Healthy Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkin brownies – two of my favorite things!  How many people were shocked at the words healthy and brownies in the same title?

Challenged by my sister Chris to come up with a healthy brownie recipe a few weeks ago after she published her own healthy brownie recipe, I came up with this pumpkin brownies recipe.  Knowing me well, Chris nailed it when she said that I’m an organic, natural kinda person.   I like that she makes me think and urges me outside my comfy box, but — gee!  I’ve got stuff going on and little time to come up with a wa-zoo recipe!  Ah, the pressure….

Being the season for pumpkins, I knew my first healthy ingredient!  In addition, adding veggies to dessert makes it healthy automatically in my opinion.  Right?  Right?

Anyway, following is my Healthy Pumpkin Brownies Recipe in response to her challenge.

Pumpkin Brownies Ingredients:

1.5 C flour (I used 1/2 C whole wheat and 1 C white)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt (use sea salt!)
1 C pumpkin
1 C butter  (I used 1/2 C butter and 1/2 C applesauce — fruit!!!)
1.75 C sugar (I used turbinado)
3 tsps vanilla extract (make your own vanilla extract using vanilla beans and vodka)
5 large eggs (organic and from a neighbor)
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 C chocolate chips (carob chips if you have them!)
3/4 C chopped walnuts
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg (grind your own and enjoy how potent the aroma is!)

Pumpkin Brownies Directions:

As always, preheat oven to 350°.
Grease a 9×13 pan.
Put all dry ingredients (except chocolate chips)  in sifter .
Place wet ingredients in large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add dry ingredients to wet.  Mix.
Stir in chocolate chips.
After pouring the brownies into your 9×13 pan, bake in oven approximately 40 mins.

These are soooo gooey!  And yummy!  And healthy!  Right?  You bet they are.  I wonder what other ways this recipe could be tweaked to add more goodness.  I’ll ponder that as I savor every single bite!

What do you think?  Let me know!