Healthy Cosmic Brownies
Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves: 12 squares in an 8x8 inch pan
INGREDIENTS
Brownie batter:
1 medium sized sweet potato (~160g)
2 flax eggs
¼ cup smooth almond butter
¼ cup or 4 heaping tbsp of Malama Mushrooms cordyceps cacao powder
¼ cup maple syrup, agave, or honey
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup chocolate chips or chocolate bar, melted (~40g)
pinch of salt
Chocolate ganache frosting:
½ cup chocolate chips or chocolate bar (~80g) *I used sugar-free chocolate chips
½ cup full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
Toppings:
Rainbow candy chips or rainbow coated chocolate gems
instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Steam your sweet potato with the skin on. If you do not have a steamer basket like me, you can also microwave the sweet potato for 4-5 minutes. I recommend covering with a wet paper towel if you decide to go this route. The end result should be tender enough to puncture with a fork. Peel off the sweet potato skin once it’s fully cooked.
In the meantime, you can prepare your chocolate.
Method A: Microwave the chocolate chips for 15 second intervals and continue stirring until it’s melted.
Method B: (my preferred method) Boil water in a kettle first. Place a smaller bowl with the chocolate chips into a larger bowl. Once the water is boiled, pour it into the outer rim of the larger bowl and mix continuously until it’s fully melted. This is similar to the double boiler stovetop method that most bakers follow to melt chocolate without burning it.
If you are using flax seeds instead of regular eggs, place 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds into a bowl and mix with 6 tbsp of boiling hot water. Allow this to rest for 3-5 minutes or until the texture is viscous like a raw egg.
In a blender, add all of your ingredients together including the sweet potato flesh, melted chocolate, and flax eggs. You may need to press the batter down in the blender to fully pulverize everything.
Cut out a square piece of parchment paper to line your 8x8 baking pan. Pour the brownie batter dough into the baking pan and use a ladle or your hands to evenly pack the mixture down. Bake for 12 minutes.
While the brownies are baking, start making the nostalgic chocolate ganache frosting. In a small pot on medium to high heat, add your coconut cream/milk and the chocolate chips. You do not need to pre-melt the chocolate chips/chocolate bar. Once the coconut milk mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to medium and continue stirring. It should only take about 2-3 minutes to achieve the right temperature.
Remove the pot from heat once the chocolate has melted completely into the coconut milk. The fat from the coconut milk/cream needs to cool down to achieve the signature texture of ganache.
Method A: Place into the freezer for the remainder of the baking time.
Method B: Similar to my lazy double boiler method, place the entire pot into a larger bowl with an ice bath. Continue stirring the chocolate ganache until it thickens.
When the brownies are done, you can check if it’s fully baked with a chopstick or toothpick. Allow the brownies to cool at room temperature or in the freezer/fridge. Once it’s cooled down, pour the ganache frosting all over and top with your rainbow sprinkles/candy chips. Cut into squares and enjoy!
What if I told you that you could make cosmic brownies at home with vegetables? And a few other all natural ingredients like steamed sweet potato, chocolate, almond butter, maple syrup, and Malama Mushroom’s Cordycep Cacao Powder. Not only does the cacao powder add natural chocolate flavor and richness to the recipe, but the cordyceps mushrooms add a laundry list of health benefits. Unlike the original cosmic brownie recipe which includes the infamous red dye that was recently banned for its cancer risk, research shows that cordyceps and sweet potatoes have the exact opposite effect of preventing cancer.
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