Everyone loves brownies, right? Moist, chocolatey squares of indulgence…But sadly, the calories, fat and sugar content ain’t that brilliant. Which is why I was keen to make protein-packed chocolate ‘sponge’-like squares, with a caramel infused cashew filling for extra nutritional benefits and guilt-free indulgence. A great way of using Monkey Nutrition Primal23 Egg White Protein, these are sure to go down a treat!
Before I go on to the recipe, let me tell you a bit about Monkey Nutrition’s Primal23 Egg White Protein. What’s so good about it? With 23g protein per serving, boasting excellent biological value and highest nitrogen retention, egg white is the benchmark for all protein formulas when it comes to important criteria dealing with augmenting protein intake.
Available in Chocolate or Vanilla flavours, this alternative to whey protein is the ideal way to consume the equivalent of loads of eggs but without any of the faffing around of separating the yolk and white, and actually makes a great tasting alternative to liquid egg whites, as you’ll see in the recipe below. Go get it here and try it yourself!
Ingredients (for the brownie):
- 1 can butter beans, drained
- 2 bananas
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4-6 tbp almond milk
- 2 tbsp buckwheat flour
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 scoops Monkey Nutrition Egg White Protein Powder (Velvet Chocolate flavour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp natural sweetener (stevia, or xylitol)
Get baking!
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and grease and line a deep baking tin.
- It’s best to do this in stages. Put the butter beans in a high power blender with the bananas and blitz until smooth. Now add the peanut butter, vanilla extract and 4 tbsp of the milk and blitz well again until you have a smooth, thick mixture.
- Put the Monkey Nutrition protein powder, buckwheat flour, cacao powder, sweetener and baking powder in a bowl. Pour in the mixture and mix well, adding more milk if needed so you have a thick batter.
- Spoon this into your prepared tin and bake for about 15-20 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Leave to cool then slice up into 12 squares, letting them cool down completely on a wire rack.
Cashew caramel filling:
- 50g cashew nuts, soaked in water for at least 6 hours, drained
- 1 tsp caramel extract
- 1 tbsp natural sweetener
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Simply put the drained cashews and all of the other ingredients in a high power blender and blitz until you have a chunky mixture. Scrape out and keep in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.
Ready to serve the squares? Slice down the middle of each brownie slice, add a teaspoon of the cashew mixture and spread to cover, then add a little more so you have a substantial layer. Add the top part of the brownie like a sandwich – now indulge innocently!
Have you seen my other Monkey Nutrition creation – Chocolate & Courgette Protein Loaf with Caramel Frosting? Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube too!