Maple Date Brownies

Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and dates, these brownies are a wonderfully healthy treat.

Brownies are a chocolate lovers dream. With every mouthful all you taste is chocolate. Mmm…Chocolate. Rich and chewy cocoa batter cooked to perfection, with a slightly crispy top and a perfectly moist middle is true brownie perfection.

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Maple Date Brownies have everything you love about brownies – chocolatey, creamy and delicious bite after bite. But these treats have a little something extra, they’re healthy. Made without butter or eggs, these sweet treats are actually packed with nutrients. Dates are filled with antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and iron. But with all the chocolate flavour, you’d never know these brownies are so healthy.

To give these brownies their rich, nutrient-packed batter, you’ll first want to soak the dates in hot water. This helps to soften them, so they are easier to work with. If your dates have pits, don’t worry. You can soak them first and remove the pits afterwards.

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Once your dates are soft, reserve 1/2 cup of water. This water is lightly flavoured with the sweetness of dates, perfect for healthy brownies.

Creating the brownie batter is quick and easy. Simply combine the reserved date water, dates, maple syrup, apple sauce, milk and vanilla in a food processor. Purée until it is smooth and there are no more clumps.

While the food processor is creating the creamy component, combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. This includes cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

For the last step, mix the maple date mixture with the cocoa one. Add it to a baking pan and bake. In 20 minutes you’ll have a rich and creamy chocolatey treat. These healthy brownies are worth indulging in.

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Servings: 9 to 12 brownies
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Think all brownies are unhealthy? Maple Date Brownies are naturally sweetened with dates and maple syrup. They’re low fat and lower in carbs – a wonderfully healthier treat.

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted dates
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
Coat non-stick baking pan (8 x 8) with cooking spray.
Soak pitted dates for 10 minutes in hot water. Reserve 1/2 cup of water, drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a food processor, combine reserved water, dates, maple syrup, apple sauce, milk and vanilla. Process until well combined. Add to flour mixture. Mix to combine.
Pour into pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Cool 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into bars.
Enjoy!

If you love chocolate, you may also enjoy Chocolate Avocado Mousse