And the secret ingredient is.........olive oil. Yeah, okay I did put olive oil in your brownies. Can we still be friends?
And wait just a second before you completely write me off as insane please, they’re actually really good! Seriously, no one could ever tell there is olive oil in them if you don’t tell. They’ve got it all; that rich fudgy texture, a perfect amount of sweetness, and that bittersweet balance with them being extra dark. Oh, and don’t let me forget the sea salt on top, that’s the magic touch that takes them to a whole other level of delish! However if salty/sweet isn’t really your thing then feel free to cut back or even skip it if you must. There are no rules when brownies are involved.
What I think is the key selling point though, is that they’re secretly a much better way to indulge in your daily dose of chocolate! You know, because it’s a new year and we wouldn’t want to be putting our sanity on the line by skipping the necessary amounts. 😉
I’m about to keep going on in case you still aren’t sold on these. I mean, they use all whole ingredients so there’s no refined sugar or flour (with the exception of adding the optional chocolate chunks if you want), they’re made with one of the planet’s healthiest oils, and also, they’re gluten free too. Uh huh, for real! You’re welcome.
I did consider going full vegan with these guys, but I’ve gotta be honest here, I can’t hardly bring myself to do a brownie recipes without eggs. I know it can be done but it just seems so wrong in my book. I feel like brownies are all about the specific texture you get from the eggs so I left them in.
Another selling point (That's right, I still have more.) is that these are nearly a one-bowl recipe and they can be stirred up in about 5 minutes and ready to go into the hot oven. The only other dish you have to dirty is a small saucepan for warming the oil so you can get the cocoa mixed without lumps. Confession, I’ve skipped that step before and still had some pretty darn good brownies even if I do recommend that step for the best results.
Okay then, so now all that’s left is for you to go pre-heat the oven and grab the chocolate. Oh, and don’t forget to get plenty of chunks on top. In fact, it’s never a bad idea to “accidentally” double the amount. (Antioxidants, remember?)
Sea Salt & Olive Oil Dark Chocolate Brownies (Gluten Free)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 - 16
Ingredients
1 cup raw sugar (AKA "turbinado sugar")
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup oat flour (*see note)
1/3 cup chocolate chunks
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C) and grease and 8x8 inch or 7x11 inch baking pan with oil.
In a small saucepan set over low heat, slowly warm the oil with sugar until just warm to the touch, not hot. Add the cocoa powder while whisking then once mixed, remove from heat and scrape into a medium bowl. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, the baking soda, and the vanilla until combined. Mix in the eggs then add the oat flour and stir in until smooth. Pour the batter into prepared pan and sprinkle chocolate chips and sea salt over the batter evenly. Bake the brownies for 18 - 24 minutes until the center doesn't jiggle when the pan is nudged (you can also check center with a toothpick and see if it comes out clean). Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. These brownies are very fudgy until completely cooled so you can chill them in the fridge or freezer to make them cool faster or simply enjoy them warm and messy.
Notes: I like to make my own oat flour and it is easily done by simply processing oats in a blender or food processor until fine.
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