Im trying this recipe, is there baking powder or baking soda in this or not?
Nope, just the recipe as written 🙂