Almost every night after dinner, I have a sweet treat of some sort, and 9 times out of 10, it’s of the chocolate variety. I am always conscious of this though, as I struggle with sleep issues and don’t want the natural caffeine found in cacao to affect me. Carob is an awesome substitute! Carob powder comes from the pods of the carob tree, which is in the same family as the pea plant (botanically a fruit!), and is not only naturally sweet, but also caffeine free. Other benefits include aiding digestion, improving blood sugar balance, and providing vital minerals and vitamins such as potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, zing and manganese.

These brownies are not super sweet in order to stabilize blood sugar levels, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious! Savor their natural sweetness, and know they are benefitting your body as well!

Caffeine-Free Carob Brownies

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Soy-free

Makes 9 brownies / Prep time: 20 minutes / Cook time: 30 minutes

Equipment: 8x8 Baking dish, Hand-mixer or Stand-up mixer

2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax plus 4 tablespoons water)
1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup unsweetened carob powder
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup tahini or nut/seed butter of choice
1/4 cup coconut nectar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish or line it with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the flax eggs. Stir together the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

3. In a large bowl or stand-up mixer, combine the brown rice flour, carob powder, coconut sugar, almond flour, buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Stir until blended.

4. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the flax eggs, coconut milk or almond milk, pumpkin puree, tahini, coconut nectar or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk until creamy.

5. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and beat until a batter is formed. Add the chopped walnuts if using and beat again or use a spatula to fold the pieces into the batter. Transfer the batter to the baking dish. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes until edges have started to crust and pull away from the edges of the baking pan (middle will still “jiggle” and appear darker and undercooked, but it will set as it cools). Allow the brownies to cool in the baking dish (at least 1 hour).

Storage: Keep individual brownies tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ingredients tip: You can use a combination of gluten-free flours that you enjoy or have on hand, as long as the ratio of dry ingredients remain the same.