Marna Oettle

These incredibly moist chocolate squares are so indulgent that you can serve them to guests without even admitting that they are packed with wholesome ingredients. Plus, this is a super tasty and sneaky way to add more veggies to your meals!

Although beetroot may be an odd ingredient to add to a dessert, it adds a wonderful element of sweetness and moisture. I usually don’t reveal the ingredients to guests until after they have gobbled them up and showered me with complements. I ask them to guess the secret ingredient, and they NEVER guess beetroot.

These brownies are super moist, despite the fact that the recipe only requires 1 Tbsp of oil. The moistness comes from the beetroot, and the use of oats (or oat bran) instead of only flour. When you bake with flour only, you usually need more fat to help tenderize the product.

This recipe is great for diabetes (when sugar alternative is used) and heart health, as it is low in saturated fat, low in sugar, and high in soluble fiber (from oats). Soluble fiber has wonderful benefits, including blood sugar control and cholesterol lowering properties. BONUS – only 110 calories per square.

Moist and decadent beetroot chocolate squares (secretly healthy)

Marna Oettle

Chocolate squares / brownies made from oats, beetroot, and cocoa powder

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course cake, Dessert, tea time treat

Cuisine Healthy treat

Servings 9 squares

Calories 110 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 cooked beetroots (about 200g) TIP- peel, chop, and microwave for 5 minutes to cook.
• 3/4 cup milk of choice
• 1 cup oat bran or oats oat bran is great if you really want a fiber kick
• 3 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup All-purpose flour see notes on making recipe gluten free
• pinch of salt
• 1 med egg sub with 1 flax egg for vegan
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp oil (e.g. olive or canola)
• 1/2 cup granulated sweetener of choice / xylitol / sugar Add an extra 2 Tbsp if you have a very sweet tooth
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips optional, but delicious

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180 C fan (200 C without the fan)
• Place all of the ingredients except for the choc chips (if using) into a powerful blender and blend until completely smooth. You need to get the mixture as smooth as possible for optimal results. Your batter should be thick and sticky.
• Stir in the choc chips. You could also add chopped nuts or dried cranberries for a bit of variation.
• Pour the batter into a prepared square oven dish, about 20 X 20 cm.
• Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until set. You want to er on the side of under-cooking these, they will firm up more as they cool down. NB!! A knife stuck into the center will not come out clean.
• Let the cake cool completely before cutting it into 9 squares. These are even more delicious when stored in the fridge overnight. Serve as is or decorate with thick plain yoghurt and fresh fruit.

Notes

Recommended portion size: 1 square. 

Nutrition information per square: 110 kcal; 4 g fat; 18.7 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 4.8 g protein. 

To make recipe gluten free, simply use gluten free oats, increase the oats to 1.5 cups, and omit the all purpose flour. OR substitute the flour for buckwheat flour (this will give your brownies a super delicious nutty taste!).

Keyword beetroot, brownies, cocoa powder, oats