The BEST Gluten-Free Protein Carob Brownies Ever!
If you’re like me and shouldn’t consume chocolate you’re going to be so happy with this recipe. Chocolate use to be my saving grace, a piece of chocolate to help survive a hectic work day, or a brownie when I was feeling down. But those days are long gone. Like a lot of people chocolate has now become my nemesis, it’s too inflammatory for my body. So carob has taken chocolate’s place. Out of every chocolate dessert including chocolate cake, I’ve missed brownies the most. So after many trial and error recipes I’ve come up with what I think is the best gluten free protein carob brownie ever!
Hemp Protein
This brownie is made with carob. It’s also made with hemp protein. Yes that’s right I brought hemp back into the mix. It’s been a while since I’ve used hemp protein. Not since my “Triple H” smoothie recipe. But I decided to use hemp protein to substitute for the flour. The hemp protein has a dark green color which helps to make the carob a dark, rich color which adds to the look of a real brownie. Hemp protein is rich in fiber, copper, iron, manganese, omega 3 & 6 and of course protein. The hemp protein I used is this one.
Reishi Mushroom
The addition of reishi mushroom is a perfect blend with carob. It pulls the richness out of carob and brings more of a chocolate taste. I love using this combination. It was also used in a previous recipe here. I just think the combo brings great flavor. Also reishi has great benefits! Reishi mushroom boosts the immune system, has anti-cancer properties, controls levels of sugar and has antioxidant values. For more information on reishi check out the references link below. My favorite reishi powder comes from this company right here.
Carob
I’ve talked about carob a couple of times before. I also discussed how I started eating carob here in this post. Carob is a great substitution for chocolate and has less inflammatory properties. Carob is free of the caffeine and bromine found in chocolate. It’s native to the Mediterranean and has been cultivated for 4000 years. The nutrient values are many. Some of them being rich in protein, calcium, iron, potassium and many vitamin B properties. It’s important to get a high quality carob powder. I’ve been using this one for a while and the flavor is top notch.
The Recipe
This recipe was made in two ways. One using mashed red bananas the other way using unsweetened applesauce. In the recipe you will find directions on how to make the brownies both ways. They both came out really well. So depending on what you have on hand or your taste preference either way is the bomb.
On to the recipe!
AuthorDesireeCategoryDesserts, Easy Recipes, Gluten FreeDifficultyIntermediateThis carob brownie recipe is a must try! It's gluten free, dairy free, nut free, chocolate free and oil free. The sweetener of choice can be either bananas or applesauce. The recipe listed is using red bananas (my personal favorite) but further down in the recipe are directions using applesauce. Also directions showing how to make a one pan thicker brownie. With the apple sauce version the brownie pairs nicely with some nice cream (banana ice cream) as shown in a picture below.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place in one bowl carob powder, hemp protein powder, reishi powder, baking soda and sea salt. In another bowl place the mashed bananas, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract.
Mix each mixture separately in their individual bowls.
Pour the banana mixture into the carob powder mixture and mix well till everything is incorporated.
Prepare pans by lining them with parchment paper or brushing coconut oil in the pans. I decided to use two small round springform pans.
Place batter in the two pans. Put in the preheated oven. The time of baking should only be 15 minutes. You will definitely know they're done because the top with be a little cracked and the delicious smell of carob will be in the air.
Wait till cooled before cutting into the brownies. I separated the batter into two pans so the brownies are not very thick. If you want a real thick brownie I would suggest using one pan instead of two pans.
These brownies taste soooo close to the real thing! If there's any leftovers they can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for a day and for longer storage in the refrigerator.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and please comment below if you try it out!
*If you want to use apple sauce instead of bananas. You would use 1/4 cup of applesauce instead of 1/2 cup of bananas. Everything else stays the same.
If you want a one pan thick brownie just put the brownie batter in one pan. I used the applesauce version to create a one pan brownie.
Here's a pic of a piece of the (applesauce version) brownie crumbled on nice cream.
Recipe for nice cream for one is... 2 frozen chopped up finger bananas, vanilla extract and a little homemade brazil nut milk. Delicious!!!!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place in one bowl carob powder, hemp protein powder, reishi powder, baking soda and sea salt. In another bowl place the mashed bananas, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract.
Mix each mixture separately in their individual bowls.
Pour the banana mixture into the carob powder mixture and mix well till everything is incorporated.
Prepare pans by lining them with parchment paper or brushing coconut oil in the pans. I decided to use two small round springform pans.
Place batter in the two pans. Put in the preheated oven. The time of baking should only be 15 minutes. You will definitely know they're done because the top with be a little cracked and the delicious smell of carob will be in the air.
Wait till cooled before cutting into the brownies. I separated the batter into two pans so the brownies are not very thick. If you want a real thick brownie I would suggest using one pan instead of two pans.
These brownies taste soooo close to the real thing! If there's any leftovers they can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for a day and for longer storage in the refrigerator.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and please comment below if you try it out!
*If you want to use apple sauce instead of bananas. You would use 1/4 cup of applesauce instead of 1/2 cup of bananas. Everything else stays the same.
If you want a one pan thick brownie just put the brownie batter in one pan. I used the applesauce version to create a one pan brownie.
Here's a pic of a piece of the (applesauce version) brownie crumbled on nice cream.
Recipe for nice cream for one is... 2 frozen chopped up finger bananas, vanilla extract and a little homemade brazil nut milk. Delicious!!!!
Notes
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