Midnight Cravings: Fudgy Coconut Flour Brownies

Sometime after 10 last night I gave in to the cliché.

There I was, curled up on my couch watching Rita Hayworth as Gilda flipping her waves of luxurious hair and prancing around on legs that looked to be about twice as long as my entire body. She was, in the words of another blogger, glorious. And I was feeling, well, not so much…

See I was missing the boyfriend pretty badly. Still am, actually, but right at that moment it was positively achey. It’s been a week and a half since he left on vacation with his buddies and though the alone time is nice, I must say, I’m over it. That’s it, let me off the ride. Keep the ball if you must. I just don’t want to play anymore.

Plus, it’s that week. You know which week I mean… The one where everything feels heavy and silence is better than conversation and the tears are quick to well up, just like that? Yeah, so it’s that week, which doesn’t make anything easier.

Since I knew there wasn’t a way to fast-forward to next weekend, when my emotions will be back to normal and he will be curled up on the couch next to me, I turned to the one that would be possible in such desperate times. That, of course, was chocolate.

Chocolate brownies, to be exact. Fudgy, moist, with perhaps just a bit of a crust and a subtle hint of something—almond, perhaps? No…rum.

I used coconut flour to make the brownies. And cocoa rouge, for that deep, sexy color. A generous pour of my homemade vanilla rum gave it a naughty kick, and (to keep the guilt at bay) I opted for agave instead of sugar.

The end result was surprising. Moist but still very crumbly, soft. Warm from the oven, they were just what I needed. The exact dose of serotonin I seemed to be lacking. But they were even better this morning (yes, morning!) once the flavors and texture had a chance to settle. Less crumbly, more fudgy. I dusted them with more coconut flour (it’s not really flour, after all; it’s just ground coconut). While photographing them, the breeze from the open window kept blowing the sweet aroma of chocolate and coconut under my nose.

This recipe makes a smallish batch. Just enough to share with a couple friends or to keep you happy during those not-so-lovely days.



Fudgy Coconut Flour Brownies
1 cup coconut flour (see my "where to buy" for a great supplier)
2/3 cup good cocoa powder (I like cocoa rouge)
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3 extra large eggs
1 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons vanilla rum (or 2 tablespoons regular rum & 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)
¾ cup agave syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.) In a large bowl, sift together the coconut flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. Set aside.

2.) Cut butter into chunks and place in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted then add the chocolate chips and mix just until they soften. Quickly remove from heat and continue stirring until everything is combined. Let cool.

3.) In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and agave syrup. Add the oil, rum, and vanilla. Followed by the cooled chocolate butter mixture.

4.) Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry. The coconut flour tends to suck moisture quickly so don’t worry if the batter clumps. Use the lukewarm water to loosen it up by drizzling a little bit at a time until it is all absorbed but the batter is still wet. If you need to, add up to ¼ cup more water.

5.) Pour the batter into a 9” square baking pan lined with parchment paper.

6.) Bake for 30 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and the batter is firm.

7.) Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before lifting the parchment paper to remove the brownies from the pan. Slice and eat right away for a warm, cakey brownie or let sit over night for a firmer fugier one (or have it both ways!)

19 comments

  1. How nice to use coconut flour to bake brownies! Not only makes them gluten-free, but must make them delicious! Hopre you're felling better, sometimes a girl really has a to have some chocolate!

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  2. They look amazing.. It's never fun to be without the boyfriend for so long.. as for it being that week Chocolate, a thermacare or a heating pad and advil is my cure..

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  3. Hello! I've been a fan of your blog from the earlier days; keep up the good work. :) What a coincidence, not only am I missing my vacationing boyfriend too, but I was also wondering what I'll make with my newly bought bag of coconut flour, and this seems perfect! Yummm...
    One question, though: at what temperature did you bake this? Thanks!

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  4. Hi ladies! Thanks so much for stopping by. Clumbsy, you are so right about the coconut flour keeping them gluten free and delicious. It's a very subtle, but wonderful addition! Ashley, your cure is *just* the thing. Thermacare is the only thing that keeps me going these days... (and chocolate of course!)

    Lola: I'll update the recipe on the blog but 350 degrees is the temp you're looking for.

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  5. These look so awesome...I've gotten to the point when I think of you/this blog whenever I pass coconut/almond/other exotic flours in the grocery stores.

    I've been reading along as a silent fan for a while, but I have a burning question: I saw in the past week through your twitter posts that you tried shirataki noodles. WHERE did you find them?? Or did you order them while out to eat? I've looked them up online and all of the commercial grocers near me which are "supposed" to have them don't. I'm in DC, so you think it would be an easier process than I am obviously making it. Any suggestions?

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  6. oh my gah, those sound incredible. and i must make them - i am totally having one of those weeks myself. thanks for the recipe!
    ;)

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  7. i'll be leaving my girlfriend for a week so it makes sense to bake these for her before i leave. looks simple enough.

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  8. Those look soooooooooooooo delicious! *drool*

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  9. What a great idea! I love these brownies!

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  10. Oh they look so good. I love the idea of the coconut too.

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  11. Mmmmmnnnn this looks marginally healthy, but totally decadent. How YUM, a must try...can you make your own coconut flour do you think? With a milling machine? (I have a Thermomix, which mills rice to flour...blah blah blah.)

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  12. Are you sure thats 1 TABLESPOON of baking powder? I don't think I've ever seen a recipe this size call for more than a teaspoon.

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  13. Hi Barry,

    Yes, it's 1 tablespoon; coconut flour is a bit different than regular flour and requires a bit more leavening. Let me know how it turns out!

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  14. Hello, these look great and I can't wait to try them, but I am a little confused - the recipe calls for 1/4 cup olive oil in the ingredients list, but nowhere in the instructions do you mention how to use it. Can't believe anyone else hasn't asked...am I just missing something?

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  15. Anonymus is right - What to do with the 1/4 cup olive oil?

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  16. Yes, I made this today, and just added the 1/4 cup, I used coconut oil, to the egg mixture. They turned out more cakey than I thought they would, and I had no need for the water at all. I think if I had needed any more moisture, I would have used coconut milk. Still would like to know the original use for the olive oil!

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  17. What's with these boyfriends? Going on vacations without yous?? Hmmm.. I'm definitely trying this recipe.. it's that kinda week for me too. Thanks for sharing it. You seem really lovely. Hope the BF appreciates you. XO

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  18. to the posters above...read step 3 more carefully, it says add the oil.

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  19. I used 3/4 cup coconut oil in lieu of the butter (I still used the 1/4 cup olive oil called for) -- OMG -- delicious!!

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