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2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 cup carob powder
4 tablespoons ghee
5 tablespoons coconut oil
4 organic eggs
1 medium to large sweet potato
10 drops chocolate stevia
10 drops vanilla stevia
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
Aim to use all organic ingredients for upgraded health benefits. If you want to get fancy, you can experiment with adding different essential oils such as orange and peppermint. To learn all about my essential oils obsession, check out this page and My Wellness Essentials.
You could even throw some berries in the mix too.
What You Do:
- Preheat oven to 140°C.
- Peal sweet potato, chop into small cubes and rub with 1 tbs of coconut oil. Roast in oven until soft.
- Blend sweet potato, ghee and remaining 4 tbs of coconut oil until smooth.
- Pour into a separate bowl and allow to cool in fridge.
- Mix or beat remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add sweet potato to the mixture and mix or beat until smooth.
- Line baking pan with parchment paper and pour in mixture.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes in the oven at 140°C depending on desired moistness (bake for longer for a firmer texture, or shorter for a more gooey consistency).
- Serve with some whipped coconut cream.
Eating this yummy and nourishing treat could has the added benefit of providing a good source of resistant starch (RS3), which will provide food for your ancestral strains of good gut bacteria to feed on such as Bifidobacterium longum, which are crucial to your health and longevity.
The healthiest chocolate brownie that’s actually good for you and your gut.
(This brownie will keep in the fridge for a week, or you can freeze them and defrost half an hour before eating for a firmer, chewier brownie — yum.)
Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Make this at your next dinner party and you will be sure to knock everyone’s socks off.
Now I would love to hear from you, beautiful. Do you have any gut healing recipes you can share? If so, please add them to the comments below. And if you want to make your bestie’s week, month or even year, forward her this recipe and lock in a dinner party to taste this delicious-ness ASAP! Even better, make this for someone you love.
As always, thank you so much for being here and for offering so much love in the comments. You mean the world to me and I absolutely LOVE sharing this information with you. You ROCK!
Can’t wait to try this Mel, looks so delish! <3
Holy moley I can’t wait to try this out! And SO excited for The Glow Kitchen!!! xxx
Sounds great Melissa am defo going to bake these. Can I ask why you used ghee plus coconut oil? x
Hey Sam,
Because it tastes freakin’ epic 😉 Plus it’s fuel for your brain and body via the saturated fats in the ghee and medium chain triglycerides in the coconut oil. Did you know that your brain is made up of 75% saturated fat? Just another reason why I love using nutrient dense foods like ghee.
xx
I am so excited I CANT wait for this book!!!!
This sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try it out! 🙂
Hi Melissa
Thank you for creating and sharing your brownie recipe. Sounds YUM.
I have not heard of stevia drops before. I live out west on a farm 6 hrs from Sydney and I have stevia powder from Ovvio at the ready and I am wondering whether I can use the powder instead, and in quantity? I have a huge urge to try you recipe this very w/e! ….. but for the future where can I buy good quality stevia drops from?
Many thanks
Meg
Hey Meg,
You’re so welcome.
Every stevia is different so I would add and taste, and add and taste until you have the desired taste.
I have linked to where you can get the liquid stevia online so click on those links above.
Enjoy my darling and make sure you tag me in your pic when you make it 😉
xx
Thank you so much for this epic recipe. I love all the gut friendly ingredients and how you are using carob instead of cacao so the adrenals stay happy! I was wondering if you have any suggestion if we could replace the eggs with something else for the people who are egg intolerant? Looking forward to read your book, congratulations!
Hey Alexandra,
I’ve never tried an egg replacer, but google has some great ideas here.
Let me know how you go and don’t forget to tag me in your pic’s.
xx
Hi mel, I love this article it is so true and I have been exactly like you with going over board on “healthy treats”
What could I use instead of ghee? More coconut oil? I have cut out dairy
Hey Leah,
Yes, you can use more coconut oil. However, did you know ghee is actually suitable for people who have a dairy intolerance? You can read more about ghee here.
