Here’s the thing….there is nothing, and I mean, like nothing, that can compare to the ooey-gooey goodness of a warm brownie made with gobs of real sugar, butter, and god only knows what else. But when you’re eating clean and craving some chocolate, these bad boys are pretty darn close to the real thing, without the guilt, and without the gut.

Surprisingly decadent and rich, I was shocked with how moist and sweet these turned out, when there is nothing “dirty” in them. When I first played around with this recipe, I baked them in muffin tins because I was short on time and didn’t want to wait for a whole brownie dish to bake all the way through. They were SO rich, me, the chocolate lover, could only eat half. So bake them in mini muffin tins and they’re perfect! If you want to eat clean-ish, top with your favorite ice cream and don’t feel as guilty 😉 These are gluten free [if you leave out the whole wheat flour] and vegan [if you substitute the egg with chia seeds or 1/4 cup applesauce], and DELISH.

Peppermint Truffle Brownie Bites

Bakes about 12 regular or 24 mini muffins 

Ingredients [use all organic when possible]:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour [leave our if gluten free, and just add an extra 1/4 cup almond flour]
• 1 cup original Birk
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1 egg [or substitute with chia seeds]
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life gluten/dairy/soy-free dark chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract  [if you don’t like peppermint, just leave out & add 1/4 teaspoon more vanilla extract]
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• Mini muffin tins
• Spray coconut oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line mini muffin tins with mini muffin liners
3. Spray inside of muffin liners with a light coating of spray coconut oil
4. In large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients, and mix
5. Add in liquid/wet ingredients to dry mixture, and blend everything together
6. Spoon batter into muffin trays
7. Bake at 350 for about 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Batter will stay moist and dense, and not completely harden. Expect some to stick to muffin liners, and seem gooey.
8. Top with your favorite clean ice cream [check out one of my recipes here] and enjoy!!

This is a totally new recipe, and I was shocked it worked! I can’t wait to hear what you think!

*Refrigerate after completely cooled for best storage, and use within 3-4 days because of the fresh pumpkin puree. You can also freeze and store for a couple months, then just microwave when ready to enjoy a treat!