I’ve been baking all day, Monday through Friday, and whenever I can on the weekends. How many times should I make Blueberry Crumble Bars or Quinoa Carob Chip Cookies for a cookbook? Until I get them just right.
The recipe for a cookbook seems to be 3 parts cooking and 1 part writing, with lots of thinking in between. That’s the one very big singular thing that’s been going on lately.
And, then, once in a while I sneak in a different recipe just for fun. I know – most people would take a break from baking. Not me.
The Forgotten Recipe Brownies
I have a sort of obsession with brownies. About four months ago I made the perfect brownie. It was late. I was tired. And, in my fogginess I thought I’d write the recipe down later.
It’s not an unusual thing for me to do. Most of the time, I note changes as I go but quite often I get in a groove and don’t bother to stop until the food is in the oven.
Well, when the time came to write down what I did I couldn’t remember. A total blank.
I’ve tried relentlessly to recreate my perfect brownies. These are quite different from the Forgotten Recipe Brownies but they’re still darn good. And I made sure to write it down.
Out of the Oven
When I took them out of the oven I thought there was no way in the world they’d taste good. They just looked ‘wrong.’ But, after they cooled and sat for an hour to so I was taken by their earthy, slightly sticky, chewy texture.
Eat these for a snack, dessert, or even breakfast – they’re sweetened with nutrient dense dates and they’re fat free. I didn’t try to leave out the fat. It just happened.
What to do with leftovers? If you have any, layer these chocolaty treats with wax paper, wrap them up, and pop them in the freezer. No need to defrost – they freeze just solid enough so you can still bite into them.
Some other brownies recipes you might like…
- Fudgey Teff Brownies from Gluten-Free in SLC
- Avocado & Black Bean Brownies from Cara’s Cravings
- Triple Chocolate Fudgey Brownies from Flour Arrangements
- Egg Free, Grain Free Vegan Brownies from The Spunky Coconut
Update 9/15/10 – This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday.
Do you have a favorite brownies recipe? Tell me about it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (175 g) pitted medjool dates
- ¾ cup hot water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant decaf coffee
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup (57 g) garbanzo-garfava flour mix
- ¼ cup palm sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray.
- Put pitted dates, hot water, vanilla, and instant decaf coffee in a heat proof bowl. Let sit while you measure the remaining ingredients. Sift cocoa powder into a bowl to remove any lumps. Add gluten-free flour mix, palm sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- Place dates and soaking water into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth, scraping down as necessary. Add flour mixture to dates and process until smooth. Batter will be thick.
- Turn into prepared pan, scraping as much batter as possible from bowl. Smooth top with a spatula and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until brownies are set. A toothpick won’t come out completely clean for these brownies. Let cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
Kim @ Cook IT Allergy Free
posted on July 14, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Amy, these look awesome! I use medjool dates in a lot of my baking! I have always loved the sweetness that they lend. I also use it as a sweetener and “binder” for my granola that I make. These look like they would be gone in a flash in my house. Heidi (Adventures of a GF Mom) and her family will be making a stopover in Scottsdale next week, on their way to CA. Maybe I will serve these up for her GF crew!
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Chava
posted on July 15, 2010 at 6:24 am
I have a question – is it possible to replace the xanthan gum with an egg or two? In this recipe, and in general baking? I’m having a hard time finding it where I live.. Thanks! They look wonderful and I can’t wait to try these out!
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Erin Elberson
posted on July 15, 2010 at 9:27 am
Amy these sound fantastic!
As part of my competition preparation I have days where I eat very high carb and low fat-these would be perfect for a refeed day!
Thanks and can’t wait to give them a shot!
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Cara
posted on July 15, 2010 at 11:42 am
Thanks for the link love, dear! And should you have any slightly-less-than-perfect quinoa carob chip cookies, I’d gladly help you get rid of those. No one should have to carry that burden alone
I’m really intrigued with the idea of baking with dates now. And I have a whole lot to use up, actually! Thank you BJ’s wholesale club!
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gfe--gluten free easily
posted on July 15, 2010 at 11:44 am
This is exactly the way I expected these brownies to look from the title alone–fabulous! It’s wonderful to follow allow with your cookbook progress, Amy.
And, I can totally relate on thinking I’d remember a recipe or thinking I’d written it down. I’ve made lots of iterations AFTER I thought I had that key data captured. 
Shirley
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Alisa
posted on July 15, 2010 at 11:53 am
I do that all the time. There are so many wonderful things I have made, but I ‘plan’ on writing it down, but when the time comes, all is forgotten.
Love that these use dates! Brownies are great, as they are so forgiving for gluten-free. I swapped brown rice flour for all of the flour in a favorite old brownie recipe and everyone loved them – no one could tell the difference. I guess that cocoa masks all!
