Healthy Gluten-Free, Vegan Microwave Brownies

Microwave brownies are an easy way to treat yourself and a great way to exercise portion control. I know when I make brownies in the oven, I'm tempted to eat more than I even want just because I have a surplus of freshly baked goods. If you're like me, having a single-serving of dessert is an easy remedy for this problem. Not only will the following recipe satisfy your chocolate craving, it also provides some healthy nutrition. Using almond meal is a great alternative to wheat flour or rice flour, the latter tends to be low in fiber and high in carbohydrates. Almond meal is a great source of vitamin E and contains fiber and healthy fats. Using 100% cocoa powder along with dark chocolate chips is a delicious way get some flavonoids that may help you decrease cholesterol and blood pressure over time. Instead of using sugar or honey, using whole dates (just remember to remove the pit before grinding) provides a little fiber (which will slow down digestion and won't lead to high and then low blood sugar). I chose not to use eggs in this recipe because it tasted fine without them, but if you're not a vegan and you want a thicker, more solid/cake-like brownie, feel free to add an egg white and microwave as described below.

Here's my latest healthy, gluten-free, vegan microwave brownie recipe!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup almond meal
• ¼-1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (you want enough apple sauce to allow the almond meal to not be in flour-y chunks)
• 1 tbsp. 100% cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 medjool dates, remove pit (use a food processor + 2 tbsp. of water to turn this into a very thick liquid, or grind with a hand tool-- you just want a paste-like consistency)
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp. almond butter

Directions:

• Mix almond meal, cocoa powder, applesauce, vanilla extract, and ground dates together in a microwave safe bowl
• Microwave for 2 minutes and check to see if the mixture has thickened or stiffened. This recipe won't get too stiff, but it's more of a soft-fudgy consistency.
• If not yet thick and if the mixture is still liquid-y, microwave for 45 second increments until it has thickened
• Wait for the mixture to cool for a few minutes (2-5 minutes)
• Top with chocolate chips, almond butter and sprinkle with cinnamon

Enjoy!

-Jess