To celebrate the week of love, I’m gifting you the recipe for my red velvet brownies! What a great reason to jump into the kitchen and have fun creating a pretty dessert to share with your loved ones. So that everyone can enjoy them, the recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. The gorgeous red velvet colour comes from the humble but powerful beetroot. And the frosting is a delicious cashew “cheeze.” The rest of the ingredients are just as wholesome; there’s even black beans in the mix for some added protein (but don’t worry, you can’t taste them)! What a nourishing dessert to share the love…
I N G R E D I E N T S
For the brownies:
- 1 beetroot, cooked
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
- 2 organic free-range eggs
For the cashew cream cheeze frosting:
- ½ cup cashews, soaked overnight
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup dairy-free yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- Pinch sea salt
- Dried rose petals, to serve (optional)
M E T H O D
- Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced. Use a small amount of coconut oil to grease a square baking tray or line with baking paper.
- Add flours, cacao, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Blitz the beetroot, black beans, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla in a high-speed blender until smooth.
- Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and whisk in eggs.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet mixture. Mix well to combine.
- Transfer batter to prepared baking tray. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- In the meantime, make the frosting by straining the cashews. Transfer to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer frosting to a container and place in the fridge to set.
- Remove brownie tray from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
- Cut into squares and garnish with dried rose petals.