Peanut Butter Swirl Nutty Brownies

I've been a terrible blogger recently, I even missed my poor little blogs 1st birthday! 

I could rattle off a list of weak excuses, or I could just go ahead and give you my new favourite brownie recipe. 

I promise it's a good'un.


With this one I've combined a few of my favourite things to create the ultimate brownie - chocolate, peanut butter and avocado. Yeah, I put a weird green vegetable in my brownies and I didn't live to regret it (or throw up everywhere.)

A little trust is going to be needed here. I didn't even tell my friends what was in these before they tried them, I just let the sight of chewy chocolate and melty peanut butter brownies, topped off with a load of crunchy mixed nuts do the talking. Once they'd eaten them and were eyeing up seconds, the is the time to reveal the secret ingredient and watch their eyes widen. One of my friends is convinced she hates avocado but had to admit these brownies were sumin spesh. 

No eggs, dairy or gluten needed - just a little green vegetable.

Ingredients:

120g flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
150g vegan dark chocolate
115g vegan margarine
130g caster sugar
50g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g /2 avocados, peeled and pitted (approx. 3/4 cup once pureed)

3 tbsp Peanut Butter

100g mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, brazils, hazelnuts etc.)

Course sea salt

To Make:

• Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 8×8 inch square baking tin.
• In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and margarine over a low heat, stirring frequently. 
• Once melted, remove from the heat and add the vanilla and both sugars, mixing in well so there are no lumps.
• Mash up the avocado flesh, using a fork or a food processor, making sure it’s absolutely lump free. 
• Once smooth, add to melted chocolate and sugars and mix well.
• Stir together flour, salt and cocoa powder. 

• Sieve the flour mixture into the other combined ingredients and fold in lightly until just combined. 
• Pour into the prepared baking tin.
• Pop the peanut butter in a small bowl and soften in the microwave for about 30 seconds. This will help it swirl more easily into the brownie mix.
• Get a teaspoon and drizzle over the brownie mix, swirl with a fork until you're out of peanut butter and it is evenly covered.
• Roughly chop up the mixed nuts and scatter over the top.
• Finish with a few pinches of sea salt over the top of everything.

• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

• Allow to cool fully before cutting into squares - my brownies were still pretty soft but I kept them stored in the fridge and they firmed up nicely.