I can’t possibly think of a better way to use up the garden beetroot than in these beetroot brownies! They are so good and most definitely count as one of your five a day right?! They add a healthy dose of fibre and the kids are eating beetroot so that’s surely a win?! They are delicious though and the perfect way to use up the garden glut of beetroot at this time of year.

We love a good brownie but have never included a garden vegetable patch ingredient before. I used golden and red beets for this recipe and it worked a treat. I also used a delicious raw chocolate from Pacari UK, they sell the most amazing silky raw chocolate and have high ethical standards when it comes to chocolate manufacture. I love to support brands that do fair trade really well.

I topped off the brownies with chocolate covered cacao nibs for a little extra crunch and a little extra chocolate hit. Cacao is a delicious superfood and I love it in smoothies and for topping off breakfasts. I’ve never had the nibs chocolate covered before but they were lovely and added a lovely crunch to the brownie. If you want to use the same chocolate as me then check out the links below to the bar and Pacari’s website.

https://home.pacarichocolates.uk/

The best bits about this recipe…

• You get to use your garden produce in a brownie recipe! I think thats quite possibly the best bit about this recipe. Step aside pickled beetroot.
• Beetroots are packed with fibre and have a nutrient packed profile. What better way to disguise the good stuff for the kids. You can feed your kids a treat and still get a dose of vegetables in.
• Raw chocolate is also really nutritious and worth finding out about. Check out Pacari’s site for more info. They also have a chocolate tasting kit to get to know chocolate a bit better.
• Brownies travel well and are great in packed lunches for kids and adults. They also work well for school snacks and after school treats.
• A small amount goes a long way when eating these brownies meaning you don’t need to have much for that chocolate hit.

Tips for making this recipe…

1. Try and source organic beetroots. I grow my own beetroots but you can easily pick some up at a farmers market when in season. They grow particularly well in our colder Scottish climate.
2. Use a good quality non stick brownie tin. This helps to ensure the brownies come out nice and clean as they can be quite sticky.
3. Leave the brownies to cool completely on a baking cooling wrack before attempting to ice them, otherwise the icing will not stick and melt into the brownie.
4. If you want to freeze these brownies then freeze them before icing, defrost and ice once completely defrosted.
5. If you can’t find chocolate coated cacao nibs then feel free to use chocolate chips instead.
6. You can use coconut sugar in this recipe, which may help to create a healthier brownie or if you don’t have that available then you can use standard golden caster sugar.

Equipment you will need…

• A brownie tin and a good quality non stick brownie tin works really well. I use the 10 x 8 Lakeland non stick brownie tin it works really well and also has portion guides which are great for cutting the brownies.
• Some baking paper works really well if you don’t have a non stick brownie tin and you can use other shapes and sizes but you might need to change up the cooking time as the time is based on this specific size. I love the baking paper I have linked here as it is enviromentally friendly and if you buy in bulk it saves money too.
• I use my kitchen aid food processor to make the brownie mix. I use this machine nearly everyday in my kitchen and have done so for the last five years. It’s never broke once! I have a wee saying in my kitchen…buy cheap buy twice! Trust me its so worth the investment.

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Beetroot Brownies

200g of dark pacari chocolate or other brand

100g of unsalted butter

3 large organic eggs

vanilla seeds (scraped from a split vanilla pod) or a drop of vanilla extract

240g of golden caster sugar or coconut sugar

100g of self raising flour

20g of raw cacao powder or cocoa powder as a replcaement

250g of cooked beetroot

Golden Icing Sugar

Beetroot Powder or a drop of red food colouring

Chocolate covered cacao nibs from pacari or chocolate chips as a replacement.

Recipe Instructions

1. Trim the top and bottom off of the beetroot and if your lucky enough to have the green leafy tops from the beetroot save these for a smoothie.
2. Do not peel the beetroot and add it whole to a pan of boiling water. I had two large beetroots to cover the weight.
3. When the beetroot is tender remove the pan from the heat, drain and set aside to cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 160oc.
5. Grease up the brownie tin with butter or greasproof paper.
6. Add a heat proof bowl to a pan of simmer water, resting gently over the top of the pan and break the chocolate into the bowl.
7. Add the butter to the chocolate.
8. Stir the chocolate and butter around the bowl over the simmering pan of water and leave it to melt. Set aside to cool slightly.
9. Add into the bowl the eggs, vanilla and sugar and mix well in a mixer until well combined.
10. Add in the flour, cacao and mix through.
11. Grate the beetroot into the mixture and stir through gently.
12. Spoon the mixture into the greased brownie tin.
13. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
14. The brownies will be slightly sticky even when ready so a cake stick might not come out clean from the middle of the cake if you are testing if the cake is ready. They will be pretty firm to the touch though.
15. Leave to cool completely before you add the toppings on.
16. Make up the beetroot icing by adding a few tablespoons of icing sugar to a large bowl and a 1/4 tsp of beetroot powder or a drop or two of red food colouring. Mix well with a little warm water.
17. Drizzle the icing over the brownies and sprinkle over the cacao nibs.
18. Leave the icing time to dry before slicing up into large squares. You can also make mini square cuts for the little people in your life.

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