I received an email on my birthday which took me by surprise. She was asking about the brownie recipe that I used to have on my blog and if she could get it. I was shocked, honestly, as this website has been up for about a year and I’ve done a HORRIBLE job adding new recipes to it. Tara, you made my day by showing me that people used to read and to keep posting.

I’m going to repost some of my older recipes to get them back online before adding new ones and sample menus of events I’ve hosted more recently. Beets and chocolate has become one of my favorite combinations due to the earthiness of the beets rounding out the sweetness yet bitterness of the chocolate. The other thing I love is that beets are available throughout the year, and with living in Maine, that’s saying something. Whether it’s in this brownie recipe, a smoothie or as a salad, they’re versatile root that can also support our body’s blood circulation, act as an anti-inflammatory and provide an excellent source of calcium and iron.

These are thick, decadent brownies full of healthy fats and sweetened naturally. The beets give an earthiness, but the honey cuts it so even the non-beet lovers will approve. If you do like the beet undertone, you don’t have to add the honey, but that’s your call. Taste the batter before the eggs go in (or after, I won’t tell!) and add the sweetness your liking. Yes, baking is a science, but you can still play!

ingredients

2 medium-large beets
1 ½ cups nut butter (cashew or almond works great here!)
¾ cup maple syrup
2 heaping tablespoons raw honey
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup cacao powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of sea salt

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash the beets and wrap them in aluminum foil, no peeling necessary. Bake for 45 minutes until fork tender. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel the skin away (wasn’t that easy after they’re cooked?) and cut them into chunks. Put them in your food processor or high-speed blender and puree until smooth. You’re going to use 1/2 cup of the puree.

Add the nut butter, maple syrup and raw honey to the beet puree. Blend until smooth.

Pour this mixture into a large bowl before adding the eggs and vanilla. Sift and fold the cacao powder, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt into the batter.

Line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment paper allowing some to hang over the edges for easy removal. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes until they brown on the edges, starting coming away from the edges and when only wet crumbs come out when tested. Allow them to cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.