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jessica
posted on July 15, 2010 at 12:32 pm
These look so rich and heavenly!!! I love the combination of dates and chocolate. Brownies are so delicious. I like to top mine off with yogurt or ice cream! PS- saw your book on overstock.com for pre-order. It looks great! Once again- congrats
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Renee
posted on July 15, 2010 at 1:41 pm
These sound wonderful! I love ddates and cocoa. I make a date ball with cocoa and nut butter and they are wonderful. I might have to try these sometime soon!
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Ricki
posted on July 15, 2010 at 3:01 pm
If not for the dates, I could eat these this evening. Patience is over-rated!!
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Lexie
posted on July 15, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Oh, goody, goody, another great brownie! This one looks divine and can legally be eaten in this allergy household. Thanks!!
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Maggie Savage
posted on July 15, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Yum! I am so making brownies this weekend. How can I not after looking at yours and all of the links you provided! I can even make these since they totally fit our bill!
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Aubree Cherie
posted on July 15, 2010 at 8:21 pm
“Helloooo gorgeous!”
At least, that was the first thing that came to mind when I read the title and saw the photo
Can’t WAIT to try these! Yuuuuum 
~Aubree Cherie
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cindy
posted on July 16, 2010 at 1:07 am
I love that these are made with dates and just a little palm sugar. I’m wondering if date sugar would also work…
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Amy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
@cindy, I’m sure it would work just fine – or leave the palm sugar out all together. The dates are pretty sweet.
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carrie @ gingerlemongirl.com
posted on July 16, 2010 at 9:04 am
These look SO good Amy! I love things made with dates and chickpeas! YUM! I might just have to try these this weekend! Great picture!!
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Michelle
posted on July 16, 2010 at 1:22 pm
What kind of palm sugar do you use? Also – could I just use garbanzo bean flour or do you think the mix is needed?
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Amy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
@Michelle, I use either Sweet Tree or the brand iHerb.com carries – the links are on my resource page. Yes, use garbanzo bean flour – can’t see why they wouldn’t be just as delicious.
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Barbara @moderncomfortfood
posted on July 17, 2010 at 10:35 am
There’s everything to love here. My favorite cake in the world combines dates with chocolate, a magical taste duo, and I can well imagine it being even better in brownies. All day baking in the middle of summer? Here’s wishing you a bit of a break this weekend.
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Amy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
@Barbara @moderncomfortfood, Thansk! Yes, I did take a break – we worked in the yard and did some things around the house. It was a nice change from baking and it replenished my creative stores.
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Alta
posted on July 17, 2010 at 2:30 pm
I am a brownie fiend, and I love the idea of these! Definitely going to try.
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Alex@A Moderate Life
posted on July 17, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Hey Ames! I love this recipe, but all your recipes rock and it is one of the reasons why I gave you a versatile blogger award which you can pick up at my site http://amoderatelife.com/?p=344 you have shown me that GFSF can be liberating instead of restrictive! Yah!
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marla {family fresh cooking}
posted on July 18, 2010 at 8:45 am
Your brownies sound wonderful. Love the addition of garbanzo flour and the dates to sweeten. I am on a no refined sugar meal plan…so these would work out great! xo
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megan
posted on July 18, 2010 at 11:58 am
I can imagine these are terrific! I love dates.
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Julie Lynn
posted on July 18, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Amy, those brownies look fantastic! I can just see my Wubba with a plate of those. He’d be in heaven.
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Kelly
posted on July 19, 2010 at 12:59 pm
I’ve been craving a brownie recipe lately, and these sound like just the ticket. Thanks for sharing!
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Christianne
posted on July 21, 2010 at 12:55 pm
These look scrumptious! Is there any substitute for the sweet rice flour. I have pamela’s and Bob’s all purpose gf flour as well as teff.
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Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
posted on July 21, 2010 at 4:08 pm
These look really great Amy! I am always on the lookout for a good brownie. I love using date sugar to sweeten some desserts, so actual dates are great for brownies because of the moistness! What a genius idea!
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The Chocolate Priestess
posted on October 2, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Have you tried them with melted chocolate? That might lessen the need for some of the other ingredients. If it’s dark chocolate it shouldn’t have dairy or animal based oils so still vegan.
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Maggie
posted on October 3, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Amy I just pulled these out of the oven! I am excited but will let them cool for an hour like you suggest. The batter was delicious and that is always a good sign!
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Maggie
posted on October 3, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Mmmmmm, they are yummy! This was my first time baking with dates and I will definitely do it again. The brownies are a nice marriage of fudge and a moist cake. Such a great treat!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 9:42 am
@Maggie, I love these little brownies…they’re good frozen too.
