Delicious Chocolate Brownies with a Healthy Twist

These Healthy Chocolate Brownies only contain 1/3 cup of maple syrup and 50g of dark chocolate chips along with a banana as sweeteners. And if you compare this with the traditional 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 200g of chocolate that is normally added to brownies you will see this is a big reduction in sugar!

The addition of whole meal flour and zucchini also boosts the nutrient content of these Healthy Chocolate Brownies. And don’t worry, you can barely see the zucchini and you definitely cannot taste it!

Chocolate Brownie Christmas Trees

1. After baking your Healthy Chocolate Brownies, allow them to cool. Then with a sharp knife, cut the brownie into thirds width-ways.
2. Cut the thirds into isosceles triangles (you will get around 5 triangles per third), trimming the edges if required. The base of the triangle should be around 5cm wide. You will have some left over brownie from the ends.
3. Decorate your Christmas Tree Brownies with piped green icing (I beat 100g softened butter with 1 1/4 cup of icing sugar, 1 tsp milk and a few drops of green icing together to make a delicious buttercream icing) and top with sprinkles and a candy star.

Also a tip for you if you do not have a piping bag, just put the icing into a small zip lock bag, seal the bag and cut a small hole in one of the lower corners. Works a treat!

Ingredients

• 125g butter melted
• 100g (one large) extra ripe banana mashed
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sifted cocoa
• 100g (1 medium) grated zucchini
• 1/3 cup (50g) dark chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cup (150g) wholemeal flour
• 1/4 tsp of baking powder

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 175c and grease and line a 27.5cm x 17.5cm x 3.5cm slice pan
2. Melt the butter in the microwave and allow to cool slightly
3. In a large bowl mash the banana until it forms a smooth paste with no lumps
4. Add in the butter, maple syrup, vanilla and eggs and whisk thoroughly together
5. Add the sifted cocoa into the bowl and whisk the mixture thoroughly to combine
6. Mix in the zucchini and chocolate chips and then fold through the flour and baking powder until just combined
7. Spread into the prepared slice pan and bake at 175c for around 15 minutes or until the brownie is just cooked through and the top bounces back when lightly touched and a skewer inserted comes out mostly clean.
8. Allow to cool in the pan before removing and cutting into portions.