Healthy Brownie Waffles

I was going to post this tomorrow but it's too good not to share.  Healthy.  Brownie.  Waffles.  Three words that most people love.  So can brownies be healthy?  Waffles?  Sure, why not!  This is the same recipe I posted earlier with a slightly different method.  Mark thought it was a totally different recipe even though I only added cocoa.

I was asked to share this with the blog Food With Kid Appeal and I am more than happy to!  While I am always interested in things that I like to eat, I am always on the hunt for things that the kids will like.  It is even more challenging now that we are doing our gluten free trial.  Waffles are one of those things that are quick to put together and are always good.  Chocolate adds an extra specialness to them.  Ethan loved them and for him to love something makes me very happy :).  Shaylee said she liked the other ones better but I suggested making marbled ones some day and both the kids cheered.  Yay!

Chocolate Brownie Waffles


1/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp maple sugar or honey (mix sugar with dry and honey with wet)
6 eggs
1tbsp vanilla
4 tbsp  melted butter or coconut oil (or a combination of the two)

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the eggs, one by one, mixing thoroughly between each egg. Add vanilla and melted butter (and honey, if using) and continue mixing until well combined.  Let sit 5-10 minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb the wet ingredients.  Let your waffle iron heat during this time.  Cook as per iron instructions or to desired doneness.  Serve with your favorite toppings.  We used real maple syrup but whipped cream and/or berries would be a nice addition.  So would a chocolate sauce or banana slices, or a combination of all of the above!  It would make a nice dessert as well as a main dish.

Enjoy!

Part of It's a Keeper, Simple Lives Thursday, Real Food Wednesday and Pennywise Platter

Coconut Flour Waffles

My kids love waffles.  They are easy and delicious.  Going gluten free, I wondered how I would make them.  I looked at tons of recipes and to be honest, I don't want to be cooking with lots of different starches and flour of this and that.  I want simple.  Many gluten free recipes call for a ton of ingredients and aren't very nutritious due to all the starch and type of flours used.

I saw a coconut flour recipe before but lost it so I googled and found one here.  It certainly looks really good so I gave it a try.  It was spectacular!  It rose to fluffy proportions, it got slightly crispy on the outside and best of all, the kids loved them!  Ding ding, we have a winner!  Best of all, it has lots of eggs, which are sometimes hard to get into the kids.  I want them to have more fat and protein since they are always hungry and those two things help with that.

So here is my take on the recipe:

Coconut Flour Waffles

4 tablespoons melted butter 

6 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2tbsp vanilla (I love vanilla!)

1/3 cup maple sugar or honey

1/3 cup coconut flour plus a tablespoon or two to thicken if too runny

Blend these ingredients well.  I used beaters but a blender would work well too.  Let sit for 5 or so minutes while your waffle iron is heating up to help thicken.  If it is still runny (mine was), add another tablespoon or two of coconut flour.  Cook on the waffle iron until risen and cooked to desired texture.  Serve and enjoy!  Makes 6 square waffles.  Note, I do not have a picture since they got gobbled up so fast, but they looked like normal waffles.  Also, this could be low carb with the subtraction of the sweetener.  Yum!

I am going to try a chocolate version.  I read how some people replace 1/2 cup of flour with cocoa powder in their waffle recipes but since you don't use much coconut flour, I will probably just add a couple of tablespoons, maybe instead of the extra coconut flour.  It is meant to be like a brownie.  Sounds yummy!

Chocolate Muffins

Ok, this is a highly tweaked recipe so I wanted to make sure I had a copy of what I did since I was just kind of adjusting as I went along. The batter is super yummy!! Ethan has been asking for muffins since I made the first one. I didn't tweak it as much and it had pureed squash instead of pear, but I thought pear would be more subtle.

I'll update after they're done!

Edit: These were really, really good! They puffed up a lot in the oven but deflated a little when they came out but still a good muffin. They had a very cakey texture and smelled soo fudgey and taste delicious! Mmmmmmmm!! The lighter bits are just the oats, which add a nice texture (I added rolled oats to the ones I made before; steel cut definately have a different texture). Ethan even ate one without asking to put frosting on it, which is a big deal, lol! Shaylee is waiting for pie. I don't feel like making banana bread today anymore but will do it tomorrow.


Chocolate Muffins

Preheat oven to 350.

1 cup flour
1/3 cup ground flax
1/3 cup protein powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix these dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in:

1 cup pear puree
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup steel cut oats soaked in 1/2 cup hot water (add oats and water)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional; I only had 1/4 cup)

Stir until just moistened. Fill lined muffin cups and bake at 350 for 20 to 30 mins (my oven isn't heating right but this is from the original). Top with favorite toppings to eat!

Super Simple 5 Minute Brownies

I admit, I love the microwave. I know there's a lot of debate over how healthy it is but I still enjoy using it. I enjoy making quick desserts in there as it's easier than it sounds. This is a super quick fix for admittted chocoholics such as myself. You can easily substitute ingredients for healthier ones, which is part of the beauty of homemade desserts.

I've used several recipes that were basically the same for brownies but this one I got from Recipezaar. Using this particular recipe, I found that 5 minutes was too long if you like gooey brownies like I do. I will definately go with 4 and a half minutes next time.

Microwave Brownies in 5 Minutes

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup coocoa
1/2 cup flour

Cream sugar and butter. Add the eggs then the vanilla. Stir in cocoa and flour. Pour into a greased glass pie plate and microwave on high for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before serving.