By Rachel Albert-Matesz

Coconut Chocolate Chip Blondies

MAKES 16 SQUARES

 

Coconut flour gives these blondies a dense texture and nutty flavor. Soaked dates stand in for brown sugar, adding a sweet taste without refined sugar. They blend in so well, you won’t even notice. Like most coconut flour desserts, these bars taste even better after 24 hours in a covered container.

½ cup soft, pitted dates
- Warm water, to cover dates
½ cup sifted coconut flour
¼ cup gluten-free All-Purpose Flour Blend
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon guar gum or xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup extra-virgin coconut oil or palm shortening or olive oil
2 eggs
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Place dates in a shallow bowl. Pour warm water over them to just cover. Let stand for 1 to 4 hours. Then scoop the dates out with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid behind.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, greasing the top of the paper and bottom and sides of the pan.

3. Lightly spoon flours into a measuring cup and level with a knife. Place flours, baking soda, guar gum and salt in a bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside.

4. Combine soaked dates, oil or shortening, eggs, honey, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and blend only enough to combine. Scrape batter into a bowl and fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be stiff like cookie dough. (If you don’t have a food processor, purée dates, honey, eggs, and vanilla in blender until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl. Stir in dry ingredients and then chocolate chips.)

5. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 24 to 30 minutes on middle rack of preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs. Allow blondies to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then turn onto a rack to cool completely before cutting. Store in a covered container until used.

Each serving contains 187 calories, 12g total fat, 9g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 26mg cholesterol, 84mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 2g protein.

 

Variations

For Egg-Free Blondies, replace 2 eggs with ¼ cup Ener-G egg replacer mixed with ¼ cup hot water. Whisk until smooth and gooey. Add to the wet ingredients in step 4 and proceed with recipe as instructed.

For Raisin Blondies, replace 1 cup chocolate chips with 1 cup raisins or use ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries + ½ cup coarsely chopped, lightly toasted green pumpkin seeds or almonds, walnuts or pecans, if tolerated.

Read More on These Topics

• Celiac/Gluten Free
• Cooking
• Dessert