xx
Hi Mel 🙂 sounds amazing! I so, so, so appreciate you posting this! I am (still) in the same boat, and am trying to transition out of what I WANT to eat (grains, nuts/seeds, raw treats) to what my body NEEDS (good quality slow cooked animal proteins and fats NO grains or raw foods). I am trying to move towards more of a GAPS/Body Eco healing diet so that one day I CAN eat a raw piece of carrot and not be doubled over in pain in bed for 3 days (true story). This definitely lights up my day to know that I am not alone <3 Thank you! X
And trying not to be so scared if fats! X
No need to be scared of good quality saturated fats Lauren, it’s all about educating yourself because unfortunately this is not taught in school or by doctors. Check out the book Primal Body Primal Mind for a thorough analysis of ancestral eating. You will love it!
xx
Thank you my love for guiding me as always x
Also, just a quick question about raw cacao — I find that if I eat it I get absolutely RAVENOUS! Like, insatiable appetite, nothing can satisfy, faint, pulse racing, dizzy… Do you find this?! X
No I don’t honey but if that was the case for me I would maybe go easy with it 😉
Hi Mel
Thanks so much for posting this! Really looking forward to baking the brownies this weekend.
It’s great that you always mention leaky gut in your blog, as I’m sure many people (myself included) eat healthy, work out, yet still get bloated and have gut issues.
Can’t wait for your book x
Hi Melissa,
I absolutely LOVED this article and feel like you’re talkin my talk! As a naturopath and nutritionist, I often see clients who swear they are ‘eating healthy’ but when I dig deeper we find that they are still on the sugar-train with copious amounts of dates, maple, agave, two-banana raw cacao smoothies etc – all thought to be healthy because they are ‘raw’ and in health food stores and cafes.
But, as you know, they can still play havoc with your gut flora and overall health if eaten too often.
I can’t wait to share your recipe with some of my sweet-toothed clients (okay, I’ll confess… I can’t wait to try it myself!!)
Keep up the awesome work – you’re an inspiration!!
Hayley xx
Thanks so much Hayley. You’re so sweet!
I can’t wait for you to try this and please tag me in your post 😉
Morning Mel 🙂 Your recipe sounds so delicious! Can’t wait to get my hands on your new book. You must feel so proud Girl!! Xxx
PS. I followed the Ghee link in your ingredients list, Mel. Do you buy your ghee on Amazon or from a another source? Thanks x
Hey Anthia,
I buy that exactly ghee in the link above but from the health food shop honey. It taste delish 😉
Thanks Melissa
Wow Melissa these look and sound incredible thank you so much for sharing the recipe, really looking forward to making these. Can’t wait for the glow kitchen to be released 🙂 xxx Emma
Oh this looks divine, i to have struggled with leaky gut. Actually launching my new site next week (eeeek) about gut health etc because of how it has transformed my health. So excited to see this recipe though as i am a self confessed choc-a-holic and cutting down on cacao was pretty important and super hard for my gut to heal. I love that you touched on this topic + thanks for sharing your journey too, its good to see that even though living a healthy life there are always some areas to improve on. Sarah xx
I couldn’t agree with you more! Perhaps a sweet ‘treat’ wouldn’t be so bad if breakfast wasn’t also a great big bowl of nice cream topped with maple-cacao granola and more fruit! Thanks for putting the spotlight on this topic xo
Hi Melissa,
Loved your article. I agree whole heartedly with your approach. Can you explain to me the problem with using raw organic cacao . Noticed you advocate using carob powder.
Thanks.
Hey Bernadette,
There’s no problem using organic raw cacao I personally find it too stimulating for me, that’s all 😉
Hi Melissa,
I have been meaning to read The Body Ecology diet book for some time now, would you say that the suggestions in the book are what has helped you get rid of candida issues? I have heard some good things about it.
Thanks, 🙂
Hey Elle,
Oh yes, The Body Ecology has definitely helped heal my gut issues. I would highly recommend it 😉
xx
Hi Melissa,
I’m currently suffering with candida overgrowth in the intestine. It’s horrible! 4 years of being mis-diagnosed. But! At least I’ve found the answer!! 🙂
Do you have any tips, advice, recommendations, suggestions?? Please!! I’m finding all the different info very difficult.
Thank you!
