Considering I'm a savoury girl, there are certain times where chocolate is the only thing to do the trick. But I'm also mindful of my healthy eating name and obligations, so as I'm known to, I've hidden a few veggies in these babies to bulk them out and fill them full of fibre, whilst keeping them nice and moist as a good brownie should be.

As all good healthy eaters should know, baked sweet potato is a dream come true in the 'good carb' category. They're full of fibre and lower GI, and when you bake them in the oven for an hour, they turn all sweet and caramelly, so they are perfect to eat on their own, loaded with toppings, and accordingly, they are even better when mixed with chocolate! Just wrap a whole sweet potato in foil and put it in the oven for 1 hour at 180C/350F. Done!

So that's veggie number one!

My next veggie has been used in lots of my recipes over the years, and is also one of the first 'tricks' that I found on my path to healthy eating, and that is the humble cauliflower. I've used it in smoothies, bowls, raw treats, cooked oats, as a replacement for rice, in curries etc over the years, and the list goes on. It's very versatile, and adds a creaminess to lots of things with very low calories! Winning! So put aside all of those bad memories you have of cauliflower growing up. It needs to become your new best friend. And if you're still unsure, then this is the recipe to try it out in.

You can't taste it - I promise!

My husband, who you all know hates cauliflower, loved these brownies, and all the smoothies I've put it in. So you really have to take a leap of faith and give it a go. You can thank me later.

I've also used coconut flour in these brownies, which is packed with fibre, low in digestible carbs and is a good source of protein. It's also Gluten Free! So it's great for people who have issues processing gluten, or if you've just got a bag of coconut flour in your cupboard and don't know what to do with it! My recent Lemon Coconut Protein Balls are also a good way to use it!

Most of the carbohydrate content of coconut flour is in dietary fibre, which the body does not absorb. This results in a very low sugar content and Glycemic Index. Being low carb and high fibre creates a feeling of fullness and satisfaction, making coconut flour a great addition to anyone on a healthy eating or weight loss journey.

I hope you give them a go!

Jo xx

Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies

(Serves 25)

60g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 90% Cacao)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup baked sweet potato (about half a large sweet potato)

1 cup cauliflower rice (blitz raw cauliflower in a blender for a few pulses or chop finely)

3/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)

2 flax eggs or egg replacer (2 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 4 Tbsp warm water and left for 15mins)

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup rice malt syrup

1 Tbsp granulated stevia (or coconut sugar)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/8 tsp Pink Himalayan salt

Preheat oven to 180C/350F (160C fan forced)

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a saucepan

Add chocolate mix to a high powered blender with the cauliflower rice, milk, sweet potato, flax eggs and rice malt syrup.

Blend until smooth

Mix remaining dry ingredients in a bowl.

Stir through the blended wet ingredients.

Pour into a lined or silicon brownie pan

Bake for 25-35 mins until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool before slicing.

#Chocolate #Cauliflower #SweetPotato #Brownies #CoconutFlour