Recipe: Gluten-Free Peppermint Brownies

Photo by Asia Bradlee

During the holiday season, there’s no better flavor combination than chocolate and peppermint. Made with whole-grain oats, applesauce, and natural sweeteners, these gluten-free brownies with a peppermint accent capture that decadent flavor without all of the guilt.

To make the recipe vegan, swap the regular eggs for flax or chia seed eggs.

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 tbs olive oil
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8″ by 8″ pan with non-stick spray. Pulse the oats in a food processor until they form a fine flour.

In a bowl, combine the oat flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, mix together the olive oil, applesauce, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and cocoa powder.

Slowly whisk the eggs into the wet mixture. Add the oat mixture to the wet mixture and mix thoroughly; the consistency will be thicker than traditional brownie batter. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.