I’ve saved the recipe for when I’m healed 🙂
Hey honey,
Have you read The Body Ecology book yet? It’s gold! Start there honey 😉
xx
This looks wonderful Melissa! So excited to see more of your recipes when your cookbook comes out. I went mad on all the raw ‘healthy’ deserts too when I first changed my diet and I was ‘hangry’ all the time haha but didn’t know why for ages. Since cutting all the dates etc out I feel a lot more balanced in my mood (helps a lot since I have a toddler and I was finding it so hard!) have a lot of underlying gut issues to heal and it’s really great to read blogs like yours to know so many people are on a similar journey of healing. What do you think about sweeteners like lakanto? Have you tried them?
Thanks for taking the time to share your writings with us…I find your blog so inspiring and uplifting.
Love Nikki
Thanks so much Nikki. Yes, we are all on the same journey 😉
To be honest I haven’t tried or know enough about Lakanto, but Donna Gates loves and uses it all the time. I am going to look into it more.
xx
Darling, thank you so much for writing this! I felt like I was the only one who’d noticed that we seem to be totally fine consuming more sweet treats than we maybe realise, all because they’re supposed to be better for us. Don’t get me wrong, I love raw dessert(!), but it’s still dessert!
I also really need to buy the Body Ecology book- ever since you mentioned it a little while ago, it’s been calling my name!
Can’t wait for the new book- thanks Melissa! xx
Hi melissa,
this looks really delicious!
i would love to make this, but i was just wondering what your experience has been with adrenal fatigue and insulin/blood sugar problems. my adrenal fatigue provoked severe insulin resistance and subsequently dizziness when eating carbohydrates, so the ketogenic diet i have been on has pretty much taken even good carbs like sweet potatoes off my shopping list!
i also use ground almonds quite a lot- are they substantially less healthy than coconut flour, which i thought was also quite difficult to digest?
would love your thoughts!
Xxxxxxxxx
Hey Olivia,
I am no expert in this area but if you haven’t been having sweet potatoes I wouldn’t recommend this recipe then.
The issue with ground almonds and almond flour is that it’s not activated which means it contains phytic acid, and our body struggles to break it down. It also wrecks havoc on our guts. That’s why I stay away for all unactivated nuts and nut flours.
In regards to coconut flour some people digest it well and others don’t, everyone is different! That is why it’s so important to listen to your body.
xx
thanks so much for this reply 🙂 xx
Hi Melissa!
Super thankful for the recipe and your thoughts on healthful consumption. I am curious, though – when you say “I am not yet enlightened enough to transcend food completely — I am working on it though!” do you mean that you intend to reach a place where you live without food entirely or a place where nutrition outweighs desires or cravings 100% of the time?
My love to you!
Hey Tricia,
It was a little joke 😉 But I would love to get to a place where I had absolutely no ego or attachment to anything I put in my mouth. I want to be totally neutral. Does that make sense?
Hi Melissa,
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. It sounds delicious. I just have a question about the quantity of coconut oil to use. The list of ingredients says to use three tablespoons but the cooking instructions suggest a total of five tablespoons – or have I misread this? Thanks again. Look forward to your new recipe book.
Hi Jill,
Good spotting 😉 It’s 5, just amended.
xx
1-3 teaspoons of organic, fermented veggies with meals has improved the health of my gut a ton!
Thank you sooooooo much for sharing your recipe!! It’s in the oven, can’t wait to try it.
Love you beautiful xxx
Emma Jean
Hi Melissa… generally sneaky sugar over-consumption in a lot of ‘healthy’ recipes out there is also something I am mindful of… so thank you for writing this article as its something that people should definitely be mindful of. I do have one question however… I do not like the taste of stevia at all (it actually makes me gag). If you were to add another sweetening ingredient, what would it be? Thank you :).
Hi Sally,
It depends on your gut health and what you can tolerate, but you could try BIRCH Xylitol or organic maple syrup or organic raw honey instead.
xx
Thanks for sharing the recipe Melissa! I made the brownies yesterday – although I used cocoa powder instead of carob and almond flour instead of coconut, because I didn’t have the other ingredients at hand – and they were so delicious! 🙂
Hi Mel,
Looks like a very yummy recipe + I loved reading the Body Ecology Diet recently. Just a quick question on the resistant starch…do sweet potatoes have significant amounts? I thought it was just white potato…get so confused with all the info out there at the moment on these topics! :o)
Hey Holly,
Thanks for your questions. Sweet potatoes have very small amounts of RS3 which good to start with and see how you go. But if you want more resistant starch cooked and cooled white rice and potatoes are the way to go 😉
xx
These sounds totally delish hon! Way nicer than the last ‘sugar free’ brownies I made – ugh! Had to spit them out. I dont think thats going to happen with these though.
