Whole Foodie Brownie...Who Knew?

Last night I set out to make my daughter some chocolate snack bars using amaranth.  I'm not too familiar with this gluten free grain and had only cooked it once before, so I wasn't (and am still not) sure of it's full potential.  I adapted my original recipe slightly because I was out of certain ingredients, and added others in the spur of the moment. 

What transpired from the madness was pure and utter chocolate brownie bliss.

Whole Foodie Brownie

I could not believe the ingredients I had thrown together could taste exactly like a brownie.  Who would have thought?  My husband loves brownies and makes the Ghirardelli boxed brownies often for himself, so I knew I needed his opinion on this one. This was just too good to be true!

Jamie thought the taste, texture, and density were exactly like a traditional brownie.  The only down part, according to him was, "They have a date aftertaste."  (I don't notice this at all, but then again, I'm used to baking with dates).   

The best part about these?  They are made from whole foods, with no refined flours or sugars, they're packed with nutrition, and they're vegan.  Even better, they don't contain any oil or beans.  (I've tried a few of the black bean brownies and just couldn't seem to stomach them.)

So I couldn't wait to share this information with you.  Before we get started and jump into the recipe, I want to give you a little background on amaranth, in case, like me, you have never used it before.

What is Amaranth? 

Amaranth is considered a native crop of Peru and was a major food crop of the Aztecs, domesticated somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago.  Seeds from the amaranth plant spread around the world and both leaves and grain became important food sources in areas of Africa, India, and Nepal.  In the past two decades, amaranth has reached a much larger number of farmers and can now be found in many non-native regions such as China, Russia, Thailand, and Nigeria, as well as Mexico and parts of South America.  Amaranth made it's way to the states in the 1970s, and is used today in many gluten free dishes.

Amaranth is a powerhouse in the grain family.  It is naturally gluten free, and contains more protein than any other grain.  It's also a complete protein, containing lysine (an important amino acid) and is very well absorbed in the intestinal tract.

Other benefits:

~ High in calcium

~ High in magnesium

~ High in iron

~ High fiber content

~ Good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids

How did it end up in these brownies?

I did not set out to make brownies.  When preparing meals for my daughter, I always make sure to give her lots of variety.  This helps ensure, especially with today's food sources that have become depleted in nutrients, that she is getting all of her nutritional needs met through whole, plant based foods. 

Enter amaranth.  I had always heard about it, but never cooked with it.  While out shopping one day, I happened upon it and thought I'd give it a try.  This is only the second time I've used it, and still have a long way to go in learning how to prepare it.  I cooked it, and then baked it after combining with the other ingredients to create a nutritious snack bar that turned into one of the best brownies ever (originally contained chia seed but I omitted that in creating the brownie because it took away from the texture.  If you want the nutrition of chia, I would suggest cooking it with the amaranth, or pureeing with the dates).

Important note on cooking Amaranth:

What I discovered in the two times I cooked amaranth, is that it takes quite a bit of water in order to not have a "crunchy" texture.  Also, when cooked all the way, it looks like a thick goop.  I had to add water throughout the cooking process, as it absorbed quickly.  I also let it cook on the stove for a 30 - 45 minutes in order to fully break down the texture.   It is extremely important when making these brownies, that you cook the amaranth enough, otherwise, you will taste a bit of a "seedy" texture throughout the brownie.  Not bad, but not really a brownie.

Uncooked Amaranth

So let's get to it!

What you need:

2 cups Medjool Dates, soaked or softened

1 1/3 cup Cooked Amaranth (I started with 1/3 cup uncooked and 1 cup water, and added about 2 cups more water throughout the cooking process)

4 Tbsp Ground Flax

2 cups Almond Meal/Flour

1 cup Natural Almond Butter

5 Tbsp Cacao Powder (or Cocoa)

* Dark chocolate chips (Optional for extra chocolaty brownies!)

What you do:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook amaranth according to instructions until soft, thick, and gooey.

Cooked Amaranth

2.  Puree dates until smooth paste forms.

3.  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir.

Brownie Batter

4.  Scoop and spread batter into a 8 x 8 silicon or slightly oiled pan.

5.  Bake for 18 - 23 minutes. (Slightly more time for thicker brownies).  Makes 24 brownies.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Info Per Brownie:

Calories: 181

Fat: 12 g (due to almond meal and almond butter)

Saturated Fat: 1 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 7 mg

Carbohydrates: 15 g

Fiber: 5 g

Sugars: 4 g

Protein: 6 g

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