The Ultimate Grain-Free Brownies

Swap out the flour in these ultimate grain-free brownies! Made with almond flour and ghee, these paleo brownies are a delicious dessert that are both nutritious and good for your soul!

I’m a firm believer in the nourishing power of foods: both for your gut and for your soul. After the last few weeks recovering from shingles I know this statement to be true. The real challenge is knowing which situation calls for what.

After I got diagnosed, I made it my mission to really tune into my body and give it exactly what it was craving. Funny enough, it was craving a ton of bok choy. No but actually, I had insane cravings for bok choy and lots of broth. I was basically guzzling Kettle & Fire Bone Broth and sauteeing multiple heads of bok choy. It didn’t occur to me to reach for a cookie or a brownie or really anything sweet at all. This is strange coming from someone who preaches dessert every.single.day.

But I listened and 3 weeks out I’m feeling much much better. And then suddenly, as I began feeling better I felt myself craving some good soul food. I was desperately craving some sourdough from The Mill, which my bestie graciously hand-delivered to my house (!!!) and had an intense desire to bake brownies.

My body was like, “homegirl, get yourself a brownie ASAP!” Cool, let’s do this.

The main difference between current Davida and Davida 5 years ago is that this brownie or that bread or whatever it may be does not come with a side order of guilt. I don’t “deserve” a brownie, nor do I require punishment for eating it. I’m not a better human because I ate bok choy and bone broth when I was sick and then got bumped down a few notches because I ate a brownie when I was feeling better. What makes me a better human now vs. 5 years ago is that I actually know how to listen to my body.

When I wasn’t feeling well my body was telling me what it wanted to feel better and once I started to feel better it let me know how I could expand that list. Same goes for exercise. When I wasn’t feeling well I did not have the energy or the strength to workout or even move but as soon as I started recovering I felt a deep craving to hit the yoga mat or go on a walk.

…our bodies. They’re way smarter than we give them credit for!

That being said, when my body was like “homegirl, get yourself a brownie ASAP!” I wasn’t exactly prepared for a brownie baking escapade. I simply had to work with what I had, which apparently was a TON of almond flour. I was also out of butter so I used ghee (which was awesome) and while I normally reach for some rich dark chocolate for my brownies, Trader Joe’s chocolate chunks would have to do.

It rarely happens with baking but round one was perfection. C even told me they were his favorite brownies I’ve ever made! So I tested and wham bam here they are on the blog. These grain-free brownies are not only the ultimate, but also a celebration of being in a place where I truly know how to listen to my body, and that my friends is worth celebrating!

The Ultimate Grain-Free Brownies

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• Author: Davida Lederle
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 9 brownies 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
• 1/4 cup ghee (butter or coconut oil works too)
• 2/3 cup blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease an 8 x 8 brownie pan with ghee/butter/coconut oil
3. In a small pot add chocolate and ghee (or fat of choice) and over low heat stir until mixed and melted. Watch carefully and make sure it doesn’t burn!
4. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
5. In a large bowl combine almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and stir until well-mixed.
6. Add in eggs, coconut sugar and vanilla and mix well.
7. Stir in melted chocolate and ghee until well combined.
8. Add batter to pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until top of brownies have set and edges slightly crispy.
9. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and removing from pan. I like to cut into 9 brownies (3 x 3)

What are some of your favorite soul foods? Do you feel like you can listen to your body?