More sweet treats done the Healthy Girl way!
With this delectable recipe, Andene Thomson – SA’s self-styled Healthy Girl with a Sweet Tooth – shows us that you can get complex flavours and textures with a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Makes 10 brownies
Brownie ingredients:
- 15 dates
- ¾ cup water
- 1 cup Healthy Girl Dark Chocolate Crunch Protein Ball Mix
- ¾ cup steamed sweet potato
Dates are fibre-filled fruits are packed full of beneficial amounts of potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium and vitamin B6. But beware! These tasty fruits are laden with natural sugars – up to 66g per 100g serving – so use them sparingly!
Frosting ingredients:
- ¼ cup date paste
- ¼ cup chocolate plant protein powder
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 3-4 tbsp almond milk
Cacao powder contains more than 300 different chemical compounds, including highly beneficial polyphenols known as flavonoids. Cacao has nearly four times the antioxidant content of dark chocolate and more than 20 times that of blueberries.
instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and line a tray with baking paper.
- In a blender, blend the dates and water until smooth. This is called a date paste and should resemble the consistency of runny jam. Set aside ¼ cup of this date paste for the frosting.
- In a separate bowl, mix the sweet potato and protein ball mix.
- Add the remainder of the date paste to the above mixture and mix until combined.
- Place the mixture into the lined baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
- To make the frosting, mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
- Once the brownies are cooked, remove from the baking tray and allow to cool. Once cooled, spread on the frosting, cut into squares and enjoy.
Almond milk is a great dairy alternative. One cup contains 60 calories, 2.5g of fat, 8g of carbs and 1g of protein, depending on the brand and manufacturing process used. Beware of commercial varieties that contain added sugar.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
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