I’ve wanted to experiment with lavender as a cooking ingredient for a while, but couldn’t figure out where to start. Naturally, chocolate was the first thing that came to mind. How could anything possibly go wrong when chocolate is involved? (The answer? It can’t.)
Now, I couldn’t possibly make myself an entire batch of brownies without finding some way to justify the action. What better way to make myself feel healthy than adding a superfood into my dessert? I’ve recently become obsessed with maca powder. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is known as the “superfood of the Incan warriors”. If that isn’t enough to make you jump on the maca bandwagon, it’s rich in vitamin B12 and protein, and also provides calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and amino acids.
It has also been known to regulate hormones and give you a natural dose of energy. Besides, it has a delightfully nutty, almost butterscotch-y flavor that I can’t get enough of.
I wasn’t sure how all of these flavors would pair together, but ohhhhh boy did I find a wonderful combination. Seriously. The brownies had a unique texture – sort of a cross between a typical brownie and a piece of cake – and there are so many complex undertones in the flavor. On first bite you get the chocolate taste you expect, then you get the nuttiness of the maca, and then you realize that there is a delightfully floral taste that comes afterwards from the fresh lavender. I even sprinkled a bit of Himalayan pink salt on the tops of mine (because it’s pretty, and because I am a salt fiend), and the mix of sweet and salty really pulled these brownies together.
These are a simple, delightful twist on a classic dessert that will be sure to impress anyone you make them for – unless you end up eating the entire batch yourself throughout the day. I’m not saying that’s what happened to me… ahem.
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup honey (I like to use raw honey found at my local farmer’s market)
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers (having a few left over for decoration)
- 1 tablespoon maca powder
- Himalayan pink salt (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13” baking pan. (Brownies made in this size pan will be about one inch thick once baked – if you want them fuller, use a smaller sized pan)
- Whisk together the water, olive oil, and eggs in a large bowl.
- Slowly whisk in the flour, baking powder, salt, honey, maca powder, and cocoa powder one ingredient at a time. If you’re using raw honey and it’s too thick to whisk in, melt it in the microwave for about 20 seconds before adding it to your batter.
- Once the batter is well blended, add in your lavender and chocolate chips. The measurement for the lavender is up to you – I found one tablespoon to be the perfect amount, but depending on how floral you want these brownies to be you could add more or less.
- Pour the batter into a baking pan and spread until it is in one even layer. Don’t worry if the batter seems too thick, that’s how it’s supposed to be.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool, then sprinkle fresh lavender and Himalayan pink salt over the top before cutting.
- Enjoy the fruits of your labor!!
Can I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour?
I loved this recipe! I did substitute 1/2 cup of coconut sugar for the 1 cup of honey. I had raw honey but I do not own a microwave so it was easier for me to handle the coconut sugar and I also wanted to try them with less sweetener. They turned out really well. Thank you!