What happens when you combine chocolate and nut butter?

Magic.

Magic is what happens.

This brownie is just further evidence that those two are meant to be.  Forget peanut butter n’ jelly or peas n’ carrots.  Chocolate and nut butter are the new Forrest and Jenny. 

I happened upon this recipe thanks to my good friend/client Lindsey (thanks, love!).  She shared it from another IG-er (@fitn_ash) after adding a few tweaks of her own (such as protein powder for more macro-love).  I then added the “cherry on top”: nut butter.  You’re welcome.

How would I describe this brownie?  Hmm…words like gooey, decadent, and sweet n’ salty come to mind.  You think you’re doing something extremely naughty that should be concealed within the realms of your closet (What? You don’t sneak treats in there so your kids can’t see you?  Neither do I…).  But in reality, these are totally CLEAN.  That’s right, they’re healthy.  [Cue angels singing]

Alright, so now that I’ve talked them up and your mouth is no-doubt drooling…let’s get to the recipe!

PROTEIN FUDGE BROWNIES

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 12 (or 6, if you make a brownie sandwich like I did)

Ingredients:

-3 ripe bananas (around 240g for the ones I had)

-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (30g)

-1 Tbsp baking powder (15g)

-1.5 scoops protein powder* (41g; I used Arbonne vegan chocolate protein)

-1 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour (7g)

-50g Silk unsweetened cashew milk (or dairy-free milk of choice)

-1 Tbsp (16g) Nuts n’ More Cookie Butter (reserve for swirling on top)

*I highly recommend weighing your ingredients--especially the protein powder—since all “scoops” are different.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add all ingredients (except nut butter) to a food processor.  Blend until combined, scraping sides down if needed.  Pour into a baking dish (I used a loaf pan) sprayed with nonstick spray.  Add dollops of nut butter on top and use a butter knife to “swirl” it into the batter.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before cutting…if you can manage to control yourself!

**To make a brownie sammie, just slather more ooey-gooey nut butter on top of one brownie and slap another on top of that.  De-lish!

I hope you guys enjoy!  Please leave a little note to let me know what you think and if you’d like to see more recipes like this one. AND if you’d like to post a picture of your beautiful brownie creation on Instagram, be sure to tag me (@fit_n_clean_mama) so I can see!

Blessings,

XOXO