Everyone likes brownies, but brownies don’t always return the favor, especially when we overindulge.  That’s why I like this brownie recipe.  It uses honey instead of sugar and less at that.  Yet it’s not just the chocolate, honey and butterscotch combination that make them taste so good, it’s all the nuts.  These brownies are chock full of crunchy goodness.  Hey, doctors and nutritionists say we ought to be eating more seeds and nuts as they contain the good fats our bodies need.  And no one ever said we couldn’t jazz them up!

 

Got A Craving?

There’s probably no need to argue that any brownie worth its weight is also one with the potential to add to the waistline.  At the same time, I believe a diet set up without reward is a diet bound to fail.  If you cut out all fat and goodies in your diet, sooner or later you’re bound to crave them to the point you overindulge.

 

Effort Earns Reward

I think a better strategy is to reward yourself once in awhile for sticking to your basic diet plan.  However, it never hurts to cut out bad fats and added sugar where you can.  True, some may find these brownies aren’t quite as sweet as others they’ve tried.  They’re not meant to be (though you can certainly add more honey if you really think they need it).  Personally, I like less sugar to let the other flavors in this recipe come out.  I look at it similarly to tasting a good wine where I don’t want any of the ingredients to stand out like a sore thumb.

 

Enough said!  Let’s bake.

 

Gather The Ingredients

 

For this recipe we’ll need:

 

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup extra light olive oil

1/3 cup almond butter

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cups sunflower seeds

1/4 cup walnuts chopped

1/4 cup cashews chopped

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

 

Preparation

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

In a large mixing bowl combine all the liquids, including egg, vanilla, oil, almond butter and honey.  Stir.

 

Add in the flaxseed meal, cocoa powder, sea salt, and baking soda.  Stir again.

 

Now, toss in the sunflower seeds and butterscotch chips.  Then if you haven’t already done it, chop up the cashews and walnuts and add them in, too.  Mix everything until it’s well-blended.

 

Last, add in the flour and mix again.

 

Pour your brownie mix into a 9 x 9 baking pan and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

 

Pop the pan in the oven and set the timer for 22 minutes.  When the timer goes off, check the center of the pan with a toothpick.  If the toothpick comes out clean they’re done.  If not cook a couple more minutes and check again.

 

Good Sniffs

 

These brownies really are good.  I like to let the flavors melt, combine and swirl around my tongue.  However, one of the best parts of baking brownies is the aroma that fills the home.  Even if you decide not to eat these because you think they’ll put a hole in your diet, the delicious scent of baking chocolate bursting forth from the the oven is well worth the experience of cooking them.

 

Enjoy!

 

By Bob Anderson
© 2011 Javabird LLC.  All rights reserved.

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If you enjoyed this recipe you may want to read:
Kahlua, Coconut And Cashew Blondies
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