I *almost* didn’t share these Rocky Road Protein Brownies because the kids were screaming in the background and I didn’t take very good pictures. But then I realized these are a gift to the world, and you need them (just as much as I did after all that screaming)! These vegan brownies are healthy, easy, and husband- and kid-approved. Not to mention, high in fiber and protein, while being low in carbs and sugar 😉
Did you know? Beans are a great source of fiber and protein and can replace flour in a lot of recipes (granted, you have to reduce the amount of liquid proportionately). You can’t even taste them in these brownies!
Wet ingredients
For this recipe, I used black beans, but white beans or cannellini beans would also work. Cannellini beans are my favorite for their velvety texture and neutral flavor.
I blended the beans together with almond milk, brewed coffee (can sub more milk), creamy almond butter and vanilla extract. You can honestly use any non-dairy milk you like, and any nut or seed butter you prefer (cashew butter, peanut butter, sesame seed butter, or sunflower seed butter). Just keep in mind the flavor will come through in the brownies!
Dry ingredients
For the dry ingredients, I used chocolate vegan protein powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, calorie-free sweetener, and baking soda.
The protein powder I use and recommend is LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein. It's free of artificial ingredients, has a great amino acid profile, tastes good, and has added organic superfoods and probiotics. You can use my code NOEXCUSES for 20% off all LIV Body Products! You can *try* whey or casein in this recipe, but may need to reduce the amount of liquid to get a thick, spreadable batter.
The calorie-free sweetener I prefer is Pyure Organic Stevia Blend, a natural blend of stevia and erythritol that’s twice as sweet as sugar. You can substitute twice as much baking stevia, monk fruit sweetener, granulated erythritol, or sugar if preferred.
These vegan Rocky Road Protein Brownies are loaded with marshmallows, chocolate chunks and sliced almonds! They're high in protein and fiber, but low in carbs and sugar. These brownies are also gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup (225g) black or cannellini beans,* rinsed well
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk*
1/4 cup brewed coffee* (or more milk)
1/4 cup creamy almond butter* (or nut/seed butter of choice)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60g) vegan protein powder* (I used LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in Chocolate Mocha flavor, code NOEXCUSES for 20% off)
6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* (I used one that's twice as sweet as sugar)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Toppings:
1/4 cup vegan mini marshmallows (or cut up larger marshmallows)
2 tbsp. dark chocolate chips*
2 tbsp. sliced almonds*
*See blog above for more substitutions.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain and rinse beans well.
Blend beans together with remaining wet ingredients (through vanilla) until smooth.
Add dry ingredients (through baking soda) and mix until a thick batter is formed.
Spread batter over the bottom of an 7″x5″ baking dish coated with cooking spray (double this recipe if using an 8″x8″).
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until set in the center but a toothpick or knife inserted comes out dirty.
Sprinkle toppings over brownies and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
Cut into eight servings and enjoy! Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge at least one week.
Still on that soup kick and this one's a goodie! I made this Chicken Wild Rice Soup dairy free, gluten-free, macro-friendly, and loaded with flavor. It took several tries to perfect this soup, and it's a winner! It's got hearty wild rice, tender shredded chicken, delicious mushrooms and fresh herbs all in a thicker cream broth.
I am feeling in the Valentine's Day spirit a little already (and always craving chocolate) so I made some vegan Protein Ferrero Rochers! They have a chocolate hazelnut filling with a roasted hazelnut in the center, surrounded by crushed vanilla wafer and coated in vegan milk chocolate. You can also roll them in crushed hazelnut like I did for extra crunch! While these aren't super high in protein, they offer a little boost. These chocolates are also lower in sugar, higher in fiber, and overall BIGGER than the world-famous Ferrero Rochers.
I just love a good minestrone soup. However, minestrone is lacking in protein, at least not enough to make a balanced meal... so this High Protein Minestrone Soup was born! It's got Italian spices like basil and oregano, diced tomatoes in flavorful broth, tender pasta, kidney beans, chickpeas, carrots, celery, onion, fresh garlic, and Italian seasoned ground turkey for some extra protein. This soup is comforting, nourishing, and very filling! Bonus - it's also gluten free, dairy free, and macro-friendly.
