SBBrownie2A few weeks ago, I was listening to Sirius in my car, when I heard an interview of a chef who was speaking about the launch of her new book on healthy recipes. I was very interested, especially when the chef started talking about her recipe for healthy brownies with spinach and blueberries. At first I thought I had heard wrong, but she repeated it several times: brownies + spinach + blueberries. SBBrownie3I wanted to investigate more on the subject, so on a red light I wrote her name on my phone. The name of the book I got it, but the name of the chef pfffff! I wrote something like Yada Dilarentis, when the correct name is Giada De Laurentiis. Sorry! I knew who she was, but at the moment I wasn’t able to make the connection. The only point for me is that it was very early, 6 am, and maybe I was still a little sleepy. SBBrownie4When I got home, I look for the title of the book and found the recipe for the brownies directly from her page. Amazing! But to be honest, it took me a while to get to the idea of actually preparing these brownies. I did not know the taste they were going to have, and I was worried that they will taste like vegetables mixed with chocolate, or that they will have an unappetizing green color from the spinach. SBBrownie1After too much thought, I came to the conclusion that I shouldn’t be worried about the fact that they called for spinach. After all, how many times have I consumed foods that I have no idea what their ingredients are. Sometimes I buy something in the supermarket that has unpronounceable chemical ingredients, that a few years ago were not even considered food or safe for human consumption, and now we eat them without much questioning. With this thought in mind, I come to the conclusion that adding spinach to brownies is a much healthier option compare to “Sodium Aluminum Phosphate” or “Partially Hydrogenated Oils”. SBBrownie5I made the spinach and blueberries puree, tried it and it didn’t taste bad. At that point I knew the brownies would probably taste good. I read the ingredients list, and decided the recipe didn’t need high altitude adjustments. It doesn’t call for wheat flour, leavening agents and the amount of sweetener is relatively low. SBBrownie6The final result: super-moist brownies. Definitely not the option for those who prefer crunchier brownies. You can’t distinguish the spinach or the blueberries as ingredients. Its color is dark brown, just as typical brownies and when baking, they leave the amazing aroma of chocolate, so no one in your house will know. The real test was my dad, he really hates spinach. He ate the brownies without repelling, I even saw him going for the second round!

An excellent recipe for healthy brownies, it’ll surely be prepared more often in my kitchen. (Giada, I also promise to spell your name right next time)

Spinach & Blueberry Brownies
Yields 16
Print
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
For the Spinach & Blueberry puree
  1. 1½ cup baby spinach
  2. 2-3 Tablespoon water
  3. ¾ cup blueberries
  4. ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
For the brownies
  1. 90 gr (3.17 oz) unsalted butter
  2. 150 gr (5.3 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
  3. 1 egg
  4. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  5. ⅓ cup agave nectar
  6. ½ cup Spinach & Blueberry Puree
  7. 55 gr (2 oz) rice flour
  8. 2 Tablespoon flax meal
  9. 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  10. ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  11. 1 teaspoon instant coffee
  12. 35 gr (1.2 oz) oat flour
  13. ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. For the Spinach & Blueberry puree
  2. Disinfect the spinach and the blueberries.
  3. In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the spinach and the water. Turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cool completely.
  4. In a food processor, pulse the cooked spinach, blueberries and lime juice. You have to obtain a homogeneous and smooth puree. You can add more water if necessary. Reserve.
For the brownies
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spray only the bottom, not the sides, of a 23 cm (9 inch) square baking pan.
  2. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Sit over a pan of barely simmering water and allow the chocolate to melt, stir constantly. Remove from heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla extract, agave nectar and ½ cup Spinach & Blueberry puree. Add the cooled chocolate mixture.
  4. In another bowl, sift together the rice flour, flax meal, cocoa powder, cinnamon, coffee, oat flour and salt. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well. Do not overmix.
  5. Pour the batter over the baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool completely. Cut into 16 pieces.
  6. Enjoy!
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Sweet Cannela https://www.sweetcannela.com/

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