If you didn't already believe that chocolate and mint were a match made in heaven, these Healthy Peppermint Brownies will most certainly change your mind! They combine an incredibly fudge-y, chocolate-y and peppermint infused brownie with rich creamy vanilla mint frosting, and are finished with festive crushed peppermints. The best part? They're 8 grams of protein and only 10 grams of carbs per piece!
Recipe Yield: 16 brownies
Total Time: 40 minutes
Nutrition Facts: (1/16 of recipe, or 1 brownie) 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbohydrates (3 grams of fiber) and 8 grams of protein
Ingredients:
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 50 grams chocolate protein powder (using a blend of whey and casein works best - Quest was used here) *
- 1/4 cup light butter, melted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar in the raw, turbinado, or coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated stevia or Splenda (if using packets, try 5-6 at first, then adjust)
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond or cashew milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoons peppermint extract
Frosting:
- 1 8 ounce black of Greek yogurt or reduced fat cream cheese
- 30 grams vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3 tablespoons granulated stevia or Splenda
- 4 hard peppermint candies, crushed
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add all brownie ingredients to your food processor, and process away. Continue blending until batter is nice and smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom with a spatula to be sure that everything gets evenly blended.
- Taste the batter to see if you'd like to add more sweetener or peppermint extract. There is nothing raw in this recipe, don't worry! If you'd like it extra mint-y, only add more in 1/4 teaspoon increments - adding too much will make them taste like toothpaste!
- Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray, and add your brownie batter. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While your brownies bake, prepare the frosting. Combine all frosting ingredients (except peppermints) into a bowl, and mix using an electric hand mixer. Mix until smooth, and taste to see if you'd like more peppermint extract.
- Add your peppermints to a plastic bag. Using a metal spoon, gently crush them on a hard surface.
- Allow brownies to completely cool before frosting them - placing them into the freezer for 15 minutes will speed this process up.
- Once brownies have cooled, frost them and sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Cut into 16 even squares, and enjoy!
* Pescience, Quest Nutrition, Devotion Nutrition, or any other brand that combines both whey and casein and is not 100% whey will work best here. 100% whey tends to dry out baked goods.
Recipe Developer & Food Blogger.
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