Avocados are like a song that can be played over and over without anyone ever getting tired of them. This little fruit (yes, fruit) is everywhere — in the news, in desserts, on toast, on the Internet, and on countless restaurant menus in some form. It’s a healthy fat that goes with almost any food combination, and provides a decent amount of health benefits, like increased energy, a ton of vitamins and minerals, better digestion… the list goes on. The point is that avocados are so nutritionally dense, they are considered a superfood.
People sometimes want to avoid avocados because of their high calorie and fat content. These are the fats that you want to be eating: monounsaturated fatty acids. When you think about it, avocados are not that high in calories, either. One fruit is about 270-320 calories, which pales in comparison to popular Starbucks menu items or fast food meals.
Avocados’ role as a fat in a healthy diet means they can make an ideal substitute when a baking recipe calls for butter or oil. These brownies not only feature mashed avocado as a replacement for a more unhealthy fat — they are also flourless and contain several other nutrient rich and clean foods. You can feel good about indulging in these soft, fudgy treats.
Photo by Olivia D’Aiutolo
Fact: Avocados can also be referred to as alligator pears.
Dark Chocolate Avocado Brownies
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F, and spray an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray.
Combine the mashed avocado, peanut butter, cocoa powder, honey, vanilla, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Fold in the chocolate chips carefully.
Spread the batter in the pan with the back of a wooden spoon, pushing it into the corners and smoothing the top.
#SpoonTip: Use a wooden spoon, because this batter with stick to plastic.
Sprinkle a small handful of chocolate chips on top, if you have extra.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before cutting and serving.