BUTTERNUT SQUASH BROWNIES

 
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You guys all know how much I love butternut squash and how I’ve used it to make these insanely delicious, sort of sweet but sort of savory muffins time and time again. But recently in my Imperfect Produce newsletter email, I saw a recipe from Flora & Vino for BROWNIES with butternut squash as the star of the show and I literally sent my husband out the door about 15 minutes later to pick up the only ingredient I didn’t have on hand: maple syrup. So back he came a few minutes later and I dove right in!

In review, I’d say they were really delicious but 2 things: She only said to bake them for 20 minutes but I found the knife was still coming out really gooey so I popped them back in for 8 minutes… then again for 8 minutes! By the time I pulled them out they’d been in for 36 minutes then I let them sit for 5-10 to cool. They popped out of the muffin tins really easily and I thought they were really delish. I used super dark chocolate chips so they were a little more bitter than sweet but that was my preference. If you used milk chocolate they’d probably be a bit sweeter! Just note that because of the nut butter they will probably always be a little gooey on the inside despite the slight crunch on the outside which I happened to really like.

To get the squash soft for a puree, cut in half long ways and remove the seeds. Drizzle the inside with a little bit of oil then face down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 425 for about 30 minutes. Let it cool then spoon it out and mash with a fork.

What I Used:

  • 1 cup butternut squash (she used 3/4 cup but my squash yielded 1 cup so I used the whole thing)
  • 1 cup nut butter (I used peanut butter)
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup + 2 TBS almond flour
  • ¼ cup + 2 TBS cocoa powder
  • heaping ½ cup mini chocolate chips + more for the top is optional (I used super dark chocolate)

How To:

  1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a big bowl and mix vigorously.
  2. Use a greased muffin tin (baking spray, butter, or coconut oil) and then spoon the filling in & smooth out the top.
  3. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (see my note at the top about the gooey-ness on the inside)
  4. Let cool for about 5 minutes then remove with a knife or spatula and gobble up!

PS Don’t forget to use code Almonds20 for 20% off of your Imperfect Produce Box!!