As a lot of you know, I'm in the midst of coaching my first group through The 21-Day Sugar Detox program. And like any good nutrition coach, I'm doing it right along with my superstar group. Only fair, right? The one problem: Holy crap I miss dessert. Typically my desserts are limited to the paleo variety anyway, so they're a bit less evil than the refined-carb and sugar-laden junk I used to eat, but they still contain natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. This program, however, excludes all sweeteners and even a lot of fruit for three weeks.
How the hell do you survive then?!? You adapt! It's kind of crazy, but your perception of what's "sweet" totally starts to change after a couple weeks. So yesterday, I took an inventory of all the approved ingredients I had and decided to make brownies sweetened with nothing but slightly under-ripe bananas. Verdict: They don't suck! In fact, they're pretty darn delicious, especially after I topped with a "frosting" of coconut cream whipped with almond butter.
The coolest part: Not only are these super low in sugar, but they're packed with ultra satiating protein and good fats, thanks to ingredients like almond butter, collagen protein, and coconut cream. Enjoy them for a totally guilt-free dessert or even as a legitimately wholesome breakfast. You're welcome :)
Naturally Sweet Paleo Protein Brownies with Coconut-Almond "Frosting"
Serves 8
Brownies
3 bananas (use green-tipped bananas for a lower sugar brownie, or ultra ripe for a sweeter treat)
2 eggs
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 scoops protein powder (optional, I used 2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides)
Frosting
1/3 cup coconut cream
3 Tbsp almond butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all brownie ingredients in food processor and puree until smooth. Pour into an 8x8" greased baking pan. Bake brownies for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely.
2) Clean food processor. Add all frosting ingredients and puree until light and fluffy (this will have a whipped cream frosting-like consistency). Spread frosting onto brownies and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Chill in refrigerator for about an hour. Slice into 16 squares and serve.
Nutrition (per 2 brownies): 250 cal, 10 g pro, 20 g carb, 4 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 15 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 90 mg sodium
