Chocolate Caramel Avocado Brownies

September 10, 2014

Chocolate Caramel Avocado Brownies


One of the words that are way overused is “awesome”.
Everyone (including myself - I am actually the worst offender) just throw that term on the table like they are giving out change in a toll-booth.
We use it so much, I believe we’re all starting to get a little desensitized to that word — it doesn’t mean anything to anyone anymore.
Think about the things we daily describe as "awesome"...are they really awesome?
Because we’re doing it without even evaluating the traits that make up the word.
Awesome is an adjective which means “causing awe, inspiring wonder or excitement.”
Are we really feeling a “reverential wonder” when we bite into a big juicy “awesome” burger?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Still, the English language is not short on words that can have the same meaning of, or hold just as much power as, awesome.
Amazing, fantastic, excellent, great, incredible, outstanding, superb, terrific are all semantically similar words that can be used in lieu of awesome.

Chocolate Caramel Avocado Brownies


That being said, I am 100% guilty of overusing "awesome”.
I have absolutely no excuse. I just like it. A lot. So much, sometimes I even capitalize it for some reason (why?)
Which makes me wonder: is my vocabulary really this limited?
Furthermore, does overusing a single word make me uneducated or lower the value of what I have to share?
I can definitely see how it would turn some people off. I’ve actually tried to be mindful about it and I’ve censored myself a few times.

Chocolate Caramel Avocado Brownies
I’m not necessarily trying to impress anyone, sound “hip” or offend; I write like I talk and, apparently, I talk like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
Nephew told me to start using “awesmazing” - instead of “awesome” - because the latter is “so old school!”
I’m not certain if replacing awesome with a neologism is a viable course of action. I’ll cut it out for a bit while I consider the issue.

Chocolate Caramel Avocado Brownies



However, allow me to use awesome one more time, because frankly I can’t find a better word to describe these chocolate caramel avocado brownies.
They are, well...AWESOME (ha!)
Fudgy, dense, gooey, sticky, and with the right amount of sweetness.
Needless to say it, I made my own (paleo) caramel sauce, because it’s so easy to make and so much better than store bought (and it’s also dairy-free and refined-sugar free).
The chocolate part of the brownie melts in your mouth — not cakey at all. The caramel top is superb (see? I’m learning!)
All in all, these brownies were a success. Aunt G kept saying “Mike these are supergood! I can’t believe there’s no sugar, no dairy and they’re made with avocado”, while licking her fingers and grabbing another piece.
So just go and make them. We'll discuss how healthy they are later.

Chocolate Caramel Avocado Brownies


Chocolate Caramel Avocado Brownies                                                                                          Print this recipe!

Ingredients  
Makes 12 (large) brownies

2 large ripe avocados (I used Hass)
8 oz / 220 gr +70% dark chocolate, chopped (I used Dagoba)
3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or butter)
1 cup / 7 oz / 200 gr raw coconut palm sugar (I used Madhava)
2 free-range organic eggs (or 2 flax eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup / 2.65 oz / 75 gr almond meal (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
¼ cup / 1.12 oz / 32 gr unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
4 tablespoons caramel sauce (make your own paleo caramel with this recipe)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Grease a 8x8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with foil and lightly grease the foil. This will make brownie removal much easier.
Place coconut oil and chopped chocolate in a medium size heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon until chocolate and coconut oil are completely melted. Use pot holders to remove the bowl from over the boiling water. Let mixture sit for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, mash avocado until very smooth (I used an immersion blender to do this).
Stir in the chocolate coconut oil mixture.
Whisk in sugar until combined, then add in eggs (one at a time) and vanilla extract.
Sift in cocoa powder, then add almond meal, baking powder and salt, mixing with a large spoon until just combined (do not overmix).
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth using a spatula.
Take your caramel sauce, scoop out spoonfuls and dot them into the brownie mixture, pressing to submerge. Once you have a third of the caramel left, drizzle it on top, using your spoon to ripple it through.
Bake for about 28 to 30 minutes until the middle is set.
Let cool on a rack completely and cut into 12 squares using a sharp knife.

Nutrition facts

One brownie yields 327 calories, 29 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fat.

