These Fudgy Flourless Peppermint Brownies are a must for getting into the holiday spirit. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy(-ish), and guaranteed to make you feel festive. Their texture is truly amazing and everything you could want want from a rich (but not too rich) flourless brownie.
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease or line a 8 x 8″ pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, peppermint extract, and eggs. Whisk together.
3. Add avocado oil, and whisk again until smooth.
4. Stir in the cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until well-incorporated and ribbony. This batter should be THICK (that’s a good thing!).
5. Transfer brownie batter to the prepared pan, and use a rubber spatula (or your hands) to spread it evenly towards the edges.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, or with only a few crumbs attached. It’s better to underbake fudgy brownies than to overbake them.
7. Let the brownies set in the pan for a full 20-30 minutes. Once completely firm and cool, remove from the pan, slice up, and enjoy!
* ‘Natural’ means no hydrogenated oils, and the only two ingredients are almonds and salt. You want the smooth, creamy stuff at the top of the jar, not the hard, crusty parts that can form at the bottom. Also note: there are no subs for almond butter here! (That I’ve tested.) Peanut butter has a different fat content than almond butter and thus will produce different results in baking.
** To crush candy canes, I like to place them in a ziplock bag on a hard surface, and use a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pan to crush them into tiny pieces.
