Description
These butternut squash brownies are a decadent sweet treat that can still nourish and energize you, even while in a calorie deficit. Soft and delicate, yet rich and deeply chocolatey, they are made with simple ingredients and can easily be adapted for extra protein. The original version is dairy-free, made with coconut yogurt, but the recipe is versatile enough to work with a variety of yogurts and dietary preferences. Gently sweetened with a small amount of allulose or monk fruit and a few dates, these brownies are rich, satisfying, and full of flavor without being overly sweet or heavy.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free vanilla or chocolate protein powder (or replace with 2 additional tablespoons tapioca flour)
Wet Ingredients
- 260 g roasted butternut squash
- 3 eggs
- 3 Medjool dates, soaked for 1 minute in hot water
- 1/3 cup coconut yogurt or 2% Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons allulose or monk fruit sweetener
- Pinch of salt
Extra
- 50 g dark chocolate (85%), chopped, or dark chocolate chips
- Sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch (23×23 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- Add all the wet ingredients to a food processor or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and briefly blend again, just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the chopped dark chocolate on top.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is set and the brownies are no longer soft to the touch.
- Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and allow the brownies to rest in the pan for 10–15 minutes. Remove from the pan, cool completely on a wire rack, then portion and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
Butternut Squash — You can replace the butternut squash with another type of pumpkin or squash, such as Hokkaido squash. Canned pumpkin puree also works well; just make sure it’s a good-quality puree with no added ingredients and not too watery. Roasted sweet potato or banana can also be used as a 1:1 replacement, although banana will give the brownies a slightly sweeter and more pronounced flavor.
Coconut Yogurt — You can use almost any type of plain yogurt in this recipe, including Greek yogurt, sheep yogurt, or goat yogurt, with any fat percentage. Keep in mind that the nutritional values will change depending on what you use. If you want to keep the brownies lower in calories and higher in protein, a 2% Greek yogurt is a great option. If using coconut yogurt, choose a plain, unsweetened variety with minimal ingredients.
Vanilla Protein Powder — The protein powder is optional and mainly helps increase the protein content of the brownies. I use a sugar-free, grass-fed whey vanilla protein powder (sweetened with monk fruit), but you can use a dairy-free version if preferred (both vanilla and chocolate flavors work). If skipping it altogether, replace it with 2 additional tablespoons of tapioca flour to compensate for the dry ingredients and add one extra tablespoon of monk fruit or allulose.
Almond Flour — To make the brownies nut-free, replace the almond flour with another gluten-free flour of choice, such as oat flour (not lectin-free), sorghum flour, or cassava. I don’t recommend coconut flour, as it absorbs too much moisture and will significantly change the texture.
