Chocolate Beetroot Brownies

This is great snack to carry on the hill – rich and stodgy with some healthy additional ingredients – chia seeds, hemp protein, nuts and berries. There’s even some vegetables thrown in. It’s practically a superfood!

Essential ingredients:

  • Cooked mashed veg 400-450g / 14-15ounces / 2 full cups

DRY:

  • Cocoa powder 1 cup (100-120g)
  • Plain flour 2 cups (250g)
  • Baking powder 1 teaspoon
  • Salt 1 teaspoon

WET:

  • Sugar 1/3 cup (70g)
  • Oil 3/4 cup
  • Milk (as required)

Optional ingredients:

  • Vanilla paste/extract 2 teaspoons
  • Chocolate chips 1 cup (100-150g)
  • Frozen Berries 1 cup heaped/ rounded
  • Pistachios/ nuts 1/3 cup
  • Chia seeds 2 tablespoons
  • Hemp protein powder

Equipment:

  • 20cm x 20cm / 8” x 8” cake tin
  • Food processor (but can also do by hand – mash/grate cooked veg as required)

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 160 deg C / 320 deg F fan forced or 180C/ 350F non fan forced
  • Blend cooked veg in food processor
  • Add wet ingredients, mix well (occasionally scrape down sides of processor to ensure even mixing)
  • Add dry ingredients (ideally previously sifted), mix well.
  • If mixture is dry, which is likely, add milk as required. It can be as much as 1/2 cup (or more) depending on consistency of mash and type of flour used. It should be fairly thick – you will need to scoop it out rather than pour it out
  • Scrape mix into a bowl and add optional ingredients (except pistachios) if using.
  • Mix well
  • Scoop into a lined cake tin, push into corners and even out the surface
  • Sprinkle nuts on top and push them in slightly
  • Bake for about 45- 50min until cracks appear in the surface, or until a skewer (or sharp knife) comes out clean
  • Remove from oven and cake tin and allow to cool (still in baking lining) on a wire rack
  • Best left to cool completely before cutting

 

Substitutions:

Plain flour: white, spelt, rye, GF, oat, wholemeal, etc. Requires more milk if using GF flours.

Sugar: light brown muscovado, brown, raw

Oil: olive, sunflower, rapeseed, avocado, walnut oil

Milk: any variety will do – dairy, almond, rice, hemp etc

Mashed veg: beetroot, pumpkin, parsnip, potato, sweet potato – any left over cooked veg can be used

Chocolate chips: can use a chopped block of chocolate. Dark, milk and white chocolate all work well

Frozen berries: any variety – raspberry works really well. Frozen berries hold their shape better while mixing, fresh fruit often disintegrates.

Print Recipe
Chocolate Beetroot Brownies
This is great snack to carry on the hills - rich and stodgy with some healthy additional ingredients - chia seeds, hemp protein, nuts and berries. There's even some vegetables thrown in. It's practically a superfood!
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 45-50 mins
Servings
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 45-50 mins
Servings
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 160 deg C / 320 deg F fan forced or 180C/ 350F non fan forced
  2. Blend cooked veg in food processor
  3. Add wet ingredients (sugar, oil and milk) and mix well (occasionally scrape down sides of processor to ensure even mixing)
  4. Add dry ingredients (cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt) and mix well - ideally sift the dry ingredients first
  5. If mixture is dry, which is likely, add milk as required. It can be as much as 1/2 cup (or more) depending on consistency of mash and type of flour used. It should be fairly thick - you will need to scoop it out rather than pour it out
  6. Scrape mix into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients (except pistachios) if using
  7. Mix well
  8. Scoop into a lined cake tin, push mixture into the corners and even out the top surface
  9. Sprinkle nuts on top and push them in slightly
  10. Bake for about 45- 50min, or until a skewer (or sharp knife) comes out clean
  11. Remove from oven and cake tin and allow to cool (still in baking lining) on a wire rack before slicing