Dark Chocolate Pan Brownie

This is my go-to dessert for when I am feeling super lazy but also craving that deep, rich, chocolate brownie treat. It happens to me about once a month… Anyone else? Ladies? I promise no ovens, no crazy rules, and no need to sit around and wait. Just crave chocolate and GO!

Now, I promised no rules on this recipe so you get to make it your own. You want it rich and bitter with cacao? Then add more cacao powder. You want it extra sweet? Add a touch more sweetener. You want to sprinkle some rock salt on top? DO IT. So you say you are a peanut butter lover? Use peanut butter instead of almond butter! You like cinnamon with your chocolate? By all means, put a sprinkle in there! Feeling nutty? Go nuts! No rules here! With that being said, here are the…

“Suggested” Ingredients:

• large heaping spoonful of almond butter, or any nut butter (about 1/4 cup)
• small heaping spoonful of cacao powder (about 1 Tbsp… more if you like it rich)
• a drizzle of liquid agave… or maple syrup, or coconut syrup, or honey, no rules… (about 1 Tbsp)
• a splash of H2O

Mix all the ingredients in a pan over low heat and add a splash of water, keep mixing until all ingredients are combined. Take a little taste to see if you have your rich/sweet ratio to preference. Want it richer? Add more cacao. Want it sweeter? Add more agave. Want it more mild? Add a bit more of your nut butter base.

Once it’s mixed well and has begun to solidify, form it into a brownie shape. (I know the process of getting it there isn’t the most appealing, but hey, we get there.) Let it heat up a bit and then flip to the other side for another minute over medium heat. Then waa laa! Your brownie is ready!

Top it with your favorite berries, sliced banana, coconut shavings, ice cream, coconut cream, you name it. I just drizzled a pitahaya marmalade over mine because that was the closest thing to fruit that I had in my fridge. Delicious. Now go enjoy your delectable, easy, vegan brownie and I am going to go make my grocery list.

Why does chocolate get so much hate?

So many people try to cut chocolate out of their diet. But the cacao, the plant-derived ingredient that makes chocolate actually chocolate, is rarely the problem. Cacao itself is not only very high in antioxidants, iron, calcium, and magnesium, but it also naturally creates a release of your happy hormones. So why would we want to take chocolate out of our diet? It is all the stuff that manufacturers add into the cacao to make the chocolate that is the real problem (cream, sugar, butter, preservatives, long chemical processes that take out all the beneficial properties…). So this recipe has none of that nonsense. Just cacao powder, nut butter, and natural sweetener. I hope I have inspired you to rethink your chocolate cleanse. Maybe. My only rule is to be sure that the cacao powder you purchase is sustainably sourced (fair-trade), and of course, organic. I am allowed to have one rule, right?