31 comments:

  1. These. Look. AWESOME ;)

    But seriously, they look bloody amazing.

    www.ceejayell.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. These sound wonderful! Especially right now when I am trying to look for healthier versions to still get my sweets in. Love the caramel sauce on top too. Thanks for sharing, this is a great recipe:)

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    1. IMO they're the best treat after an intense training session!

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  3. That's some serious fudgy decadence, and they look Awesome! Sometimes certain words are the only way to describe something properly!

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  4. Hi Mike, between your avocado and cauliflower recipes you have to write a cookbook, they are so unusual and delicious!!! Love this!

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  5. They look phenomenal (see...I didn't used awesome!) :)

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  6. Baking with avocado is "awesmazing"!! Ooh I am loving your nephews word! You know, I ADORE healthy desserts and I could polish off a half pan of these easy! That caramel sauce...why, its just awesmazing!!
    Hope you have an awesmazing Wednesday, Mike! :)

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    1. Awesmazing is good, isn't it? I'm actually considering including it in my daily vocabulary :)

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  7. As you may know, English is not my first language, so I am guilty of many crimes, including the overuse of awesome. What can I say? I like the word, but might start using awesmazing. Might make me look a little younger, perhaps? Just a little? No? Just plain silly? (sigh)

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    1. If you start using awesmazing you'll look more awesome, and that's a fact! ;)

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  8. YOU are awesome. Have to try these!

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    1. Thanks Emily, you're pretty awesome yourself too! :)

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  9. These are almost too beautiful to even think about eating (I did say almost, didn't I?). Can hardly wait to try, thanks for the recipe!

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    1. That's fantastic, if you do try 'em please report back!

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  10. Heavens to Murgatroyd! These brownies are simply Stunning. Ravishing, even. I never cease to be amazed at your baking skills...especially since flour and sugar aren't involved. Superb, my good man! #WolfpackEats

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    1. I haven't heard that expression in years, you crack me up D.
      #WolfPackJargon

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  11. You've combined some of my very favorite things in one title! I especially like the addition of avocados in brownies because that means it''s now super healthy and I can eat it for breakfast.

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    1. Avocado and chocolate is where it's at B, healthy and sooo good!

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  12. Oh my chocolat-y heaven! Lol to your 'awesome' oration. I too try not to overuse words and am often looking at online thesauruses for inspiration. The word I get stuck using too often is 'delicious'. Nothing else really compares! P.s. I'm waiting for you to make some coconut flour brownies for me. :)

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    1. Can I be honest with you L? I do struggle quite a bit with coconut flour, especially in baking.
      I don't know why, but there's something about it (especially the way it interacts with other ingredients) that I still haven't quite grasped. I need to get more experience under my belt!

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  13. Ha I am terrible for using that word in probably every post...darn it! Your brownies look delightful ; )

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  14. Wow! I love your recipe! Looks delicious!

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  15. I'm hoping it's 9 grams of fat rather than the other stated 29 grams of fat... Could you clarify please?

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  16. Firstly, it is amazing to stumble across another male blogger who is into all the things I am.

    and secondly- I may or may not have spent the last 2 hours stalking your recipes.Mike- you are a kitchen genius.

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  17. Just discovered your site and I think this might finally be it... The one healthy treat recipe that isn't an unmitigated disaster for me. The amount of dates and coconut oil I've wasted... Just one question: obviously, you wouldn't have put 200g coconut sugar unless it was the amount specifically needed, but where I'm from, it's only available in 150g packets and it's quite expensive. Do you think that amount could still make something that might be slightly different than yours but still works? Or that maybe I could make up the remaining 50g with dates or applesauce or something? Thanks :)

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  18. I had some not-quite-good-enough-for-guacamole avocados and was delighted to see your idea for making something I love even more than guacamole! I used 85% chocolate, since your recipe said 70%+, but the brownies ended up slightly burned at the edges and with a very dark, kind of powdery flavor. They were plenty oily like brownies, but the flavor felt dry, if that makes sense. I really like very dark chocolate (that's why I have the 85%) and was surprised that with a whole cup of sugar (most recipes I make use less than that for a pan of brownies), it was so dark and dry. If I make these again, I might try skipping the cocoa powder (half a pound of chocolate seems like it would safely accomplish the desired flavor) and/or use 70% chocolate instead. In the mean time, I will enjoy this batch with some vanilla ice cream, which can solve pretty much all life's problems, brownie-related or no.

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