Julie Johnson has given us recipes for our blog for more than two years, but now her practice as a coach has grown and taken new directions. Sadly, she won’t be contributing recipes any longer. We want to say thank you to her for all the wonderful recipes she has supplied to us, and best wishes in her work!

The recipe section of our newsletter will continue with a new contributor in the spring, but in the meantime, enjoy this one she gave us in 2017. It was one of the most popular of recipe posts we’ve had, which isn’t surprising. Chocolate is perennial.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, but who are we kidding? Brownies are fabulous year-round! These have enough chocolate to satisfy any chocolate lover, but include good-for-you ingredients like sweet potato and coconut oil.

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato (medium size)
• 3 eggs, whisked
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• ⅓ cup raw honey
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (cacao)
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1) Peel the sweet potato and cut into chunks. Boil in water until soft (about 15 minutes). Place in a bowl and mash.

2) Add the eggs, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla to the bowl and mix together.

3) Add the coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix well.

4) Pour into an 8×8 glass baking dish.

5) Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Notes:

* Gluten-free flour and chocolate chips: I used almond flour and Enjoy Life Mini Chips.

* Instead of boiling the sweet potato, try baking it until soft, then peeling and mashing it.

* If your baking pan is metal, line it with parchment paper before pouring in the batter.

JULIE JOHNSON, Holistic Health Coach, helps clients reach wellness goals through nutrition and life balance. She offers individual coaching or group coaching sessions that support health through whole food nutrition. Clients will receive guidance, recipes, and cooking sessions to make sustainable lifestyle changes.