Brownies!

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My favorite sweet treat has always been brownies.  I have fond memories of my mom pulling out the red Duncan Hines brownie mix and after she finished making the batter, she would let me lick the beaters. Then the long wait would come-they had to cool and set up before I could get a taste.  I must have been quite the impatient pest, because I distinctly remember her putting them out on the back porch to get them to cool off quicker.  When they were finally ready I would ask for a corner piece.  That soft, yet kind of crunchy corner was what I had been waiting for.  Yum!

My love affair with brownies continued over the years. Even when I lived by myself I would often pick up a mix to make, thinking it would be a great dessert for a week. But usually I would finish off the pan by the next day; such is the life of a carb-a-holic.  When I went Keto, I began to search for a recipe that could satisfy my hankering for brownies but not be the thing that would throw me out of ketosis.  As usual it was KetoConnect to the rescue. Their recipe became my go-to when I was needing a brownie fix.  Check out their recipe here.

Earlier this year I saw that Lakanto had come out with a prepackaged brownie mix.  Now I’m not sure what compelled me to immediately put in an order – it might have been that red packaging that caught my eye or perhaps the fact that it was made primarily with monk fruit -Lakanto’s signature offering and my preferred sweetener.  I hoped that the mix would be as good as the pictures looked and that first batch did not disappoint.  It was easy to make and the recipe perfectly captured the brownie texture – even those soft/crispy edges. It was actually just a bit too sweet for me (a common problem with some prepackaged Keto treats), but a bit of salt on top quickly balanced the flavors and even heightened the intensity of the chocolate.  The packaged mix  is a bit expensive, but the serving size is only a sixteenth of the recipe so it was well worth it.

Wait, what?  A sixteenth of the pan? Libby, what the heck…you know one brownie doesn’t satisfy – that pan will be gone in no time.  Yes, I know that was true pre-keto, but let me take a moment to bring you one of the many KETO BENEFITS:

When you become fat adapted using a ketogenic diet you will find that not only do the carb addictions become less or non-existent, but when you do have a keto treat you are satisfied with much less.  I have often made up a batch of something truly delicious to find that after one serving I am wholly satisfied and do not need to binge.  Mind you, this is NOT because these treats are not good, but because my higher fat diet satiates me throughout the day, giving me the freedom to eat treats in moderation.

This leads me to a  KETO TIP:

Be prepared to freeze a good portion of the treats you make. You will not have a need to binge on those cookies and cakes as you did pre-keto.  Plan to give the extra away or freeze some up for the next time you are wanting a bit of sweetness.

So why did I pick now to post about brownies? Well a couple of nights ago, I happened on a video of Wes Shoemaker over at High Falutin’ Low Carb doing one of his epic food battles where he was comparing some of the best brownie recipes in the keto universe.  Please check it out here.  Wes is one of my favorites on YouTube.  His personality lights up the screen as he educates and entertains.  I once spent a whole day binge watching his channel – I’m smiling now just thinking about it!  I like how Wes does his battles – he doesn’t give exact recipes which sends his viewers to the recipe-author’s website.  He’s a great supporter of the Keto community and for that you will no doubt see him highlighted here on LKN.

Wes compared three recipes. The first one was Avocado based.  I’ve heard a lot about those over the years, and will try it soon.  The second was a flourless one, great for those who might have nut allergies.  The third one was from Typically Keto, and since I had all the ingredients in the house,  I quickly went to work replicating the recipe.

It was easy to prepare and it won my heart as soon as it had cooled enough to taste.  And  no, I did not put it out on the back porch to cool!  For my spin on the recipe, I replaced the erythritol and stevia with just monk fruit.  The texture was spot on, including those soft/crispy/chewy edges.  The one odd thing on this recipe was the change in the texture after refrigeration. It got a bit granular – this was most likely due to the switch in sweetener.  But a quick 15 sec in the microwave, and Voila!-the brownies of my childhood.

As a rule, I believe that desserts should be a treat and not necessarily an everyday menu item, but I also believe that having your favorite carb items reimagined into your new favorite Keto treats is a big part of making this way of  eating a lifestyle and not a diet. As you know know, the LKN philosophy is that Keto is about long term health, not just a quick weight loss plan.

KetoConnect – #1 Keto Resource – Highly recommend them!

KetoConnect Brownies – Awesome!

Lakanto  – Check out their brownie mix and sweeteners – both my favorites!

Lakanto Brownie Mix – A bit expensive, but they nail the texture.

High Falutin’ Low Carb – So fun – I recommend ALL of his videos.

Brownie Battle – Compared three different recipes.  I tried out the third one – loved it!

Keto Benefit – You don’t have a need to overdue treats anymore

Keto Tip – You won’t need to eat the whole pan of the treats, so freeze them for later.