The worst thing about a diet is that when everyone is enjoying dessert, you can’t have any.  Not the case if you are following a low-carb lifestyle like so many people these days. This summer, I created a dessert that everyone could enjoy—diet or no diet! For all my friends following Keto, I call them EAK’s Keto Brownies. 

I can’t cook or bake with artificial ingredients so I decided to use really good dark chocolate, blanched almond flour and melted butter as the base of my brownie dessert. There is no added sugar—only the sugar that is used in making the dark chocolate sweetens these rich, dense and delicious chocolate brownies. Because the “flour” is ground almonds which have natural fats, the brownies are even better and more moist the day after you bake them. I have made them with the chocolate alone, added pecans for extra texture and sometimes add a pinch of cinnamon when I want to add more flavor to the chocolate. I love them all three ways and think I might try them swirled with a layer of peanut butter next time!

1          cup blanched almond flour

¼         teaspoon sea salt

¼         teaspoon baking soda

¼         scant teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

4          ounces Trader Joe’s or Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chunks, (plus 1.5 ounces or 4 heaping tablespoons as an add-in)

3          large eggs

½         cup, 1 stick, unsalted butter, melted

½         teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

¾-1      cup toasted chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 F

1.     In a food processor, pulse together the almond flour, sea salt, baking soda and cinnamon if using.

2.    Pulse in 4 ounces of the chocolate until the texture of coarse sand.

3.    Melt butter and add to eggs and vanilla.  Beat well.

4.    In a bowl, mix together the almond mixture and the egg mixture.

5.    Add the extra chocolate chunks

6.    Add the nuts if using.

7.    Stir well and place in an 8 x 8 brownie pan that has been sprayed with Baker’s Joy.

8.    Bake for 18-23 minutes 

9.    Let cool for at least 2 hours.

10.  Wrap well and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. It’s even better the second day.

11.  Cut into small 1-inch squares and serve at room temperature. 

ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2019