These decadent, low in sugar Beet Brownies with Coconut (Dairy Free) can be enjoyed as a healthy dessert or even snack. Simply cut into smaller pieces and enjoy little brownie bites.
Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to eat chocolate or bake chocolate treats and recently I’ve been doing just that. Today I would like to share my recipe for easy, dairy free Beet Brownies with Coconut . These veggie brownies make a delicious treat perfect for everyday as well as special occasion. They can also be enjoyed as a snack – just cut the brownie cake into smaller pieces and enjoy little brownie bites.
Even though these healthy brownies contain a substantial amount of beetroot you won’t really taste it (unless you are a bit of a beetroot junkie:). So it’s a good way of getting your children to eat more veggies. Even my own children, who have learned to suspect every food item to contain something ‘healthy’ could not detect the presence of the beetroot. They simply enjoyed their brownies!
If brownies is your thing you may also like these Dairy Free Pumpkin Brownies.
Dairy free brownies
These easy brownies do not contain butter and can be easily enjoyed as a dairy free treat if you use dairy free chocolate and chocolate chips. I used coconut oil instead of butter, not only to make this a #freefrom recipe but also because coconut pairs really well with both beetroot as well as chocolate. Having said that the coconut flavour is quite subtle in this recipe as I only used 20 g of desiccated coconut (in addition to the coconut oil).
Preparing the beetroot
Bake the beets whole, unpeeled in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until tender. Allow to cool then peel. Then simply chop the beets roughly, combine with the coconut and puree until smooth.
The beetroot can be baked ahead and, once cooled, refrigerated until you are ready to use it (best to use it the following day). Puree the beetroot when you are ready to make the recipe.
How to make beetroot brownies
Once your beetroot-coconut mixture is ready the recipe takes minutes to prepare. Melt the chocolate with coconut oil and set aside to cool. Combine your dry ingredients. Then in another bowl beat the eggs with sugar and fold in the beet mixture and melted chocolate. Then gently fold in the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips towards the end and pour the batter into your prepared tin. Bake for 25 minutes.
Any leftover brownies can be wrapped in cling film and refrigerated. They are best served warm so pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and enjoy the leftovers!
*NOTE: I usually prefer to use cacao rather than cocoa powder, as cacao is healthier, but it’s absolutely fine to use cocoa powder instead.
More veggie dessert recipe ideas
If you love vegetables, even in desserts you might also like this vibrant looking, exotic Mango Mousse Recipe with Sweet Potato. Try also these Healthy Chocolate Dessert Pots with Quinoa and Sweet Potato. Check out also this zingy Key Lime Cheesecake Pie with Avocado. Another easy healthy dessert are these Avocado Chocolate Dessert Pots.
These decadent, dairy free and low in sugar Beet Brownies with Coconut can be enjoyed as a healthy veggie dessert or even snack.
- 2 medium beets approx. 340 g, unpeeled
- 200 g dark chocolate 65-70% cocoa solids, use dairy free if preferred
- 100 ml coconut oil
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g flour
- 100 g dark chocolate chips use dairy free if preferred
- 3 eggs
- 20 g cacao or cocoa powder
- 20 g desiccated coconut
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Preheat the oven to 425 F/ 220 C/ gas mark 7. Place the beets on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave to cool, then peel. Chop the beets roughly, combine with the desiccated coconut and puree until smooth. Set aside. (you can bake the beetroot ahead and, once cooled, refrigerate it until you are ready to use it)
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Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 22 cm square baking tin, line with baking paper (see the photo) and set aside.
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Break up the chocolate, place, along with the coconut oil, in a bowl over a pot of simmering water (the water shouldn't touch the bowl) and melt, stirring often. Remove from the heat and take the bowl off the pot. Set aside.
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Combine the flour with the cacao (or cocoa) powder, stir with a whisk and set aside.
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Beat the eggs and sugar for 2 minutes. Stir in the beet mixture, then gradually pour in the melted chocolate (it will have cooled by then), stirring all the time with a spoon. Fold in the flour mixture (add the chocolate chips when almost all the flour has been mixed in). Stir only until the flour is no longer visible.
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Pour the batter into the baking tin, smooth out the top or give your cake a bit of a 'messy' appearance with the back of a large spoon (as I have done) and bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift out of the tin with the paper and place on a cooling rack. Best served warm. Yields 9 large brownies.
Preparation time includes the time needed to bake the beetroot.
