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Excellentil Brownies

Whew! I haven’t tested a recipe this much in a very long time! When something is this good, you want to make sure it isn’t just a fluke 😉 You all need to be able to try these extra-special treats!

Believe it or not, these brownies are made with whipped lentils! I discovered that blending the cooked legumes to an absolute froth made the perfect base for rich and fudge-y, melt-in-your-mouth delights. The brownies are also grain-free; vegan; naturally sweetened; high in protein and fibre; and extremely high in tastiness. I love the pillowy-soft, moist crumb, and the contrast of the chunks of chocolate that hit your teeth when you take a bite.

You can use any nut or seed butter you like here, and whatever crystallized sugar you like (I suggest coconut sugar, maple sugar, or date sugar). If you eat eggs, you can substitute the flax for 2 eggs if you wish!

Excellentil Brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups / 250g dried red lentils to yield 1 ½ / 450g cooked red lentils
  • cup / 80ml creamy nut or seed butter, of your choice unsweetened
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cup / 200g coconut sugar (or maple or date!)
  • ½ cup / 65g unsweetened cacao powder organic if possible
  • 3 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
  • 3 ½ oz. / 100g chopped dark chocolate 80% or higher
  • flaky salt for garnish if desired

Directions

  • Soak lentils for up to 12 hours if possible, but even 1 will do! Whether or not you soak, rinse lentils very well and combine with 4 cups / 1 liter water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15-20 minutes semi-covered, stirring occasionally until completely soft.
  • Drain in a fine mesh sieve, shaking vigorously to remove most of the cooking water / starch. Drain until you have 1 ½ cups / 450g cooked lentils remaining, discard the cooking liquid.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
  • Place the lentils in a food processor and blend on high for 60 seconds – the lentils should be whipped and airy. Add the nut / seed butter, vanilla, and blend again until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients: sugar, cacao, flax, baking soda, and salt. Blend thoroughly. Remove the blade from the machine, and fold in most of the chopped chocolate by hand, reserving a few large chunks for the top, if desired.
  • Transfer batter to a lightly greased, 8” x 8” brownie pan. Smooth out the top. Add reserved chocolate chunks on top of the batter and sprinkle with flaky salt.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remember, fudgey centres are encouraged and be mindful that you may be testing in a melted chocolate chunk zone 😉

Notes

Makes 9 large, satisfying brownies
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excellentil brownies