Recipe: $0.42 | Per Serving: $5.00 | Yield: 12
One of my favorite desserts, Dark Chocolate Paleo Plantain Brownie Cake, gets a little bit of a makeover this week. I'm subbing out the honey for date puree, and putting them in muffin tins because I love muffins tins. Plantain Brownie Bites - the Paleo, gluten-free, nut-free, almost vegan version!
My favorite chocolate chips to use are Guittard, but if you want to make these closer to Paleo, you can always go with Enjoy Life Chocolate Morsels. Either way you're going to get added sugar, but not too much. And if you're not picky, just go with the absolute darkest chocolate chips you can find.
If you're not Paleo, then I HIGHLY recommend serving these warm with vanilla ice cream. Super awesome brownie sundae - still a treat, but on the healthier side! Actually, since they're healthier, I am not opposed to eating 1 or 2 for breakfast, especially after squeezing in a quick run before work. Especially then. Maybe still with ice cream.
I'm keeping this one short and sweet because I'm tired. The good kind of tired where you feel like you're getting a lot done. (Not the crappy kind of tired where you're not sleeping well.) I don't have kids, and I am currently only working one job, but going back to full time work is tiiiring. Especially when trying to run and cook and blog and have a life. I really don't know how people work full time and have kids and blog and run marathons and stuff. You guys, aren't you sleepy? Here, have another brownie bite.
For Vegan: Substitute the eggs for flax eggs. I've tried it and it tastes exactly the same!
Plantain Brownie Bites
Ingredients
- 2 plantains VERY ripe , peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted*
- ⅓ cup date puree or ¼ cup honey or maple syrup*
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder I use Hershey’s Special Dark
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips for Paleo, try Enjoy Life (affiliate link) brand
Instructions
- Combine the plantains, coconut oil, and date puree in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, and eggs. Blend just until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, reserving a few for topping.
- Pour the batter evenly into lightly greased muffin cups. Top with remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake on 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool about 2 minutes, then remove from pan and serve.
Notes
*I've also subbed the coconut oil for applesauce instead - use whichever you've got on hand. Applesauce is a good replacement for oils, and adds more sweetness.
Nutrition
I made this recipe exactly like it said but added a little bit of nuts to the top, mine did not rise in the middle? Any suggestions as in to what may of happened? And my baking soda is new so I know it's not that.
Hi Kaycee, I'm not 100% sure, but my only two guesses would be that either the plantains were quite a bit larger than what I used (I am starting to include # of as well as cup size to avoid this, but US-bought plantains are usually pretty evenly sized) and they weighed it down, or otherwise your oven might be a little off.
Usually in order for baked goods to rise properly they require a minimum of 350ºF to activate the baking soda/powder at the beginning, which is why we often see cakes and cookies rise quickly, and then sometimes fall a bit. Did you happen to check them early on and see any action? That would help explain whether they never rose, or if they rose and fell for some reason. At least you know it's not the baking soda. There's a chance that the nuts threw it off a little, but nuts aren't very heavy so I doubt that's the issue. I hope they still tasted okay? I've made this recipe several times and I hate that you weren't able to enjoy it!
OMG chocolatey goodness right here! It's hard to believe these are actually healthy, I mean just look at them ;)
Thanks Bethany! Plantains are the BEST!
These look delicious! I love the idea of a paleo version of brownie bites! I'm a big plantain fan so I know I would love these :) I need to try the date puree as an alternate sweetener, great swap!
Thanks Jessica! Plantains are the best.