Fudgy Peanut Butter Blondies

Recipe courtesy of Erin Parekh, Nutritious Life Master Certified. Get more recipes from Erin at erinparekh.com and follow her on Instagram at @erinparekh_.

Blondies aren’t typically at the top of anyone’s “health food” list, but these peanut butter blondies with dark chocolate, flax, and almond flour are as good as they get. Swap the peanut butter for almond butter if you want to make it Paleo-friendly, or swap mashed bananas for applesauce to make a “chunky monkey” version. Trust me, you can’t go wrong either way!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1/3 cup filtered water
1 cup peanut butter, creamy, unsalted, organic
1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon maca powder (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, fine
1/2 cup dark chocolate, 85%, chopped
More sea salt to top

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.
Mix flax meal with filtered water and allow to gel for 10 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter, apple sauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and soaked flax meal mixture.
Sift in almond flour, maca powder (if using), baking soda, and fine sea salt. Mix together with wet ingredients until the batter is smooth and uniform.
Fold in chopped dark chocolate and transfer mixture to prepared baking pan. Sprinkle top with a pinch or two of flakey sea salt.
Place blondies on the middle oven rack and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are starting to brown.
Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove from pan using parchment paper and place on wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Blondies will keep at room temperature for several days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE

I eat a square of dark chocolate every day, but some occasions call for stepping it up—and Valentine’s Day is one of those times. Since my husband loves peanut butter, I decided to merge our two favorites into one fudgy, peanut buttery blondie recipe. These blondies are grain-free, vegan, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup and applesauce. I snuck in some maca powder, too—an adaptogen known to boost mood and libido. (You’re welcome.)

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