Pocono Pabulum for Mind & Body: Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Brownies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Brownies

I saw a version of this recipe the other day on a Dr. Oz post and the healthful simplicity of it caught my eye. It is very similar to both my Chocolate Almond Fudge Drop and Peanut Butter Fudge Drop cookie recipes I developed a few months back that were a huge hit with my friends and family so I had a suspicion these brownies would be just as great. Actually, I think they are better... and they are definitely quicker and simpler to make since the preparation process just involves pouring the easy to mix together batter into a pan and letting the oven do the magic. Dr. Oz's recipe called for a few different ingredients that I do not normally have on hand and that I think are even more expensive than the ones I included here, so although I would be interested in someday trying yacon syrup and organic raw cacao powder, I used maple syrup and dark cocoa powder instead. I know that according to some research, my ingredients are not quite as healthful and full of antioxidants, but at least you can buy them in a regular store and they are still better than a lot of not so natural alternatives. I used organic all natural peanut butter instead of almond butter, but any nut butter would work and I plan to try making them again in a few days with my homemade Nutella and see how that turns out. I have attempted to make chewy, fudgy, flavorful brownies using small amounts of whole wheat flour for years and it has never quite worked out, but these are perfect, and honestly some of the best I have ever eaten. My kids and I ate a quarter of the pan within hours of it coming out of the oven in an attempt to "test" them, because they were way too good to not keep cutting small squares. And they are so high in protein due to the peanut butter and eggs that I wrapped up a bunch to bring with us to our track meet last night to enjoy afterwards. Both of the kids and I competed in a total of 11 events so if you happened to be there and were wondering why I was trying to run so fast, it was because I knew that one of these delicious and fairly nutritious treats was waiting for me at the finish line!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Brownies*

1 (16 ounce) jar peanut butter (or almond butter)

ready to mix together

4 organic eggs
1 1/4 C. pure maple syrup
1 T. pure vanilla extract
1/2 C. dark cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. dark chocolate chips

Blend together the peanut butter, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. Sift together and then blend in the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in chocolate chips, reserving 1/8 cup to sprinkle on top of the brownies. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes.

* You can easily substitute any nut butter you prefer instead of peanut butter (almond butter is my other favorite), and for a slightly more indulgent version, add in 8 ounces of melted dark (70% cocoa) chocolate.