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Christina Stang
posted on October 5, 2010 at 9:16 pm
I made these and WOW they are delicious! I used a dark cocoa power and they are dark and rich! My absolute favorite way to eat them is your suggestion of putting them in the freezer! What a treat!!!
Thank you once again!
C.
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Amy Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:20 am
@Christina Stang, Thanks, Christina! Yea, they’re so good. When they first came out of the oven I thought that they looked a little weird but once they cool…oh my goodness. Hugs!
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Nicole
posted on December 24, 2010 at 10:47 am
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made them with brown rice flour and they were delicious, I posted the recipe on my blog + linked back to you. You saved me girl!
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Bella
posted on January 25, 2011 at 3:30 pm
These look very delicious!
Bellamy
sweetnsavoryveg.blogspot.com
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Gigi
posted on March 3, 2011 at 7:57 am
Amy, Just saw these over at Maggie’s in the Adoption post…I am making these this weekend! Very similar to a recipe I have used, but I like yours better.
Don’t know how this one slipped by me, but thanks to Maggie, I’ve found it!! You’re such an amazing chef!
~Gigi
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Amy Reply:
March 7th, 2011 at 6:44 am
@Gigi, Have fun, Gigi!
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Kristen
posted on March 16, 2011 at 8:43 pm
I just made these. So easy to make and so delicious! I love the dates in these, the perfect thing to put in them!
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Amy Reply:
March 18th, 2011 at 8:19 am
@Kristen, I think they’re incredible, too. Who doesn’t love dates and chocolate?
Hugs to you, Kristen!
Amy
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Raj @ Flip Cookbook
posted on March 28, 2011 at 9:18 pm
I love how I always learn of new flours from you — garflava sounds awesome! Does that reduce the garbanzo flavor of pure chickpea flour?
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Carol
posted on August 14, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Who says healthy can’t taste good! If it’s made with chocolate it has to be good! Can’t wait to try these brownies!
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EpicPopcorn
posted on November 19, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Those do sound good.I love dates and I love cocoa…
However, I do have to point out that they aren’t really “fat-free” because cocoa powder does contain fat (not a whole lot, but it’s there…)
Still healthy, though, and they sound really delicious!
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Amy Reply:
November 21st, 2011 at 11:55 am
@EpicPopcorn, The label on my cocoa powder says 0 grams of fat. Not sure what brand you use…
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Jessica Silva
posted on December 12, 2011 at 11:13 pm
My brownies did not rise very much, great taste but super flat. I used brown rice flour, subbed cinnamon for the instant coffee, and used sea salt instead of kosher salt. Those were the only changes I made. I used the 8 x 8 pan but it when I was pouring the batter it seemed like the pan was too big/ not enough batter. I also live in high altitude. Do the brownies come out like the picture? Any insight? Thank you
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Amy Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
@Jessica Silva, Yes, the brownies come out like the picture. The brown rice flour could be the culprit…it’s different than the flour mix I used.
I don’t know what you mean by ‘super flat’ but it sounds like you might have unknowingly left something out of the recipe. You should have enough batter for the pan.
Hugs,
Amy
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Jessica Silva Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Thanks Amy! I am going to give them another go with the flour mix it calls for. I ate all the brownies myself
because the taste was amazing! Date and chocolate= bliss!
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Melaina at Rudi's Organic Bakery
posted on April 27, 2012 at 1:30 pm
These look divine! I love how healthy they are compared to a typical brownie, nice work!
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Amy Reply:
April 28th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
@Melaina at Rudi’s Organic Bakery, Thanks! They’re a favorite here at SS&GF.
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Joanna
posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:21 pm
These look delicious and I’m going to make them. I was just a little surprised that xanthum gum was a part of the ingredients since it may contain gluten. I was looking for a lower cost alternative when I discovered that it can be made up of wheat or corn or soy. I don’t even follow a gluten-free diet, but try to eat sugar-free as much as possible. I was interested in learning about xantham gum because I like to follow a GMO-free diet whenever possible and of course, soy and corn are both genetically modified crops. A few of the good alternatives for xanthum gum that I found are guar gum, locust bean gum and arrowroot powder, so I’ll try making the brownies with one of those. Thanks for a yumming-looking recipe!
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Anardana
posted on January 7, 2013 at 2:40 pm
I made these yesterday with half dates and half prunes and they are amazing!
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Sadie
posted on January 28, 2013 at 6:40 am
These brownies look delicious and pretty wholesome too! I don’t have all the flours on hand for the garbanzo-garfava flour mix what do you suggest substituting? I have arrowroot, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, and whole wheat pastry flour (I am not gluten free).
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Amy Reply:
January 28th, 2013 at 10:39 pm
@Sadie, You can try different flours but they may not turn out the same. That’s the tricky thing about gluten-free flours – they’re not always a one-to-one substitute.
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