Healthy Low-carb Brownies

These brownies are so fudgy, rich, delicious, low-carb, gluten free and so simple to make.

For this recipe I wanted to test out using Date Sugar which is a healthy alternative to regular sugar. It is simply granulated dried dates which look a lot like brown sugar made from sugarcane, and in fact, you can use date sugar as a substitute for brown sugar in many recipes. The health benefits of date sugar is the same as that of dates, it is a whole food sweetener packed with dietary fiber, antioxidants, a concentrated source of potassium, magnesium and copper, and it contains decent amounts of iron, phosphorus and calcium as well.

Another alternative for a sweetener would be Erythritol which is sugar substitute with zero calories an no effect on glucose or sugar levels so suitable for diabetics. You can use it for your tea or coffee and bake with it but I noticed it has a distinctive after taste.

This is why I used date sugar this time, as I wanted to get the sweetness but without the erythritol after taste not to mention the amazing health benefits of dates. That's hitting 2 birds with one stone!

Ingredients

• 1 cup fine almond flour

• 1/4 cup cacao powder

• 2 tbsp dutch cacao or additional regular cacao

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or butter

• 3 tbsp water or additional oil

• 2 eggs

• 2/3 cup date sugar or granulated erythritol or regular sugar

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or cinnamon powder

You can add in dark chocolate chips, cacao nibs, nuts like walnuts or pecans or coconut flakes.

Main Ingredients

Date sugar

Healthy Low-carb Brownies

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together first then add in the wet ingredients. Make sure to mix well with a spatula as the mixture will be thick. Spread it in an 8-inch pan or use a smaller pan if you want thicker brownies or you can double the ingredients. No need to oil the pan as the mixture already has oil in it.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool to harden a bit then cut into squares. For me the sweetness of the brownies was enough and I was satisfied with the results. Sprinkle with some of the date sugar on top for extra sweetness if desired or for added texture.

References:

Date Sugar – A Healthy Alternative to Regular Sugar? - https://www.healwithfood.org/substitute/is-date-sugar-healthy.php

What Is Erythritol? -https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-erythritol#1