Boy, oh boy I’m excited about this recipe. I found it at Heavenly Homemakers. I have made it 3 times in that last 3 weeks:). It truly is just as easy for me to make as a boxed brownie mix, and tastes very good! I love that it is made with just a few ingredients that I feel good about feeding my family. Why do I consider these healthy? They are made with whole foods- there is nothing artificial in them. They should still be eaten in moderation (don’t consume the whole pan in one sitting:)), because they are not low calorie, but DO feel good about feeding them to your family because the ingredients in them provide nutrients that benefit the body, instead of harming it.
I am a firm believer that even treats can be beneficial. When it comes to foods in my home, I do not want my family consuming EMPTY calories. I want to be purposeful in making foods that will do the body some “good.” These brownies are an example of that.
Here are a few of the good things that are in this recipe:
- Whole wheat flour- provides maganese, dietary fiber, tryptophan, magnesium, vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and iron.
- Eggs- source of protein
- Butter-vitamins A, E, K and D, anti-oxidants, and selenium.(post coming soon on why I am at peace about eating butter, despite the saturated fat)
- Cocoa-antioxidants (flavanols)
- Rapadura-used in place of white processed sugar. Rapadura is the pure juice extracted from the sugar cane and evaporated to dry it into granules. Low heat is used so vitamins and minerals are retained. It has a natural balance of sucrose, glucose and fructose. Your body metabolizes it more slowly than white sugar, so it will not affect your blood sugar levels as much as refined sugars, so no crazy sugar rush! Remember, the more refined the sugar, the more it raises your blood sugar. Rapadura can be found at your local health food store. I use it in many baked goods in place of white sugar. If you want to read more about the different types of natural sugars, click here.
If I were to buy boxed brownies from the store, they would be made with white refined flour (the processing removes nutrients, vitamins and fiber), white processed sugar (empty calories, makes blood sugar spike), and oils. Not to mention anti-caking ingredients and preservatives. I think making them homemade takes little extra time with a whole lot of benefit!
If you still are set on buying boxed, Hodgson Mill Brownie Mix is a brand I highly recommend and have used. They are yummy! The ingredient list is: Turbinado sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, cocoa, milled flax seed, salt. Now that is what I’m talking about!!If you go to Heavenly Homemakers website, she shows you how to make homemade chocolate chips to put into these brownies. I am so not there when it comes to being motivated to do that, maybe someday. I use some AMAZING milk chocolate chips from my local health food market. I like the ingredients they choose to use in them, ones I know and trust. They are on the pricey side, so that may get me motivated to make my own!
Whole Wheat Brownies
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup rapadura
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Stir together butter, rapadura and cocoa. Mix in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into 8×8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean.
I recently tried these out on some extended family members that were a bit apprehensive about the word healthy and brownie in the same sentence. I am pleased to announce they liked them! Pleased, but not surprised..
Foodie Friday @ Designs By Gallum
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Challenge @ The Grocery Cart Challenge
Made It Mondays @ The Persimmon Perch
Marcy T Broden
August 12, 2012 at 1:07 pmI plan on baking these today. I can’t wait to try them!
Melinda
June 26, 2012 at 10:58 pmThank you for sharing this recipe! I tried this today and really enjoyed them.
Heather
June 20, 2012 at 1:57 amHey Amy! I’ve been trying to find some good natural chocolate chips. Can you tell me the kind of chocolate chips you buy? THanks so much!!
Sonia Kharkar
June 1, 2010 at 6:30 amI made these with brown sugar instead of rapadura and a few extra spoonfuls of cocoa powder. They were great served warm with vanilla ice cream. Thanks for the post.
Sandy@Life Began In A Garden
May 19, 2010 at 1:30 amBook marking: To try soon!
raggygirlvintage
May 18, 2010 at 4:36 amMmmmmmmm, they sound super yummy. Presumably rapadura is a sugar substitute?
Tracey
Tammy@My Party File
May 17, 2010 at 12:44 pmThis is something I have to try! It is great when you can feed your kids (and yourself!) something yummy and healthy. Thanks for sharing.
ButterYum
February 12, 2010 at 5:56 pmNeat – I’m always looking for ways to increase our whole grain intake. I’ve never used rapadura, but will look for it at the health food store.
🙂
ButterYum
Kat
February 12, 2010 at 3:36 pmOh, I’m going to have to add these to my list of recipes to try.
Lisa@BlessedwithGrace
January 27, 2010 at 3:45 pmThose brownies look wonderful. Thanks for linking your post to TMTT.
Mrs. P.
January 26, 2010 at 7:23 pmThese look terrific. Thanks for posting your source…we have very little in the way of *natural* foods here in our part of Nebraska…except what you can find in HyVee.
Blessings!
Gail
Laurie Mitchell
January 26, 2010 at 7:04 pmVisiting from Tasty Tuesday, these look like a delicious treat. I, too, like the healthy recipes.
Laurie@DomesticProductions
Anonymous
January 25, 2010 at 7:17 pmI forgot to check. Thanks so much for the info. I’ll try the sucanat.
Amy
January 25, 2010 at 4:23 amdid they have sucanat? I have used that instead of rapadura. Both can be used instead of sugar.
From Azure Standard:
Quote:
Sucanat (Sugar Cane Natural) is made by simply evaporating the water from the cane juice and then granulating the remaining cane crystals.
Quote:
Rapadura This deliciously pure sugar retains a nutritional value because – unlike other sugars – it is not separated from the molasses stream during squeeze-dried processing
Here is a link to buy online.
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_sugar.htm
$4.99 for 1.5 lb bag
oh! here is a link from amazon
2lbs. for 3.60
http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Food-Products-SucanatTM/dp/B0014UEF0G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1264393302&sr=8-4
Anonymous
January 22, 2010 at 8:05 pmAmy, I checked our largest health food store, Apple Valley, and they had “heard of” rapadura, but didnt’ have it in stock. Do you think it’s something that I could order online? The store could order it, but being they never have, I didn’t know the price. Could I cut out a middle man?
Amanda
January 22, 2010 at 7:28 amOhhh, there goes my will-power, and there goes my New Year’s resolution…!
Steph @ somewhatsimple
January 21, 2010 at 3:31 pmi love anything chocolate, so these look divine!
Amy
January 19, 2010 at 7:50 pmI’m so glad you like them!
I think I might need to make another pan:)
Destri {The Mother Huddle}
January 19, 2010 at 4:51 amTried these today, so good! Thank you, I passed it onto my neighbor too.