Looking forward to trying one day soon. I truly don’t make a lot of sweet things (more of a savoury gal) but my daughter has been asking for brownies so looks like we might be trying soon. 😉
I love this post and how you’ve brought attention to the over consumption of ‘so called healthy treats’ and also the use of unactivated nuts etc, and how they can really react with your gut! I’ve experienced it and it ain’t fun.
Looking forward to seeing your ‘cookbook’.
xx
Hey beautiful,
You’re so welcome. Don’t forget to tag me in your post once you make it 😉
xx
Ghee + CAROB + coconut + sweet potato….
= You’ve won me over!
Yummo.
Nice one Mel! xx
P.S: totally agree with you re. overconsumption of raw desserts. From the Ayurvedic perspective this is so heavy and dampening of the digestive fire…. and therefore no good for gut health!
You’re right Amy it does dampening the digestive fire and when I first started on this journey I got WAAYYYY too excited 😉
I hope you are well angel.
xx
Hey Melissa!
I see that you use stevia in this recipe but I was just wondering your view on it in regards to being a ‘fake’ sugar according to some people so tricking your body. Also in regards to it being highly processed?
Same as xylitol- because it’s a sugar alcohol some people have a lot of stomach troubles and also because it’s highly processed
What’s your opinion on it? Would you recommend using xylitol rarely? And getting the green leaf unprocessed stevia?
Thanks heaps & hope this wasn’t too confusing!
Stefani 🙂
Hello lovely Stef 🙂
Stevia is a powerful ingredient when you are weaning yourself off sugars. Anything sweet is a treat and should be eaten that way. But it is still a useful tool for sure to have in your Glow Kitchen tool kit when you are moving away from a previous diet. If there are some carbohydrates in the recipe you are using with stevia, then at least your body has some sugars to process along with the sensation and physiological response of eating something sweet. Green leaf stevia is clearly better than a refined version, however some brands are just the juice from the leaves which are also pretty good. As for xylitol, this is a tricky one. I have used it but for me personally it ferments too much. It’s another handy tool that does not raise insulin but you need to see how you feel. It can also help dissolve BioFilm and many dentists recommend Xylitol chewing gum to help with plaque. A little bit should be ok for most people.
xx
Hey Melissa
I’m so excited I’m making these tonight!!! I usually follow lowfodmap and version of GAPS diet… Almond meal works totally fine for me but want to cut down on the inflammatory omega 6. Love love your soioght on the issue… If people good only visualize the amount sugar in grams!!! glow on girl x
Hey Melissa!
Just checking – doesn’t this violate food combining rules? I’m following the BE Diet and this seems to be combining protein and starchy veg! Is this recipe ok on that diet?
Hope so! As I just made it and it looks insane and is waiting to be gobbled up.
Thanks babe! Xx
Hey Ellie,
No this doesn’t follow the food combining rules which is why it’s a treat and not something to be eaten every day. I believe all sweet treats and desserts should be eaten on rare occasions and not daily. This is where I think people ar going wrong.
x
[…] Say No to Belly Ache and Yes to Chocolate Brownie // Melissa […]
[…] recently made this good-for-you brownie recipe from Melissa Ambrossini and I licked the bowl clean as they were baking. They were so delicious that I had to share this […]
Regarding the sweet potato in the recipe. I buy sweet potatoes that are exactly 1/4 pound each so I can count my carbs. How many of these would be best in the recipe? I’m thinking 2?
Let me know:)
Thanks!
Hey Holly,
1kg or 2.2lbs total raw sweet potato before cooking should be good 😉
Hi Melissa! I was wondering how you knew you had candida and SIBO? What type of testing did you do, If any? Thanks!
Hey Josie,
I did all the candida and SIBO test’s that my naturopath recommended I get done. I am not sure what they are exactly called but if you ask your naturopath to test you for both she will know which test’s to do. I hope that helps.
xx
Hi Melissa,
I am 31 years old and I live in Iceland. I am currently healing my gut and trying to get rid of Sibo. I try to incorporate all the good things that heal and rebuild the gut, body and brain. I don´t tolerate fodmaps it gives me jawline acne and bloating, so many wonderful food that im missing out on, like onion, avokado, sauerkraut, garlic, brokkoli and cauliflower for example. I also dont tolerate histamine rich foods (like sauerkraut) …. but I need it so, so badly. I am currently taking oregano oil for 2 months to kill the sibo and eating a low fodmap /scd kind of diet.
