Oh my goodness. These brownies are good. They're soft, they're chewy, they're dense - they're pretty much just delicious fudge.  And you know what's amazing? They're not too sweet and one square is pretty filling. Which means you won't eat the whole tray in one sitting (not that that's something I do..).

I'm not going to go on and on about how bad sugar and refined grains are. I think you know. And I think that if you had the opportunity to make and enjoy a guilt-free, delicious and dare I say, SOMEWHAT HEALTHY brownie, you would not hesitate to jump on that opportunity. So here you go. 

Start off with some of these. Now, when using chocolate in baking (or ever), it is best if it's 70% or over, and it should not contain any dairy. Did you know that there are people out there who think that milk naturally occurs in chocolate? That chocolate is a dairy product? I kid you not. If there is milk in the chocolate, it is MILK CHOCOLATE and loaded with sugar and God knows what else. Also, when it comes to chocolate, go with organic and fair trade.

And, If you go with a good brand, they're not going to load the chocolate up with sugar to compensate for the bitterness of the chocolate. These chips are, surprisingly, not very sweet.

Cocoa Camino's chocolate chips are somehow, so much cuter than all the others. 

Measure 3/4 cups of these cuties.

And melt them down with 1/2 cup of coconut oil. Do this over a double boiler.

While your chocolate is gently melting, pop some dates into your food processor. About 12 pitted medjools. Now, if you don't want to use dates, you absolutely must use some other dried fruit like prunes or dried apricots (don't buy the orange ones! They should be brown). The dried fruit puree contributes directly to the amazing texture of these brownies and brings with it a bit of added sweetness. If you don't wish to use any dried fruits, you'll have to look elsewhere for a delicious, fudgy, chewy, not too sweet and also kind of healthy brownie recipe. They exist, so it's ok.

Start off by pureeing your dates until somewhat smooth; a few lumps are ok. Then add 1/4 cup of natural peanut butter. You can definitely use cashew butter if you'd prefer. Puree this a bit more until they're well combined..

Your chocolate and coconut oil should be ready to go now. It will be quite pourable, so pour it into your processor with the dates & PB.

Process until smooth. Now, you'll notice that it just doesn't want to fully emulsify at this point and that is completely OK. Just make sure that the dates are no longer lumpy and that it is mostly combined.

Add 1 gorgeous little egg.

If you want to make these brownies totally vegan, simply replace this egg with a flaxseed egg replacement. 

Pulse until combined.

Add 1/2 cup coconut flour, 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder.

And pulse away! Yummy.

Spread your batter into a greased, 8x5 (or whatever you have that's close) baking dish.

Top it with more of those delightful chocolate chips.

Pop this into a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Let them cool before digging in. They will be a bit soft in the pan when they first come out.

Once fully cooled, store them in the fridge.

Grain Free Fudgy Brownies

• 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips + a handful for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
• 12 pitted medjool dates
• 1/4 cup natural peanut or cashew butter
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla (I was all out for this post, but I highly recommend it!)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil, stirring often
2. Place pitted dates in a food processor and process until somewhat smooth (lumps are OK at this point)
3. Add the peanut or cashew butter and process until combined
4. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate & coconut oil, process
5. Add the whole egg, process yet again
6. Add the coconut flour, salt and baking powder, process until combined and ensure there are no lumps remaining
7. Spread into a greased 5x8 inch baking pan (or the closest size you've got)
8. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pressing slightly to ensure they do not fall off while you're trying to enjoy your brownie
9. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 - 10 minutes
10. Allow to cool before slicing
11. Store in the fridge

Enjoy!