Grain-Free Peppermint Brownies
Last night, we braved the cold (ok, Tucson cold, but still) to head up to Mt. Lemmon for our family photos. The chill was just the perfect weather to enjoy the peppermint brownies I have for you today.
Perfect for a wintery dessert after being out in the cold! I think our photographer Jacquelynn got some great shots of our little family in the beautiful Arizona scenery. The best part was that she was FAST– time is of the essence when you have a little nugget who’s anxious to go see a puppy 😉
After our pics, we went over to Kyle and Meg’s for their first Friendsgiving:
The even have their TREE UP and it looks awesome. (Tree envy. I can’t wait until Friday.)
And can we talk about how regal little Luna looks in front of it?
Livi was enthralled by the tree, and even more excited to see her little fur cousin.
Kyle and Meg had all of the usual Thanksgiving fare: a glorious roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole (frozen and reheated from this weekend), and rolls. I feel like my Thanksgiving was complete and the actual holiday isn’t here yet. The fact that I get another Thanksgiving meal makes me very excited, indeed.
Everything was amazing, and the company was the best part <3
Paleo Peppermint Brownies
I thought of bringing over some brownies, too, but by the time we were ready to leave the house, there were only six left. That happens sometimes.
I was determined to make a new version of a grain-free brownie after my last efforts were dubbed “healthy.” Yeah, those ones are pretty healthy, but you want a treat to taste like a TREAT.
Turns out that pureeing dates and melted chocolate is a wise choice.
I changed up my usual almond meal brownies, and added some peppermint to the batter for a wintery twist.
When the brownies had cooled, I topped them with a cashew frosting. The frosting needs a little work… but the brownies are real nice. They don’t need frosting at all 😉 Maybe a glass of milk or warm mug of coffee. That’s it.
Hope you enjoy!
PrintGrain-free peppermint brownies
A brownie so decadent and moist, you’ll never believe that they’re grain free!
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 25
Ingredients
- 10 medjool dates
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 bar chocolate (50g), melted
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 t instant espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional, for extra sweetness)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with 10 liners.
- 2. In a small food processor, combine the dates, melted chocolate and coconut oil. Puree until smooth. Add your eggs and puree until just combined.
- 3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well.
- 4. Scoop the batter into the muffin pan, diving evenly among the 10 spots (a melon ball scooper works well).
- 5. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until set. Let cool completely before frosting.
xoxo
Gina
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I went to my first Friendsgiving this year! It was so fun! Im like you, I’ve had two thanksgivings already this season but am still looking forward to the real thing! Haha
Love your dress!!
I love the idea of a Friendsgiving! I am totally going to do it next year because it is just such a cute idea! The brownie cupcakes look delicious and dates…genius! Can you taste the cashews in the frosting? I am such a cream cheese frosting kinda gal that anything else makes me a little nervous.
i really didn’t love the frosting. next time i’ll tweak it a little 😉
I’m definitely making these this coming Sunday. The man and I are putting up my christmas tree and finally getting in the holiday spirit…despite some family difficulties right now.
Someday I hope to host a Friendsgiving. It’s so difficult with where I’m at in the military–all my friends I commissioned with have PCSd and left me here in the Guard. Sigh.
let me know what you think!
sending love to you and your family <3
it's hard when your friends PCS... ours always tend to rotate in and out of where we're stationed until we meet again at some point. it's definitely tough :/
xoxo
Oooh these look great! Thinking about trying these as a Thanksgiving dessert! 🙂
They look like cupcakes! Brownies are dense and fudgey. Are you sure these are brownies?
You can cook brownies in a muffin pan. They’re very dense and fudgy
Ha! I know you can cook any batter in any type of dish. I was just commenting on the texture in the close-up pic you posted. They look very dry and cakey to be called brownies to me, but maybe it’s just not an accurate photo.
I agree that they do look cakey (they don’t look like the inside of a brownie at all, imo) but that’s to be expected with recipes that aren’t made traditionally (i.e. with flour and butter and other deliciousness). They’re cute, though!
I just baked them as brownies in a pan, and they definitely tasted like brownies!
Î’m so jealous of all the Thanksgiving celebrations going on this week!
I can not wait for christmas to be here so I can feast as well. Lol
I love your outfit! And Olivia’s dress is adorable!
thank you, lovely!
Think these will work with flax eggs?
i’m not sure. the eggs provide a lot of liquid, so i’m not sure the flax + water/milk combo would be enough. maybe 3 T liquid to 1 T flax for each egg? let me know if you try it!
Going to try the recipes…doesn’t look too difficult and the results look rather yummy!
http://vodkaandarose.blogspot.co.uk Jess. x
I went to my first Friendsgiving this year! I’d like to make it a tradition. These treats look great. I tried your Black Forest Brownies recently and they were awesome!
Friendsgivings are the best! I especially like the fact that you can bring so many people together, with different Thanksgiving experiences and recipes, and you get to try so many great/new dishes! I’m attempting Bacon Walnut Glazed Brussel Sprouts this Turkey Day 🙂
You look beautiful – love your outfit and hair! And little Livi is just adorable in her dress too! Glad you had a nice Friendsgiving!
thank you, ashley! hope you have a great week <3
Yum, these brownies look incredible! I also wanted to ask (and sorry if it has been asked loads before) but what made you want to start blogging? I’m always interested to see the motivations behind people’s blogs
Yummmm maybe Ill make those for Thursday.
let me know if you do!
I love your dress!
thank you!!
dates + dark chocolate = win. can’t wait to try these!
Is there something you could sub out for the almond meal by chance?
I can’t wait till our Friendsgiving. We’re having it after Thanksgiving though but my family doesn’t do a real Thanksgiving meal so it’s perfect!
Peppermint anything is a win in my book!
I LOVE HER DRESS!! (and yours too) I need to have a little girl asap.
You girls look beautiful!! I’m sure your pictures will be amazing. Happy Thanksgiving!
I love the dress! You look fantastic. I wish I could lose the 20 pounds I gained when I had my daughter. I am now 2 years postpartum and cant seem to shed the excess weight. I run several times a week and even did a half marathon but the weight stays on. Anyways, thanks for letting me vent:)
These might have to happen at my house Thursday; my SIL has celiac so she would be happy to see a GF dessert 🙂
those brownies – yum! i’m not into peppermint though but i’m sure they’d be great without! i adore your dress with those tights and ankle boots.
Your outfit is super cute! Can’t wait to see the Christmas pics.!
Yum! Love the dresses! This morning I finally tried out my Soli Beat dvd! Did the warm up, and a few of the songs. It was definitely a fun way to get a little movement going in the am, even if the manfriend was laughing at me. I may not be quite as coordinated as you and Sasha. 😉
Sounds like quite a feast was had!
Also, you all look so nice in your Friendsgiving finest 🙂
YUM! Those look delicious!!
Friendsgiving is my favorite!!
Just made the brownies; SO GOOD! I baked them in a 9×9 pan and just used half of the pan on 350 for 15 minutes. They spread a little when baked, but when I tested it I couldn’t stop at one bite! You are right, these really don’t need any frosting. Delicious as they are! But if you wanted to add a little something extra, you could press a whole peppermint in each cupcake before baking to add a sweet and pretty topping!