Paleo-friendly pumpkin brownies

I'll be honest, I wouldn't say that brownies are my favorite dessert, but when I eat them, I like them to be 1) thick, 2) dense and dark choc flavored, and 3) healthy. These pumpkin brownies are everything my brownie dreams are made of - chocolatey, creamy, mousse-y. . .

Why Pumpkin

You're probably reading the recipe title and thinking: Why take such a simple recipe and mess with it? Do they taste like veggies? What's the texture like? Will anyone know there is pumpkin in there?

Adding the vegetable means you're feeding your body all the nutrient-rich benefits that come from pumpkin with every bite. For this recipe, I was determined to make a flavorful, paleo pumpkin brownie, and while the protein powder was added for an extra boost of nutrients, I used my Pumpkin Spice flavor, and holy moly you guys - so. freakin. good. Took them to the next level!

The Power of Pumpkin

The rich orange color of pumpkin means that it's packed with beta carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A once consumed. Vitamin A helps to keep our immune system in shape, preserves vision (similar to carrots!), and keeps our skin looking great. Additionally, pumpkin is pact full of fiber, making it more satiating; it's full of potassium, too (key to keeping our bodies hydrated and organs running smoothly).

What About the Other Secret Ingredients

Oh you guys should know by now that if I'm sneaking some added "goodies" into my treats, I'm gonna use more than one! Besides pumpkin, yep, you read it right - avocado and banana have paid a visit. Avocados are one of my favorite foods. They're an excellent source of healthy fat, protein, and give such a creamy texture. As for the banana, whenever baking, I love to use natural sources for sweeteners. This is great for adding a sweet flavor, without using refined sugars. You'll notice that banana and maple syrup are the only things sweetening this recipe up, and honestly you don't even notice that there's "no sugar added" (which is my preference in treats!).

​Let's whip up these pumpkin brownies!

Paleo-Friendly Pumpkin Brownies

Yield: 9 | Total Time: 45 minutes
Paleo-Friendly . Gluten-Free . Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 avocado
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup banana (approx. 3/4 banana)
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
1/2 cup cacao powder
2 Tbsp Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth Protein (Pumpkin Spice) *optional
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

Directions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Step 2: Line an 8x8 pyrex or brownie tin with parchment paper.
Step 3: In a food processor, combine avocado, pumpkin puree, banana, maple, and vanilla. Blitz until creamy.
Step 4: Add in cacao powder and protein powder. Blitz. Add in your eggs, one at a time, and blitz.
Step 5: In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda.
Step 6: Combine dry ingredients with wet, and blitz until smooth.
Step 7: Transfer to your pyrex, and bake for 35 minutes (give or take, dependent on your oven).
Step 8: Once they are baked, allow to cool fully before cutting into - I actually placed mine on a plate and popped them in the fridge for about an hour, and then came back to cut them! Not necessary, but made them easy to cut and less messy as they have a mousse-like texture.

Note: Be sure to store these in the fridge, they're super moist, you'll wanna keep them fresh!

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*This post was written from my research through the Dr. Axe website. Images are a mix of my own and from Pinterest. For a discount on my favorite Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth Protein, head to store.draxe.com and use code: GIGIIKENT for 20% off your first purchase!

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