I just wanted to know how your are working on your sibo? did your do the SCD diet? did you take herbal antibiotic or rifamixin?
I need a bit of your guidance! please
I love your work and energy, baking this cake for me and my son.
Hey Anna,
I did it the SIBO diet and took herbs etc. I did it all honey and worked with Nirala Jacobi who helped me so much. Get it touch with here.
xx
hi Mel can’t wait to try this! I agree with you on this subject. However what do you think about the “natural flavoring” as ingredients in the stevia, I’ve read tHat they hide a lot of bad ingredients and it just falls under natural ingredients.
Oh no, just get stevia with nothing else. Natural flavouring is a big no no.
Is there a reason you prefer carob to cacao? 🙂
Nope. I use and like both. Carob is naturally sweet whilst cacao isn’t so it depends what you are making 😉
Hi Mel! Thanks so much.
Anything you can use instead of carob powder?
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. Xxx
Hey Laura,
You can use more cacao powder and stevia instead if you don’t want to use carob.
Enjoy and make sure you bring me a piece 😉
Such a great read, exactly what I needed! I love sweet treats and being on this health journey for the last few years I have really gotten into raw cakes and bliss balls and nuts and almond meal etc. And I probably have them too often because you know.. they’re healthy right? 😉 But I get a lot of bloating and other digestive issues and I know that healing my gut is the one thing I need to do to improve my health.
Can’t wait to try this recipe and I’m thinking about buying The Glow Kitchen. How many recipes are there and are they all gut friendly like this one? Also, do you know if I can find that stevia in Australia or is there another brand you would recommend?
Also, Melissa I would love to see you write a blog post about your journey and experience with gut health and any experts, books and other resources you would recommend 🙂
Thanks
Anni
xxx
Hey Anni,
Great idea I will keep that in mind.
Yes, all the recipes in The Glow Kitchen are gut-friendly AND delicious so make sure you check them out.
You can find stevia in most health food stores so just go in an ask.
Enjoy angel.
xx
Thanks, I will definitely check out The Glow Kitchen. I had a look at the stevia you linked in your recipe and it did include natural flavour in the ingredients. Should I be concerned about that?
xxx
Hey beautiful,
I would email the company and see what they say. It’s always best to do some research first.
xx
Liked so much the article Mel ! Thanks for the recipee ,!
Omg! I just made these with organic cacao powder instead of carob and normal stevia drops and I’m in LOVE with this recipe! Thank you x
I just have one question. I’ve been trying to adopt the Body Ecology principle of not combining carbs and protein. Isn’t sweet potato carbs and eggs protein? Is it ok to eat these together?
Hey Aleks,
I definitely believe when you are doing any sort of gut healing work that food combining can play an important role. It all depends on where you are at personally and what feels good for you. Dr Akil who wrote The Paleovedic Diet (one of my favorite books) has some pretty sound reasoning as to why he does not believe in food combining. It’s always best to do your research and see how you feel on certain foods.
I hope that helps.
xx
Hi Melissa these look amazing where do you get chocolate and vanilla stevia drops from please? 🙂
Hey Rochelle,
Here and here 😉
Enjoy.
Hi Melissa,
How many drops of wild orange essential oil should I use?
Thank you.
Zsuzsa
Hi honey, it depends on how much you like, I would start with 5, taste it and go from there. xx
Hi Melissa, this looks amazing and I have all the ingredients even the orange essential oil (yayyy)
I have a question regarding the oil – how many drops would you add for something like this ?
Thanks ,
Holly
Hey Holly, it depends how strong you want the organe flavour to be. I use between 5 – 10 drops but start with a few and taste test then you can always add more. xx
Oh my gosh! I have been thinking about making a good for you brownie mix all week! I was just waiting for this recipe to fall into my lap.. so Thankyou for listening universe/ Melissa!
Thank me after you have devoured it angel. It’s the BEST! xx
Hi Mel when will you be posting your plant based, brownie recipe? I can’t wait to try it!
Very soon angel, keep an eye out. xx