Chocolate Avocado California Prune Brownies
Okay- these brownies are my favorite brownie recipes EVER. That’s right, ever. If you love fudgy brownies, these are for you! Yes, they have ingredients that aren’t typically in brownies but that’s what makes them amazing! They’re also paleo, vegan, gluten free, and packed with nutrients from the avocado and California Prunes. Step outside your normal baking zone and give these unconventional chocolate avocado California Prune brownies a try!
Key Ingredients:
The star of the show here that makes these brownies different is the addition of California Prunes. Now, I understand prunes aren’t something that you’d normally add to a brownie recipe, but they add the perfect chewy texture + slight sweetness to these brownies. They bake super well in this recipe and give each bite a little extra texture.
Why California Prunes?
California Prunes are so different than most people’s idea of them. To be honest, until I started cooking a few years ago, I would never have thought I’d be eating a brownie that had prunes in them. But what I didn’t realize is how naturally sweet they are- they’re a dried fruit after all! So, you get the sweetness that you crave in a dessert without adding a bunch of sugar into a recipe.
Beyond just the taste of California Prunes though, I added these in because I wanted these brownies to be packed with nutrients. California Prunes are a great option if you’re looking to improve your gut health. More on the health benefits of prunes below.
Benefits of California Prunes:
California Prunes are mostly known for being great aids for your digestion, which they are. They’re packed with fiber which helps keep you regular. Gut health is such a popular health topic right now and for good reason. So many studies are being done about the relation between gut health and other aspects of our health. So, if you’re looking to keep your gut healthy, adding some California Prunes into your diet is a step in the right direction.
Beyond just being good aids in digestion, they’re packed with vitamins and minerals. We all probably know how important it is to eat a variety of fruits and veggies to get lots of different vitamins and minerals in our bodies. Prunes are a great source of potassium, iron, and vitamin K. I get anemic easily so making sure I get enough iron is something I’m always aware of. Never thought I’d be able to eat brownies and get my iron in đ
They have a lot more benefits than I’m talking about here (think: skin health, bone health, and more!) but one last thing I’ll talk about is their sugar content. Ahhh! Sugar! Another very big health topic today is sugar and how it impacts our bodies. Prunes have a low glycemic index, meaning that it raises your blood sugar slowly. So adding them into these brownies allows you to get more sweetness without spiking your blood sugar. A win win in my book!
Other Uses for California Prunes
You don’t have to limit the California Prunes to just this recipe. You can eat them in so many other ways! They’re great to grab as a snack because they’re a fruit that doesn’t go bad after a day. You can put some in a baggie or by a prepacked mini pack and keep in your purse for when the hanger strikes. They’re also delicious paired with veggies. With fall here and lots of roasted veggie dishes on the table, add a few chopped California Prunes in to give it the perfect sweet and salty combo.
How to Make These Chocolate Avocado California Prune Brownies:
First, you’ll get the oven preheated to 350F. You’ll mash 2 bananas in a bowl first then you add in all of the other ingredients in the recipe, minus the prunes. Exact details are below in the recipe portion. It’s important to make sure you mix all of the ingredients (besides the prunes) well or you’ll end up in chunks of avocado mid bite haha. I use an immersion blender but you can also use a hand mixer.
After you have the batter mixed well, you’ll fold the prunes in with a fork or spatula. Mix them in well. Then line a brownie pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter in. Add the brownies to the batter and bake for 40-45 minutes depending on how you like your brownies. I baked for 40 minutes and they were nice and soft inside!
Let cool before removing from the pan. I added some chocolate chips on top of my brownies. Soooo tasty! Hope you all enjoy these chocolate avocado Avocado Prune recipes as much as we did!
*Thanks to California Prunes for partnering with me on this post and for making great prunes for us to enjoy!*
Chocolate Avocado California Prune Brownies
These brownies are paleo, gluten free, and vegan making them the perfect healthy dessert. Packed with nutrients and superfoods. The best easy, healthy brownies!
Ingredients
2 bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup nut butter
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup ripe avocado
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tbsp vegan vanilla protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped California Prunes
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a bowl, mash 2 bananas
- Then, add in the rest of your ingredients besides the California Prunes. You’ll want to save those until the batter is mixed well.
- Mix the batter well, either with a hand mixer or immersion blender. It needs to be mixed well before adding the prunes in. You’ll want to fold the prunes in with a fork or spatula.
- Line a brownie pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter in.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes depending on how you like your brownies. I baked for 40 minutes and they were nice and soft inside.
- Let cool before removing from the pan. I added some chocolate chips on top of my brownies.
