Double Dark Chocolate Brownies

Author: Rachel Maser - CleanFoodCrush

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup + 1 heaping Tbsp, all natural peanut, or almond butter
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup grade 'b', or raw honey
• 1/2 cup unsweetened all-natural applesauce
• 1 large room temperature egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cacao powder
• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1.5 cups finely shredded zucchini (skin left on) about 2 small zucchinis
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Lily's brand sweetened with stevia, you may use any high percentage cacao chips, this will add a bit of sugar...depending on what you use) - DIVIDED in half (https://cleanfoodcrush.com/lilys)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
2. Spray your 8x8 brownie pan with nonstick spray, or wipe your pan with coconut oil.
3. Pulse oats in blender or food processor until finely ground. (dry oats are measured BEFORE grinding...always get lots of questions about this)
4. In a separate bowl, sift or whisk dry ingredients together; cacao powder, ground oats, baking soda, and sea salt; until well combined.
5. Using your mixer, cream peanut butter, applesauce, egg, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.
6. Add shredded zucchini, mix until combined.
7. Add dry ingredients into wet, mix just until combined...do not over mix.
8. Stir in half of the chocolate chips.
9. Pour batter into your prepared baking pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top.
10. Bake for 23-26 minutes in your preheated oven.
11. Cool before slicing into squares.

Notes: Make sure you’re using natural unsweetened cacao powder, not dutched cocoa! I used Lily's brand sweetened with stevia, you may use any very high percentage cacao chips, this will add a bit of sugar...depending on what you use. I prefer the maple syrup over honey for these. Sweetness factor is such a personal preference, so taste test because you may want more/less maple syrup