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RECIPE LINK PARTIES
I am bringing my Dairy Free Beet Coconut Brownies to #CookBlogShare (the linky will go live tomorrow on Easy Peasy Foodie). Also sharing with Free From Fridays. Recipe of the Week, We Should Cocoa, Baking Crumbs, and Fiesta Friday. (This week’s co-hosts are Laurena @ Life Diet Health and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.
I wonder if cassava flour weighed to that amount would work? We are grain free
I wish I knew the answer but unfortunately I don’t. I’ve never used this flour so don’t know its properties. Sorry:(
Can you use coconut flour? If so, how much?
Hi, thanks for getting in touch! Coconut flour has very different properties and I wouldn’t use it. Gluten free flour should be ok, if you are looking for a gluten free substitute. Hope this helps:)
These look gorgeous Monika. Love the colour. I find coconut oil makes a really good sub for butter. And you didn’t use that much sugar either. I bet they were delicious. Thanks for linking with #WeShouldCocoa – although I couldn’t see a link in your post.
Thank you! And my apologies for not including the link, it was completely unintentional, I’ll go and correct right away.
Thanks Monika and my apologies for not spotting the link. I did read the post – honest!
Don’t worry, it wasn’t that easy to spot, I agree.
You made your own red velvet brownies but a lot healthier. I just might have to try using beetroots Monika 🙂
Thank you! Beetroot is just amazing in terms of flavour as well as colour, I hope you do use it:)
Beetroot and chocolate yum… with coconut oh my Monika you’re tempting me to do baking instead of tackling the decorating! ? Thanks for linking and sharing at Fiesta Friday ☺
Thank you Laurena, these brownies were so good I am making them again this weekend:)
Yummy.
Wow I just the colour of these brownies! They look so tempting 🙂
Thank you, glad you like them:)
What a fabulous alternative to brownie recipe. i love that you’ve used beetroot in there – it’s so amazing how versitile it is in baked treats. Thankyou so much for linking up with #BakingCrumbs,
Angela x
Thank you Angela, I am glad I remembered to link up:)
Wow! What an amazing idea to sneak in vegetable to my favorite bar. 😀 These look so beautiful and look at that color!! These would be perfect coz I am craving for brownies. Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party, Monika! x
Thanks Jhuls, glad you like these, happy FF:)
Gorgeous! Love the colour and absolutely love using beetroot in baking, it just adds such a beautiful flavour, texture & colour to everything!
Thank you Midge, I love using beetroot in everything:)
Oh wow Monika, your brownies look amazing! I’ve been meaning to try making beetroot brownies for years but for some reason, I still haven’t attempted making them. I’ll bookmark your recipe so I can try making your brownies soon. x Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays.
Thanks Mel, I’ve wanted to make these for a while too and Valentine’s day gave me the motivation to do so (I don’t make desserts too often).
I love the colour that beetroot gives these brownies. I have some beetroot left over from making vegetable crisps, this would be the perfect recipe to use them up. Thanks for sharing with #bakingcrumbs
Thank you, glad you like this recipe idea:)
These look so beautiful. What a great treat! #freefromfridays
Thank you Emma, they tasted pretty delicious:)
Love the colour and how perfectly gooey and fudgey they look when cut plus beetroot goes so well with chocolate, these are bound to be fantastic! 🙂
Thank you Joe, I actually never tasted beetroot with chocolate but knew it was a great pairing, now I’ve tasted it I want to make more brownies! It’s a fabulous combination!
These look gorgeous! I have tried (raw) beetroot in cakes and brownies but they never come out with red hue. Hence i never posted on my blog.I will try with baked beetroots this time.
Thanks, Balvinder, these brownies definitely have a deep red hue, I am sure it’s to do with baking the beetroot first.
What a great way to make healthier brownies. I made some awesome beetroot brownies a while ago but stupidly forgot to write down the recipe!! I have been kicking myself ever since as they were so good! Maybe I’ll just have to make yours next time instead! Thanks for linking them up to #CookBlogShare. Eb x
That must have been a long while ago as these days you are super organised:)
There are so many healthier brownie recipes around at the moment and I am loving reading them all! I really need to make some healthier treats for my children again and these would be perfect.
People never seem to tire of brownies, I am thinking of making new ones already (healthy of course:)
I love that these brownies have a red hue to them, perfect for Valentines, and healthy too!
Thanks! Glad you like them:)