An acid-watcher friendly brownie?? Yes, ma’am!! This one’s got minimal sugars, no chocolate and is not high in fat! The combo of date/carob add to the “richness” and its crumb is moist and pleasing to the palate. And each yummy square is just under 100 calories!!
How was I ever going to enjoy my favorite Outrageous Brownies ever again? The Ina Garten recipe works like a charm and those brownies are a hit at every party and potluck I’ve attended. But now with acid reflux, not only must I keep my fat quota on the low, I also have to watch the sugars and can definitely have no caffeine or chocolate. Her brownies are made decadently with a pound of butter and over a pound of chocolate chips and use ever a hint of coffee to richen the chocolate yum factor! So if you can have these, I definitely recommend. But for my personal needs and satisfaction, I had to come up with a brownie of my own.
I chose unsweetened carob chips to replace the chocolate and applesauce mostly as a replacement for the butter (although I did use a little coconut oil to melt the chips). There’s a hint of vanilla and just a Tablespoon of date syrup, but a little of the date syrup goes a long way – it’s concentrated and sweet! And I kept it gluten free by using almond meal instead of flour. So no, I did not follow the recipe in any shape or form, but used it as a guide for a delicious brownie treat.
Here’s the Acid Watcher friendly recipe for
Carob Date Brownies
Carob Date Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup carob chips unsweetened
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 1 Tablespoon date syrup 100% dates
- 2/3 cup almond meal
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Line, grease and flour a 9" square baking pan.
- In a microwave-safe bowl heat carob chips with coconut oil, 30 seconds at a time.
- Mix and reheat until smooth.
- Stir in unsweetened applesauce and date syrup.
- Pour mixture into food processor and blend with almond meal, salt, vanilla, baking soda and egg until well combined.
- Pour into prepared pan and gently mix in walnuts.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool and cut into squares.
Each brownie square is under 100 calories! But you can certainly enjoy 2 for about 170 calories with less than 10g sugar (no added sugars here) and 1 Diabetic Exchange (it’s just under 15g carbs).
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4 Responses
Hi. I have carob powder not carob chips. So in that case do I still use the coconut oil to melt it or do I add the powder in water?
Also don’t have applesauce. Is honey ok to replace?
I see you use date syrup. I had wanted to use actual dates. I guess it will be a different recipe. Od u have smth you can point me to? I just wanna use my dates. Thanks.
I haven’t perfected a recipe for carob chips out of powder. You could use honey, but I think dates would be better (blend with water) I typically make a DIY date paste with about 8 dates and 1/2 cup of water – blended at high speed until smooth. Yes, you can use DIY date paste. Try to keep portions equal.
As a nutritionist and gut health specialist, Applesauce is not reflux friendly. It is highly processed and acidic. It can activate pepsin which leads to more inflammation.
Thanks for your insights, Michelle. There is just a little under an ounce of applesauce per brownie or more correctly 0.66 oz, which isn’t very much — and I know that triggers can be dose-dependent. One brownie may be suitable for those managing GERD (perhaps not those with acute complications, but rather someone who has since healed their symptoms and moved beyond a more restrictive diet.
However, if you don’t approve of unsweetened applesauce (which can be made at home by stewing your own apples), what do you suggest?