Flourless Chocolate Almond Butter Brownies

Coconut oil

1½ cups unsweetened creamy almond butter

2 eggs

¾ cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Oil an 8-inch square cake pan with coconut oil and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl with a fork or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, blend the almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla together until smooth. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the wet mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the brownie batter into the cake pan and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving (if you can wait that long!), as the brownies will solidify and make cutting easier. Once they are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Knowles notes: Bittersweet chocolate is another name for dark chocolate used in baking. The package is typically labeled with a percentage of cacao, which represents the cacao/sugar ratio. The higher the percentage of cacao, the more bitter the chocolate will be. I prefer bittersweet chocolate chips that are 60% to 70% cacao for this recipe for optimal sweetness and flavor.

With permission from: "The Nutritionist's Kitchen" by Carly Knowles.